Tempting the Ringmaster by Aleah Barley Read Free Book Online Page B

tent, you’ll never be without a home.’
    She wondered what he’d say about her struggling to find a place for the troop to spend the winter. It had been less than a year, and already his life’s work was falling apart.
    “You must have loved him very much,” Graham said.
    “We fought like cats and dogs.” Their last fight had taken place on the night she’d left the circus, walking away from the lot they’d set up in Chicago with only the vague promise of an apprenticeship at a friend’s tattoo parlor. The pay had been crap and the benefits had been non-existent, but that didn’t matter, not when it meant escaping from the circus life with all of its prying eyes.
    Watching her pack her bags, Barnaby had been so damn angry. He’d roared and stomping around like some kind of crazed animal. She’d seen him a few times since—any time the circus traveled within a day’s drive of Chicago—but there’d always been something missing; the fire in his eyes when they worked together on a new bit or helped train a fresh performer.
    “We wanted different things.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Yeah, Barnaby always wanted to be P.T. Barnum. He was just born 200 years too late.”
    “What about you?” Graham asked, looking her straight on. His silver blue eyes held an intensity that made her breath catch in her throat. “What did you want?”
    She’d wanted a home, a man who loved her, and a family that she could depend on. She sighed. Those were fantasies she’d dreamed up when she was young. Now she wanted practical things; a few extra dollars in her pocket for a rainy day, the safety of the circus, and a place for her people to spend the winter.
    “Nothing important.”
    Their food hit the table with a thud. There was a burger so big she’d need to eat it with a knife and fork, dripping with sautéed mushrooms, onions, and blue cheese settled in next to a basket full of fresh cut French fries. Two glasses of beer quickly followed.
    “Thanks, Theresa,” Graham said.
    “You need anything else, just let me know.” The waitress’s mouth pulled back into a wide grin, showing off purple and green braces. “Are you taking anyone to the Winter Social?”
    Belle blinked in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”
    The girl couldn’t be more than sixteen. Graham might be the sexiest thing on two legs—Buck Falls answer to Romeo, Don Juan, and Channing Tatum—but some things were just too absurd for words.
    It was just supposed to be one drink, but that didn’t mean Belle was going to let some teenage bar-maid completely ignore her. She leaned forward, allowing the front of her ruby dress to gape open as she placed a hand possessively on Graham’s wrist.
    “Sugar,” she purred, turning up the charm, “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but go play with someone your own age. This one’s taken.”
    “Right. Of course.” The girl rummaged through the pockets of her apron until she found her order pad. “What’s your name?”
    “Belle-Anne Black.”
    “Belle-Anne.” Her brow furrowed. “How’s that spelled?”
    Un-freaking-believable. Belle’s gaze met Graham’s questioningly. What the heck was going on? Why did the girl want to know her name?
    He didn’t bother explaining. Instead, his lips twitched up into a knowing smile. He leaned forward, getting into the act by smoothing a single dark curl back behind her ear. The heat of his fingertips against her cheek was enough to light fires across her entire body. His hand drifted down slightly, the rough calluses on his thumb scraping across her bare collarbone before he settled back in his seat.
    Hoo-boy. Belle swallowed hard, struggling to remember what was going on. Right. Her name. She spelled out each letter of her first name slowly. “The last name’s Black, the same color as my panties. You need me to spell that for you too?”
    “No.” The waitress’s cheeks flushed a bright pink. She grinned. “I gotta go. I need to call my sister.” She