Enchanted by her soft melody, Houston stretched out and drew closer to Kelly. Turning up on his side, he looked down into her beautiful sienna face. As his manhood instantly gave rise, he moaned inwardly, discreetly repositioning his privates to a more comfortable position. “Care to share your wish with me, Kelly-Kel?”
Kelly stroked Houston’s face with the pads of her fingers. Looking at him was pleasurable. “It won’t come true. I’ll only tell you my wish if it does.”
Houston kissed Kelly’s forehead tenderly. “Fair enough. I love helping people fulfill their dreams. Maybe I can help make your wish come true if I know what it is.”
Doubting Houston’s last statement, as it applied to her, Kelly angled high an eyebrow. His statement did not pertain to any kind of committed relationship. Kelly knew it to be a bold fact, one that had come from his lips.
Kelly openly stared into Houston’s eyes. “I hate to differ here, but I don’t think that is a true statement when it comes to you and me. Yet I’ve decided to meet you right where you are. So it’s okay if you can’t make my wishes come true.”
Houston appeared stunned by her candid comment. “How can I do that if I don’t know what they are? I’m not a mind reader, you know.”
Kelly didn’t think Houston had to be a mind reader to know what she wished for most. All he had to do was feel her vibes. Her body language should give him some clue.
She was hot for him, but it wasn’t merely a sexual thing. Kelly burned inside and out for his affection. His brilliant mind also set hers afire. Their conversations were stimulating, sparkling with humor. He was a superstar on and off the basketball court.
Kelly was terribly infatuated with Houston. If he hadn’t gotten all the subtle signals she’d been firing off, she didn’t know what else to do to make him feel her.
Houston lowered his head until he felt Kelly’s breath on his lips. Lightly, his mouth flirtatiously skirted hers. Keeping his eyes fastened on her lovely face, his tongue teased and deliciously taunted her lower lip. A slightly passionate kiss came next, shocking and delighting him and her. The next few tender and sweet kisses put Kelly in a state of want, making her feel as if she was slowly coming unhinged.
Lowering his head farther, Houston’s mouth explored the exposed flesh on Kelly’s throat. He knew he probably shouldn’t be doing this, but he couldn’t seem to keep from fulfilling his desire for her. She was sweet and had so much sex appeal.
As Houston’s lips dotted moist kisses onto her bare arms, Kelly felt her heart skip several beats. While her body grew rigid with need, biting down on her lower lip was all she could do to keep from falling into him. Her breasts already heaved with the pain of her hard-to-control breathing. Her body had heated up rather rapidly and was responsible for the moisture between her legs.
Houston gave Kelly one last tender kiss before he brought things to a complete standstill. The short-lived moments of utter ecstasy were over and done with. They both fought against the deep disappointment. He was aware he’d moved the liaison up a notch. The surprise for him was that he hadn’t tried to battle what he felt for her. Kelly was that irresistible to him. Keeping her at a safe distance might not be possible, he conceded.
“I guess I’d better let you get home.” Houston sat upright on the blanket. “I’m sure Ashleigh and Austin are ready to hit the bed. Let’s thank them and say good-night.”
The couple didn’t have to go through the house to get off the property, but Houston was as well-mannered as he was taught by his parents. Leaving without thanking the host and hostess wasn’t how etiquette was handled in his neck of the woods.
Kelly saw his desire to leave the premises as an excuse for why he’d cooled things down with her. However, the Houston she’d come to know didn’t make excuses for himself. The man knew exactly who he was, and what he wanted and didn’t want. It is what it is, she thought, yet she felt good about how he’d let himself go with her, even if it had only lasted a few minutes. Maybe he’d soon see a need to cut himself loose from all the rules binding him. She’d love to be the one to set him free.
Kelly was the most vivacious woman Houston had ever known. She certainly kept him on his toes. Dr. Charleston was one woman he’d love to know everything about, yet he was still abnormally worried about getting in too deep. For sure, he knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t play with her emotions. The level of intensity didn’t matter in the fact he had kissed her, repeatedly. That alone had shown his vulnerabilities where she was concerned. Houston knew he had a lot to come to terms with regarding her.
Kelly wanted to scream away her frustrations, but it’d do no good. Houston was simply who he was because he didn’t know how to be anyone else. He hadn’t made love to her, though she felt as if he had. The light but arousing romance had ended abruptly, much too soon for her. It wasn’t something she’d ever want to get used to.
Without looking in Houston’s direction, Kelly slipped her feet back into her sandals. The trembling of her hands didn’t concern her. She knew it was the result of her emotions. Houston had worked her and her body to a fever pitch, only to leave her sanity hanging by a thread. There were so many intimate zones Houston hadn’t touched on her body, but her imaginative mind had taken her there anyway. It was hard as hell to turn off erotic thoughts, especially when they involved the sexiest man she’d ever met.
Kelly wouldn’t wish away a single moment they’d spent together, but she had to wonder if this was the end of the road for them. It wasn’t the end, she told herself, allowing her confidence to take control. It couldn’t be.
What Houston and I shared this evening was only the beginning.
Chapter 5
During the drive back to his South Shore Harbor lakefront home, Houston reflected on the evening. He felt relieved things hadn’t become noticeably awkward between him and Kelly. Just as she’d done with his teammates, she was a hit with the rest of the Carringtons and Lanier. He was extremely pleased with his family and hadn’t expected anything less than warmth and kindness from them toward his date.
Still physically and emotionally fired up over their slightly sensuous tryst, Houston already knew it hadn’t been the smartest move on his part. Yet nothing could make him regret the romantically charged experience. Some things weren’t easy for him to ignore. His feverish body was one of them. He still felt overly heated. If his throbbing manhood had gotten any harder, it might’ve broken in half. Granite was indeed hard to break off. Houston had to chuckle over such a silly, ego-driven thought.
Romancing Kelly had him feeling very tender-hearted toward her. She was a sweet and gentle lady and her feistiness enchanted him, too. Kelly had also made it known she wouldn’t hesitate to put on the boxing gloves when personally slighted.
After backing the car into the garage and cutting the engine, Houston lowered the doors from one of the coded remote buttons located on his rearview mirror. He entered the house and went straight back to his bedroom, where he rapidly got out of his casual attire. Carrying the worn items into the master bathroom, he tossed his shirt and underwear into a dirty-clothes bin. Then he neatly hung up the jeans in the walk-in closet.
A steamy shower was tops on Houston’s agenda. As he stepped inside the glass stall, he turned on the hot water. Pouring a generous amount of shower gel into his hands, he lathered it over his entire body, massaging it into his skin with a bath sponge. He left the suds on his skin until after he had washed and conditioned his curly hair.
Minutes later, Houston stood under the spray of water and rinsed out the conditioner and the foamy suds from his body. Instead of drying off, Houston tossed on a thick, hooded robe. Feeling energized and squeaky-clean, he entered his bedroom and immediately checked the time on the cable box.
Giving himself no chance to talk himself out of making the call, he picked up his cell phone and located Kelly’s home number. Once the number popped up on the screen, he dialed it from one of the four phones stationed in his bedroom, bathroom and retreat. E
xtensions were kept on the nightstands on both sides of the bed.
“One, two, three, four,” he said, counting the rings.
Kelly rolled up on her side and picked up the on the fifth ring, just before the answering device kicked in. “Hey, Houston, didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”
“Tsk, tsk,” he scolded lightly. “Did you really think I wouldn’t call to see if you’d made it home okay?”
“I won’t compare you to some other folks I know, but I really didn’t think about it. At any rate, I’m glad you were concerned enough to find out if I’m safe. I’ve been home long enough to shower and dress for bed. I’m all settled in for the night.”
Houston didn’t like being compared to anyone. He was happy she hadn’t done so. “Great minds think alike. I did the same thing. I know what’ll happen the minute my head hits the pillow…and that’s why I’m sitting up in bed, with my back against the headboard. What’re you wearing?” He didn’t believe for a second she’d tell him.
Thinking about Houston’s enticing question, Kelly gently stroked her lower lip with her thumbnail, remembering the soft feel and sweet taste of his kiss. “Use your imagination, sweetie. You might find more pleasure that way.”
Kelly loved beautiful lingerie. She owned lots of silk, satin and lace, yet preferred loose-fitting attire to wear to bed or just lounge around in. Jockey sportswear made the kind of intimate casual apparel she was most comfortable wearing. She also favored oversize Tshirts and colorful nightshirts, especially for sleeping alone.
Houston loved her spontaneous responses. “That was a hell of a beguiling answer, but maybe a little too much mind work for me. It’ll be easier for me to imagine you in nothing at all.”
“In that case, you’d definitely be pleased,” she responded playfully.
Houston grinned at her confident statement. “Maybe we’d better change this conversation. It has the potential of getting a little steamy, don’t you think?”
“Afraid of a little heat, Urban Cowboy?” Kelly asked in a low, teasing tone.
“Girl, you have no idea how much heat I can stand. Sure you want to go there?”
“Maybe not.” Guessing it was time to back off, Kelly laughed heartily. “If it gets too hot, my soft flesh has the tendency to incinerate pretty easily. I grant you the victory on this one. You let me have the first round before.”
“You’re a little vixen! You knew exactly what you were doing. What if I don’t want you to concede? I’m enjoying this conversation tremendously. It’s a real turn-on.”
Kelly couldn’t believe Houston had confessed to being turned on by her. It felt good. “I’d admit to setting you up if I’d done that. But if I recall correctly, I wasn’t the one who started this whole thing. What if we both concede and call it a draw?”
Houston growled low. Then he laughed. “I’ll accept a tie, but it comes with a serious ‘beware’ warning.”
“Beware of what?”
“Use your imagination,” he responded, unable to contain his laughter.
“I see I’m not the only naughty one. You were also incorrigible at the team facility during my initial meeting with the administrative staff and players.”
“I know. Sorry about that. One more thing…and I’ll let you go. You mentioned your parents getting an award but you weren’t sure if you’d go. If you need an escort, I’ll do my best to make myself available. I’ll need you to provide me with a date and time.”
Kelly’s stomach grew tight. Unpleasantness often caused her belly to knot up. She still didn’t know if she’d attend or not, but she knew she should. Her parents had come to every important event in her life. Houston was full of surprises. Compared to the things he’d revealed about himself, he wasn’t acting or sounding like a man who didn’t like to get involved. He’d taken her to meet his family and now he was willing to meet hers. However, he did say he wanted them to become friends, though his slightly romantic behavior belied an “only friends” theory. “That’s a grand gesture. Thank you. The awards ceremony is this Saturday evening at the downtown Hyatt Regency on Louisiana Street. I promise to make up my mind by tomorrow, one way or the other.”
“I’ll block the evening just in case. That is, if my calendar is clear. If it’s not, I’ll see if I can find any juggle room. We’ll talk soon. Have a good night.”
“You, too, Houston. I’m grateful for the thoughtful call. Sleep well.”
Houston hung up the phone, tossed off his robe, slipped between the sheets and pulled the comforter up over his nude body. He had meant to tell her he’d be willing to escort her to the awards event earlier, but he’d forgotten. Conveying his suggestion to her in person would’ve been better than handling it over the phone. It would’ve made it more personal and she could’ve seen the sincerity in his eyes.
As Houston thought about their spicy conversation, he grew still. Wanting Kelly with burning passion was one thing, but he had to remain responsible. He held himself accountable for his actions. The feelings of others mattered to him. And hers did, too.
If Kelly’s heart got deeply involved with his, Houston didn’t want even a minor fracture to occur. His heart was seriously rebelling against his rules, but his mind hadn’t surrendered yet. No way could he make love to Kelly and then stay away. She had him thinking hard about what it might be like to seduce her without putting on the brakes. Letting himself go with her was a serious and sensitive matter to consider.
Would he be able to let go of the stringent rules governing his personal life?
Houston’s thoughts quickly turned to the nationwide groupies he encountered in every city. He’d seen women stand in wraparound lines just to get a mere glimpse of popular sports figures. One bunch of innocent ladies ran the gamut from college students to housewives. These women were content to just see their superstar idols up close.
Then there was the group of chicks who’d do just about anything to get an athlete’s attention, acting out the part of “girls gone wild.” Flashing breasts or lifting skirts was no big deal. Houston could easily ignore their kind and stay clear.
Sophisticated ladies of independent or parental wealth could afford to get into the posh sports clubs in their cities, where they lived and played. These interesting debutantes, many of them very beautiful, dazzled and dangled themselves in front of what they considered top-shelf superstars. Dressed in skimpy attire and exhibiting the latest hairstyles and stilettos, these particular ladies made sure jocks got more than a mere glimpse of the sexy bodies they loved to flaunt.
While neither of the latter two groups minded sharing their new or used treasures on the first, second or third night, Houston felt safer with the more mature sophisticates. However, he never took anyone back to his hotel room, nor did he visit personal residences. Whatever the evening brought forth always occurred in a neutral setting.
Most athletes were aware that some of the more clever ladies were interested in only money and fame, rarely caring about a man’s heart. Some of the guys played it smart and some didn’t, but everyone learned the game, sooner or later.
A few big-headed rookies got caught up in the madness of aggressive women because of their sheer vanity, thinking they were all that. Even some of the veterans ended up learning tough lessons from ladies with premeditated purposes, eventually finding out the truth the hard way. STDs, paternity suits, theft of personal property, stalking and false accusations happened a lot in the unpredictable world Houston lived in.
Houston was hardly a virgin. During his college years and in his rookie season he’d been wild and crazy, yet always responsible enough to use protection. As he grew older, he also became wiser. His brothers and he discussed the perilous situations that existed at home and on the road. They’d grown up in an era where men and women were aware abstinence was the only foolproof method of birth control. Each brother was aware of the numerous false paternity suits slapped on athletes, superstars or otherwise.
Because Houston wasn’t interested
in fathering a child before marriage, he had at one time considered a reversible vasectomy. His mind had switched gears after he’d seriously thought about all the risks involved. Houston wore condoms religiously, though abstinence was the only guaranteed protection against STDs or pregnancy.
Houston remembered he needed to check his calendar. Leaping out of bed, he walked over to the dresser and picked up his PalmPilot. After surfing through his personal appointment listings, he saw that Saturday evening was open. He was free to escort Kelly to the awards event if she decided to go.
Back in bed, Houston turned off the nightstand lights and laid his head back on the pillow. He soon found out it wasn’t so easy to turn off the torrent of thoughts running through his head. As he pondered the plans for the birthday cruise for his mother, he wondered if Kelly might be interested in sailing with the family. Although he was unable to believe he was actually entertaining the thought of inviting her to go with him Houston undoubtedly knew an extraordinary change was taking place in his life.
Houston didn’t know what this all meant, but he had made up his mind not to fight against whatever was happening. Let it go and wait and see, he quietly told himself.
Wearing a three-quarter-length white lab coat over her slim navy blue skirt and red silk blouse, Kelly walked into treatment room three inside the suite of offices she shared with three other physicians. She had already read the nurse’s notes about one of her regular patients, sixteen-year-old Kevin Maize, a high school track star. She looked at the young man and smiled. “Hello, Kevin! How are you this morning?”
Kevin shrugged. “Not too good. The same painful swelling I had in my right knee six months ago is back. That’s why I’m flossing these denim cutoffs.”
Laughing at his remark, Kelly retrieved a pair of plastic gloves and slid them onto her hands. “Sit over here,” she said, pointing to the treatment table. “Scoot all the way back and then raise your leg. Carefully bend your knee and make sure your foot is down flat on the table.”
Kissed by a Carrington Page 7