Kissed by a Carrington

by Linda Hudson-Smith

  Seducing Houston with the wily devilment shimmering in her eyes, Kelly smiled wickedly. “I’m into citrus. It livens up the wine. It’s my theory that it greatly enhances the taste of bared flesh, though I’ve never tested it out. I love to suck on citrus slices, love the tartness and tangy kick on my tongue.” She then reached over and removed from the glass one wedge of each fruit.

  Houston couldn’t help wondering what the heck was coming next, so he closely watched Kelly’s every move, not wanting to miss out on a thing. Before he could take another breath, Kelly held the fruit high above his body and began squeezing the juice all over him. His gasp came loud, growing even louder when Kelly’s tongue began to lave the drops of citrus from his bare flesh.

  Completely surrendering his body to Kelly, Houston threw his hands back over his head. “Kelly, baby,” he whispered hoarsely, “I’m all yours.”

  Turning over, she lay on her back and squeezed a mixture of juices over her flesh, inviting Houston to sample the different parts of her sweet body. She parted her legs, but only slightly, wanting to give him the opportunity to make them spread wider upon his command, through his desire and need. As though he’d read her mind, his knee gently nudged her thighs farther apart. The heel of one of his capable hands tenderly massaged the area above her femininity. Then his fingers gently parted her moist flower. Protecting them came first.

  Kelly’s entire body shuddered as his fingers gently probed inside her. His mouth tended to her nipples and all the other sensitive spots on her body, many of which she hadn’t known existed. His body now hovered over hers, as he looked down into her eyes. His expression told her he was ready to take her over the rainbow.

  With infinite tenderness, he united their bodies as one. It was astonishing to finally be inside her, filling her up until it felt like they were spilling over into each other. His hips ground into hers and she mindlessly matched his fervor. Up and down, in and around, he took her to heights she’d never imagined, let alone attained.

  “Houston,” she whispered, “I’m losing it here. You are driving me wild. Oh, yeah, stay right there. Oh, my goodness, it feels so good, so delicious. Please repeat what you just did. I’m fighting to hold on.” She gasped. “I’ve never felt anything close to this. Take all of me, sweetheart. And I want all of you, too, nothing less.”

  Taking Kelly at her word, Houston eagerly and happily fulfilled her requests. His thrusts slowly sank into her treasure trove overflowing with moisture. The deeper he went, the deeper she wanted him to go inside her, arching up to meet his thrusts, screaming out her desires with wild abandon. Thrust after thrust ripened and readied her for the climactic ending. No, she thought, she didn’t want it to end. She wanted Houston inside her all night. Was asking him to spend the time with her taking things too far?

  Kelly did take Houston—all of him—and he took liberties with all of her. As he propelled her toward the precipice she was only too happy to leap from in order to arrive in paradise, Kelly went back and forth between wanting to and not wanting to climax, all at the same time. Her mind continued to waffle with every deep thrust.

  The decision was out of Kelly’s hands when nature finally took over. As her body shook like a mammoth earthquake, she felt herself floating higher and higher above the bed they lay upon. Aftershocks followed next, causing her body to jerk and tremble with delicious force. “Houston,” she cried, tears streaming from her eyes, “I’m there. I arrived. I’m on top of the mountain looking down. Wow! The sensations coursing through me are amazing.” Then she fell silent, peering up at the ceiling. As though she had fallen into a trance, her eyes grew hazy.

  Houston turned up on his side and stared down at her, his eyes drinking her in. The telltale signs of fulfillment were there. Glazed, dilated eyes, a half smile playing at the corners of her mouth and the flush of her sienna skin were the normal signs of physical satisfaction. Laying flat on his back, he brought her into his arms, nesting her head onto his chest.

  No one in the world but him knew how wonderful Kelly made him feel. Houston liked these untamed, uncontrolled feelings she elicited from him. For certain, he didn’t want them to end. This wasn’t just a physical attraction he had for Kelly. His whole mind, soul, body and spirit were involved in their romantic liaison.

  When did all this wonder happen? Why had this amazing phenomenon occurred to someone who had opposed it for so long? This had been a lengthy, hard-fought battle, one that he’d obviously lost. The strangest thing was that he didn’t mind losing because he just might end up with a win. To win Kelly’s heart and capture her true spirit would be like hitting a major jackpot. It would make them both winners because he believed she had already won his heart.

  Seconds later, hypnotized by the rise and fall of her full breasts, Houston noticed Kelly’s even breathing. “She sleeps,” he whispered. The sienna stunner was knocked out cold. While he felt great satisfaction over his part in the accomplishment, he wished she were awake for an encore. Making love to her again was all he could think about.

  Chapter 11

  Houston turned off the radio and bedside lamp before settling down for the night. His thoughts turned to Kelly the minute his head hit the pillow. If he didn’t know better, he might think he’d just awakened from a magnificent dream. However, what he and Kelly had experienced earlier in the evening had been very real. There were only a couple of things in his life that compared to what they’d shared, like the contract he’d signed with an official NBA team, winning a world championship his rookie year and earning the coveted MVP award his fourth season with the Cyclones.

  Other than the fact Kelly hadn’t asked him to spend the night, Houston wasn’t sure why he hadn’t asked for the privilege. The old rules he’d played by should no longer apply. As he took a moment to reflect, not being asked to stay was kind of strange.

  Perhaps Kelly thought he should’ve requested the honor, not the other way around. At any rate, it hadn’t happened—and it was too late to worry about it now. Considering the fact Lynton now lived there it may’ve been for the best. Maybe she didn’t want him to have knowledge of her private business. It certainly made sense.

  Houston’s personal rules had been shattered—and all of them by him. Making love to a woman in her residence had been an absolute no-no before Kelly. Rendezvous points were always first-class hotels or motels, definitely not pay-by-the-hour kind. A relationship commitment between him and another woman hadn’t occurred, either, not until now. Kelly had brought about so many unbelievable changes in him, good ones and questionable ones. For him to have remained celibate since their lunch date was an amazing feat in itself.

  Houston had to admit that the wait had been very worthwhile. Kelly had caused him to stand up and take notice and to take inventory of his defects in character. She was good for him, so much so that he was eager to see what other changes she might bring about in him. The lady had made an impressive impact on his life.

  The next several days had been challenging for Kelly. There were a lot of things she had to get done before leaving on the cruise with Houston. While taking care of some of the more personal stuff she had neglected, like answering numerous correspondences and writing out checks for the bills, she sat at the built-in maple desk in her kitchen. Waiting for the coffee to brew was also included in her things to do.

  Dressed in all-white tennis gear, Lynton popped into the kitchen. “Morning, Kelly! How are you?”

  Kelly looked up at her friend and smiled. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking. Looks like you’re ready to hit the tennis court.”

  The residential complex Kelly resided in had a full range of amenities available to the home owners. Besides the park, pool, spa areas and tennis courts, there were also basketball courts, volleyball nets and walking, biking and jogging lanes. Kelly’s favorite amenities were the fully equipped exercise room and the guest clubhouse. Residents were permitted to hold private parties and other special events in the clubhouse. A small refundable deposit to co
ver possible damages was required upon booking.

  “Did you think to make enough coffee for me to have a cup or two?”

  Thinking about how Houston had dealt with this same issue several nights ago, Kelly had to laugh. “There is probably enough for you to have some, but I didn’t think about you when I made it. I’m not your maid.”

  Lynton feigned a shiver. “That was kind of cold, don’t you think?”

  Kelly heaved a sigh. “Who made your coffee before you moved in here?”

  He shrugged. “I did.”

  Her thoughts turned to him trying to make Houston believe he didn’t want to damage any of her appliances by improper use. “It should continue. I don’t see why it has to change. You have full kitchen privileges.”

  “Thank you, I think. Why don’t you take the day off and play tennis with me?”

  Kelly laughed, wondering why a doctor asked such an asinine question. “You’ve got to be joking. I have patients this afternoon and lots of charts to update and sign. By the way, have you talked to the owner of the Green Tee property you’re leasing?”

  “I’ve left several messages but no return phone call has come in yet. I’m sure I’ll hear something this week. They assured me I landed the lease.”

  Getting up from the table, Kelly walked over to the cabinet and removed her personal mug. Before she could fill it with coffee, the phone rang. As Houston came to mind, she hoped it was him. With so many interesting topics to discuss, they had recently been talking on the phone for hours.

  Just as Kelly reached for the receiver, Lynton all but snatched it from the wall mount. She stared at him in stunned belief as he greeted the caller like he had every right to. Had he seen Houston’s information on the caller ID? Probably so, she surmised, knowing Lynton loved to goad Houston every chance he got. Both men were guilty of antagonism. She’d have to lay down some fast and hard rules. Lynton had to respect her and her home. Evicting him before he ever got the chance to feel settled into the lavish suite she’d graciously offered him rent-free was an option.

  “Can you call Kelly back later? We’re about to discuss a few important matters over coffee. You know how it is between folks with a long history.”

  Kelly’s mouth fell open. Unable to believe her ears, she forcefully wrestled the phone from Lynton’s grip. A machetelike glare in her eyes cut him down to size.

  “Houston, Lynton is acting pretty foolish this morning. I’d never reject a call from you, no matter what,” she said, her eyes trained on her houseguest. “What’s up?” Total silence came from the other end. Had he hung up? She called out his name, but still no answer. As she was about to hang up, she heard his deep sigh. “Houston, are you there?”

  “Not for long. I’m on my way over there to deal with that jerk living in your house. What is up with him? I plan to put him in his place. He needs to stop getting in my way. Stat.”

  Kelly wondered if he’d used the medical terminology because she was a doctor. Her eyes followed Lynton as he left the room. “Come on now. You can’t resort to that kind of behavior. Ignore it and it’ll go away. Ignore him and he’ll hate it. He doesn’t like to be disregarded.”

  “Ignore him like hell! I’m about to put my size thirteen and a half all up in his narrow behind. Your boy is tripping hard. He’d better come down from whatever he’s high on. I’m not taking much more lip from him. I called to wish you a pleasant day and look what ended up happening. He purposely tried to ruin my good mood.”

  Kelly laughed to ease the tension. “I’m glad he failed. I’m happy you called to start my day out on a bright note. But can I call you back once I get settled in the car? As it is, I’ll need to take my coffee with me. Lynton and I don’t have a thing to discuss. I don’t want to be late for my first appointment. I’m not a doctor who keeps her patients on ice while chatting with staff or handling personal phone calls. That’s disrespectful.”

  “Call me on my cell. I’m heading out to Austin and Ashleigh’s ranch. We’re meeting about the cruise to get everything finalized. We’re only a few days away from sailing. I can’t wait to be out on the high seas with you.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, too. I’ll call in a few minutes.” She smiled as she hung up the phone, happy Houston had called. It was a great start to her day.

  Kelly grabbed a foam cup and poured fresh coffee into it, dumping the old. During the conversation with Houston, Lynton had come back into the room. She’d made up her mind not to address his ignorance right now because of time restraints, but he would get a huge piece of her mind later on.

  “Are you ignoring me, just like you told that arrogant son of a gun to do?”

  “You know what? You need to leave well enough alone. I thought you were an adult, but it looks like some ground rules have to be set. For one, please don’t answer my door or telephone unless I ask you to. Lynton, I love our friendship, but you have to respect me and my home. If you can’t do that, please check in to a hotel until you can move to Green Tee.”

  Lynton looked shocked. “You’re serious, aren’t you? I was hoping we’d eventually get back to where we left off with each other.”

  “About that, Lynton, you know we’ve never been anything but close friends since med school. I resent you trying to make Houston believe we had a love affair. I didn’t say anything to the contrary because I don’t want to embarrass you. We can’t pick back up on something we never had.”

  Lynton’s laughter was sarcastic. “You either have a bad memory or you don’t care to remember. We went out on our first date two days after we met.”

  Kelly looked a little surprised by the comment. “We went to the library together! And we did that to work on an assignment. So how do you qualify that as a date? Everything we did together had to do with school. When we attended parties and other social events, we went with our group of close friends.”

  “You just burst my bubble. I’ve been operating under the assumption that we had something special going on back then. I thought the timing was just bad for us.”

  Kelly felt a sudden rush of sympathy for Lynton. Walking over to him, she took his hand. “I’m sorry if you’re lonely. I know relocating is hard. Been there, done that. But you can’t use me to fill the void. That is what you’re doing, isn’t it?”

  “I wouldn’t do that to you.” His expression grew serious. “I’ve always been hot for you. We were extremely close friends before you transferred back to Baylor. We’ve never been out of touch.”

  “And we never have to be. Before you moved to Houston, we did talk a lot. You’re my friend.” She kissed his cheek. “We’ll always be friends, but I’m in love with Houston Carrington. My heart chose him instantly. Listen, I’ve got to run.” Kelly grabbed her purse and briefcase and ran for the garage door. “Have a great day, Lynton.”

  “What if he doesn’t love you?” Lynton shouted after her.

  Feeling the dead weight of his heavy-handed comment, Kelly slowly turned to face him. “It won’t change my feelings for him. I love him. As my friend, I hope you’ll try to be happy for me. If not, I won’t be subjected to your negativity.”

  In her car, Kelly leaned her head against the steering wheel. Lynton’s barbed question had impacted her more than she’d let show. Loving someone was no guarantee to receiving love back. Houston hadn’t said he loved her nor had she told him how deep her feelings were for him. They’d just committed to dating exclusively. No way would she ask him if he loved her. If he did or didn’t, he’d tell her in his own time and in his own way.

  What if Houston can’t return my love? What will I do then?

  “Continue to love him,” she whispered emotionally. “I will always love Houston.”

  As Kelly picked up her cell to punch in Houston’s code, the ring tone “Hot Like Me” sounded. She glanced at the caller ID and drew in a deep breath. “Good morning, Mom. How’s it going?”

  “We need to see you, Kelly. When can you come to the house?”

  �
��I don’t know. My office schedule is pretty full and I’m trying to tie up all loose ends before I go on a cruise.” Her parents lived on the other side of town in Sugarland.

  “A cruise? With Houston Carrington?” Carolyn asked.

  “The entire Carrington family is traveling. The trip is a birthday gift from the triplets to their mother. I was invited by Houston to join them…and I accepted.”

  “I see,” Carolyn said, sounding slightly miffed. “If you can manage to squeeze us in for a visit before you go away, as soon as you possibly can, we’d appreciate it. You’re welcome to bring Houston along. I’ll wait to hear back from you.”

  “Okay, Mom. I’ll get back to you. Give my best to Dad.” Without further comment, Kelly disconnected the line, immediately feeling empty inside.

  As Kelly rewound in her head the conversation with her mother, the strain in Carolyn’s voice echoed in her head. Was something wrong with one of them? She hoped not. Recalling her promise to get to back to Houston, she punched in his code.

  “Hey, beautiful, you all settled down in your car?”

  “I am, finally. What are your plans after the visit to the ranch?” she asked.

  “I have a few errands to run, like picking up my dry cleaning and getting a new battery for my watch. Then I hope to have dinner with my lady later on. Are you free?”

  “If I wasn’t, I’d change my plans.” Kelly smiled. “I can hardly wait to see you. Surprise is in every moment I spend with you.”

  “I know what you mean.” He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. “What are we going to do about Lynton? I’m not so sure I can handle much more from him.”

  “I know it’s an awkward situation for you. I feel the same way. I’ll try to pin him down to a move-out date. I won’t let him continue to interfere in our private affairs.”

  “That’s good to hear. Everyone has a breaking point…and I’m at mine.”

  “Don’t worry, Houston. I’ll handle it.”