Feeling he was being watched, Lynton looked up and saw Kelly. “Hey, what’s up with you? Has ‘the man’ already broken your heart? You look so unhappy.”
Kelly came into the room and sat in a chair facing the sofa. “Maybe you should tell me what’s up. Why do you continue to harass Houston?”
“I guess he’s been bellyaching to you again. We hassle each other and he normally starts it. Can’t your big man handle his business without involving you?”
“If he handled it the way he wants to, you might lose that smirk you constantly wear around here. Houston doesn’t come to my home to hassle you. He comes to see me. That seems to be a big problem for you. Why’s that?”
Lynton pushed his hand through his hair. “You know how I feel about you, Kelly. It is how I’ve always felt. Why do you keep ignoring what’s between us?”
Kelly raised an eyebrow. “What’s between us is friendship—nothing more.”
“Whatever! I can’t believe you’re willing to give up true love for a passing fancy. Houston Carrington is a playboy. His team is out of the playoffs so you’re probably nothing more than this summer’s fling. What’ll you do when the new season starts and he’s back on the prowl again in cities all across the country? Can you trust he’ll be true to only you? Do you believe he can resist having a woman in every sports venue he visits?”
Kelly’s heart began to pound fast and her hands began to tremble. The look on Lynton’s face seemed to suggest he enjoyed taunting her. This wasn’t the same man she had come to know over many, many years. “Why are you doing this?”
“All is fair in love in war. I’m in a battle with Houston over your heart. I don’t give up or back down easily. I’m relentless when I want something. And I want you.”
“Even when you know there’s no chance in hell to get what you’re after?”
He raised a brow. “As long as we’re both breathing, there’s a chance. Kelly, I can give you what Houston can’t. You need a stable man in your life, someone who’ll be there for you both day and night. What you don’t need is some guy who spends half his time out of town. You’ll quickly become a basketball widow. Is that what you want?”
Kelly got to her feet. “I’m in love with Houston. Do you want a woman who’s in love with another man? I can’t love you the way you want. I love you as a friend.”
Lynton shrugged. “If I believed you were in love with Houston, I’d back off instantly. I don’t think you love him. You’re gone on the idea of being with a superstar. You’re into the hype and the mad attention you get when you’re with him. It won’t last.”
“That’s your opinion, one I’m not buying into. I had planned to wait until I got back from the cruise to ask you to move out, but you need to do it now, tonight. I want you gone. If you can’t get all your stuff out right away, come back for it while I’m at work. I won’t change the security code until everything of yours is gone, but it’ll be changed before I go on vacation.” With that said, Kelly calmly left the room.
Houston scrolled through his cell-phone contacts until he reached Kelly’s number. He had left her home on a bad note. It was getting to him way more than Lynton ever could. She shouldn’t have to get hurt because two men were rivals for her heart. If he didn’t believe he’d already won her love and affection, he’d move on. Lynton was not the man for Kelly. Her friend acted like a spoiled little boy who had to have his way. “Well, he’s not getting his way with her or with me.” Houston cursed under his breath.
Instead of pressing the code to Kelly’s number, Houston closed the flip phone. Important matters like this had to be handled in person. Turning around and going back to her house was his next thought. The stress of dealing with Lynton again made him falter. Making sure Kelly was okay overruled any bad feelings he had about her friend.
Picking up the cell, Houston scrolled the numbers again. This time he pushed Talk. As the phone rang and rang, disappointment hit him hard. Then her voice mail came on.
Unable to believe Kelly was standing at his front door, Houston brought her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Security hadn’t rung him. It was unusual, but he didn’t care how she’d gotten through the gates. They were back together.
Kelly looked slightly ashamed. “I’m sorry about how things went down. I felt I was being told what to do and I rebelled against it. A lot of the rebellion stems from my parents wanting me to go into their field of medicine. That’s not what I wanted. Nor did I want to make Lynton move without anywhere to go, but I saw the necessity in it.”
Houston kissed her gently on the lips. “All that matters is you being here with me. I tried calling you to say I was coming back, but I got your voice mail.”
“I don’t even have my cell phone with me. That’s how much of a hurry I was in to get to you and apologize. I am sorry.”
“I owe you an apology, too. I’m sorry I lost it at your place. I usually can keep a level head, but Lynton has a way of goading me in the worst way.”
“It’s over with now. We’re back on the same page. I told Lynton he had to move out. I insisted he move out right away and I made it clear his things had to be gone before we left on the cruise. I hated it to end up like this but it did.”
Houston easily empathized with Kelly. He could plainly see how much it hurt her to evict her longtime friend. But he didn’t see Lynton as being true blue to her. People who cared about each other didn’t cause the kind of aggravation he’d visited upon her.
“Are you hungry, Kelly? I was about to order dinner from one of my favorite local restaurants. They deliver.”
Kelly nodded. “I could use a good meal. I’m pretty hungry. But I wouldn’t have been able to eat a thing if our differences weren’t settled.”
“They are settled and we’re going to dine on a feast,” Houston assured her.
Happy, full and contented, Kelly pushed back from the table. The Greek meals Houston had ordered for their dining pleasure had been superb. “You really outdid yourself on the food orders. Now what I need is a soft spot to lie down and relax.”
Houston got up and walked around the table. He extended his hand to Kelly. “I have the perfect place.” Once she was on her feet, his arm circled her waist. “Follow me.”
Houston escorted Kelly to his bedroom, where he pulled from a lower dresser drawer a brand-new navy swimsuit and cover-up. “Will a dip in the hot tub relax you?”
She picked up the sexy spandex. “It’s beautiful. I love the color.” Standing on tiptoes, Kelly gave Houston a blistering kiss. “I can think of other ways for you to help me relax, but we’ll start with a good soaking. Want to help me change clothes?”
Houston’s grin was huge. “My pleasure.”
Keeping gentle eyes trained on her, Houston slowly pulled Kelly’s top over her head. Turning her around, he undid the hooks on her bra, allowing it to slip off her arms. His hands tenderly fondled her full, rounded breasts, massaging her nipples between two fingers. She squirmed beneath his exhilarating touch.
His mouth took possession of her right breast, suckling it passionately, hungrily. If this activity kept up, Houston saw a dip in the hot tub flying right out the window. The bed was calling out their names. His manhood was already hard as a rock and his body soared at temperatures hotter than the heated spa.
Even though Houston’s mind wandered a bit, he still took his sweet time in disrobing Kelly. He enjoyed removing her jeans and then the itty-bitty bikinis. Now that she was totally nude, his hand went on a wild touch-and-feel spree. His heart trembling, he helped her into the swimsuit. The thigh-high cuts were a big turn-on for him and he couldn’t wait to remove it later. His mouth sought out hers again. “You’re beautiful, you know. Let me change in the bathroom so we can head out to the pool area. I’ll be right back, sweetheart.”
Kelly stretched her eyes. “Excuse me! I don’t think so. You’re not robbing me of the pleasure you just indulged yourself in. Boy, you’d better get over here and let me unwrap you like a Ch
ristmas package.”
Houston cracked up. “It’s summer, but I’d love to have you strip me bare. Are you aware we might not make it out to the pool? I’m already on fire for you. I don’t know how much more tempting foreplay I can take. I want to be inside you.”
Kelly smiled wickedly. “Let’s see if you’ve really reached breaking point.”
After drawing closer to Houston, she caressed his mouth with her own, heating him up more and more with wet and wild kisses. She then took her own sweet time in opening all the buttons on his shirt, removing it a lot slower than he’d removed her top. His nipples were already taut—and she wasted no time laving each one, nipping wildly yet gently with her teeth. Houston’s muscles rippled as she torched a bonfire. Remaining in control of her desires was getting harder and harder. The bed looked so inviting.
Kelly spread out her hands across his chest, massaging his pectorals, loving the feel of his hard muscles. Her agile fingers then went to work on unbuckling his belt. Smiling up at him, she lazed his zipper down. While inching his pants off his waist and down his rock-solid thighs, she moaned at the satiny feel of his bare flesh. Massaging his nudity was definitely one of her favorite pleasures.
Once Houston was fully disrobed, Kelly couldn’t resist caressing his manhood, stroking him up and down with sweet tenderness. Engaging him in a lingering kiss was nearly her undoing. If they were going to the hot tub, she knew they’d better get on with it. There were a few erotic moves that could be executed in the water. The thought of it thrilled her silly. “Let’s get it on, Houston. The hot tub awaits us.”
The backyard of Houston’s estate home was very private, where prying eyes could not invade his privacy. The Olympic pool was crystal clear, the lighting soft and subdued. The finest in decking surrounded the pool and hot tub, extending outward as part of a very large patio. The French doors in his master bedroom led out onto a balcony overlooking the property. Panoramic views from several second-floor windows gave him an excellent view of his estate.
The swirling water was hot and steamy when Houston and Kelly stepped into the hot tub. The jets were forceful, kicking strongly. As she settled down on the curved seating, placing her back against one of the jets, she pulled him close to her, wrapping her legs around his waist. Since he hadn’t put on swimming trunks, she felt the fullness of his manhood pressing against her flesh. All she could do was purr like a kitten.
As Houston bent his head, Kelly tilted her face upward to meet his kiss. His hands entwined in her hair as the kiss deepened. Once Houston seated himself on the bench, he lifted Kelly and positioned her on his lap.
Smiling lazily, Houston lowered the straps on Kelly’s swimsuit. As he sprinkled her bare shoulders with butter-soft kisses, he locked his eyes with hers. “I don’t know why we covered your natural beauty with a bathing suit in the first place, but it has to go.” With that said, he began to peel away the spandex.
Kissing every inch of her naked flesh had Houston desperately wanting to be deep inside her. Her hands stroking him so fervently and her tongue teasing his nipples had him crazy with longing. As he raised his body, keeping her lodged tightly against him, he turned on the floor jets. He then made his way to the center of the hot tub, where it was deepest. The uprising of streaming water stimulated them even more.
As Houston’s fingers entered the opening of Kelly’s luscious treasure, her body began to tremble hard. His digits felt so gentle, massaging her inner core, causing her to bite down on her lower lip. As well as delighting in his ladylove’s body language, he also loved to see the passionate arousal alight in her eyes. The magical look in her orbs always mesmerized him, making him smile. Fully satisfying her body in every way possible was his main purpose in life at this moment.
The hot tub temperature had grown rather intense, threatening to dry out Kelly’s natural moisture. With the heat nearly too hot for them to withstand, Houston lifted her out of the water and carried her over to a padded chaise lounge. After he lowered himself onto the chaise, he slowly guided Kelly down over his manhood, thrusting upward gently until he’d entered her with tender care. Out of her mind with her physical need for him, she threw her head back, allowing him to pleasure her starving body.
As Kelly moved wildly over Houston, his hands held on tightly to her hard-thrusting hips. Feeling zoned out, she worked her man into a state of wild frenzy. When her gyrations came harder and faster, he quickly picked up on the shift in rhythm, moving in perfect tune to the harmony of her sweetly singing body. As climaxes roared through Houston and Kelly like a powerful force of nature, panting cries of passion rent the air.
Still locked tightly onto Houston’s hard flesh, Kelly moved forward until she could rest her head on his chest. His arms instantly tightened around her like a band of steel, massaging her back, cooing sweet nothings in her ear. He wasn’t alarmed when he felt the wetness of her tears on his chest. Kelly had also cried the first time they’d made love, showing him she was completely satisfied. Her emotional release was a good thing.
Houston stretched out his arm until his hand came into contact with one of the oversize beach towels he’d laid out on a matching lounger. He covered Kelly’s body with the soft linen. “It’s getting kind of cool out here. Are you uncomfortable, sweetheart?”
Kelly lifted her head slightly to make eye contact with Houston. “No. I’m actually very comfortable, but a shower and a nap will work wonders for this satiated body.”
“Hmm, I thought I’d already worked wonders for you. Am I wrong?”
“You did more than that, Mr. Carrington. That’s why I’m so sleepy. The shower will invigorate me, perhaps enough for an encore. It just might keep me here all night.”
Houston grinned broadly. “Say no more, sweetheart. I’ve got the picture.” He’d love to have yet another all-nighter with her.
Although Kelly had voiced her desire to shower and nap, she continued to lie in the safety of Houston’s strong arms, basking in the sweet peace. She was so happy they’d cleared up their earlier misunderstanding. Talking things through had brought them closer. She had feared it was over for them, and she didn’t know what she would’ve done if he had ended their affair. Being in love with Houston made her vulnerable—and she was highly aware of it every waking moment.
As Kelly tearfully told Houston about the conversation she’d had with her mother earlier in the day, his emotions nearly erupted, too, his heart reaching out to hers.
“The conversation between this daughter and her mother went very well, leaving me feeling optimistic. Hearing my mother say how much she loved me was like a healing balm to my spirit. She said things I’ve never heard her say before. My father loves me, too, and he wants us to grow closer. It was shocking to hear her admit that she and my father hadn’t intended to make me feel unloved, unsafe and insecure. They’d thought they were securing my future. She said she honestly didn’t know how left out I felt.”
Houston was really understanding with Kelly throughout the explanation of her emotionally trying ordeal with her parents. He listened closely to all that she said. “It seems you felt like no one had ever been committed to you, not even your parents. Now I have a better understanding of why I’ve been somewhat cagey about commitment. Because I feel deeply for you, I promise to use extreme care with your heart.”
Houston’s passionate kiss left Kelly without any doubt to his sincerity.
He gently nudged her. “We’d better go back inside. Don’t want you to catch cold.” After Kelly got to her feet, Houston tightened the towel around her nude body.
Looking up at Houston, she smiled. “I’m ravenous again. What about you?”
He chuckled. “I’ll warm the leftovers while you shower.”
Kelly frowned. “I was hoping we’d shower together. Not interested?”
Directing Kelly’s hand down to his manhood, Houston laughed heartily. “Is that enough of an answer for you?”
“Say no more. I feel you, Houston, every hardened in
ch of you.”
Chapter 13
Angelica and Beaumont had no clue where Austin and Ashleigh were taking them, not until they reached the Port of Galveston. Even then the elder Carringtons didn’t know the final destination. With suitcases packed and stored in the back of Austin’s SUV, Angelica and Beaumont knew a trip was involved, but the idea of a cruise hadn’t crossed their minds. A few days on Galveston Island was their best guess. The other sons were following behind in their vehicles with neither parent aware of their presence.
Angelica’s eyes were bright and questioning as the SUV came to a smooth halt.
Austin got out and quickly ran around the car and opened the rear door for his mother. Beaumont slid out right behind Angelica. Austin then took her by the hand, waiting for Dallas and Houston to join them. “Have you guessed your surprise yet, Mom?” Austin queried, smiling broadly.
Tears welling in her eyes, Angelica couldn’t suppress her excitement. “Oh, Austin, I never dreamed I’d get a cruise for my birthday. This is wonderful! I’m happy, but also a little sad. We’ve never spent any special day or holiday away from you boys.”
Just as Dallas, Houston and their traveling companions walked up, Austin brought his mother into his arms and gave her a warm hug. The other brothers followed Austin’s lead in showing their mother how much they cared for her.
“Mom, Dad, we won’t let you spend it away from us this year, either,” Austin said. “We’re off to Cozumel for a few days. Kelly and Lanier are joining us.”
The joyous expression on their mother’s face expressed her feelings. The triplets couldn’t be any happier with her response. They laughed heartily as she jumped up and down for a few seconds and ran around in circles for a couple more. Angelica flew into her husband’s arms. Beaumont was as surprised as his wife by the extremely generous gift his sons had also kept a secret from him. Both parents beamed.
Kissed by a Carrington Page 20
