Something

Deeper

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or
are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© 2009 Shara Azod- Dream Builder

Copyright© 2009 RaeLynn Blue- Cashmere Sky

Cover Artist: Shara Azod

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written
permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. This is a work of fiction. All
references to real places, people, or events are coincidental, and if not coincidental, are used fictitiously. All
trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their
respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

Dream Builder

by

Shara Azod

Dedication

This is for Raquel and her lovely daughter. Thank you for encouraging us to take this step.

Also Jen, you are my brain. I am your biggest fan.

A special thanks to Andrea, Rolanda and Yvonne. Love you each, keep doing you.

Chapter 1

Leland Westmorland was careful to keep all traces of absolute glee off of his face. His

hands gripped the arms of the overstuffed leather to stop them from rubbing together in

anticipation. He regarded his potential client with the innate breeding of the southern

gentleman, from good family, which he was. The possibility of restoring an antebellum

plantation house to its original glory was just too good to pass up. Even if the client hadn’t

been offering him a small fortune, he would have jumped at the opportunity. Too bad the

place would be wasted on a Yankee doctor. It was a shame so many of the standing plantation

houses where turned into vacation homes, hunting lodges or bed and breakfast operations,

mostly owned by people with no roots in Southern soil.

“Spare no expense,” Dr. Alan Thompson was saying. “I want this home to be perfect.”

Leland nodded his head absently. Of course no cost would be spared. Even if the man

was a miser, Leland would sweet talk him into everything the house deserved. It was the least

he could do. Georgia was more than just his home after all; her soil ran through his blood. He

felt a deep responsibility to the plantation in question, although he had never before laid eyes

on it. The pictures Dr. Thompson had provided sparked his imagination and fired his gut. It

was perfect—or it would be once he was done with it.

“The house will be a present for my wife,” the doctor went on. “Her family

once…lived on that land.”

Leland’s ears immediately perked up. His wife was a Southern Belle? Well now, that

made it even more imperative that he got this perfect. He was relieved the doctor had the good

sense to come to Atlanta to find an architect who knew what he was doing. He felt a new

measure of respect for the man sitting in his office like he owned the place. The Yankee might

be cocky and too Northern by half, but still, he had the good sense to come to Westmorland

and Associates. The fact that his wife was a Georgia Peach brought out the gallantry in

Leland. He would make this home perfect for the bride. It was a matter of principle.

“I have one caveat,” Dr. Thompson finally paused in his list of requirements and waited

for a response.

“Yes?” Leland sat up and leaned forward. Nothing could keep him from this project.

Even if the man requested some atrocious addition, he would go along with it for now and

deal with it later. He was relatively positive he could talk him out of it eventually…after it

was far too late to terminate the iron clad contract Leland had every intention of making the

man sign.

“I want you to use a certain company for construction.”

“I don’t use construction companies I don’t know,” Leland began carefully. “The

plantation is located outside of Savannah. I have plenty of contacts there to accomplish all

that I need, at a lower price.”

It always came down to price ultimately. No matter if you were dealing with the

nouveaux riche, or old money, or moderately well off, it always come down to the bottom

line. Those who were too foolish to consider price were not good people to get into business

with. They were either way too arrogant or way too foolish. He avoided them whenever

possible.

“Yes, well, this particular company is owned and operated by my wife’s favorite cousin,

so their base of operations is a lot closer than Savannah. They are coming out of Brunswick.”

It was a heck of a lot closer, seeing as the plantation was situated on a tiny island just

south of Jekyll Island, not directly in, but close to a delta that flows into the Atlantic. Still,

Leland hated working with anyone he didn’t know and trust. He had high standards, and

working with family was always a no-no, especially if the good doctor’s wife was not from

the proper sort of family. No amount of success could make up for breeding. The last thing he

needed was a bunch of free loaders living off the largess of an extended family member. Just

thinking about dealing with ignorant hicks guzzling beer all day when they should be working

gave Leland a preemptive headache. Visions of the so-called “family members” made his

teeth hurt.

Maybe he was a snob, but damn it, he had standards.

“I am not so sure...” Leland began only to be cut off.

“It’s not negotiable,” Dr. Thompson cut him off rising to his feet. “Take some time to

think it over.”

Leland ground his teeth, knowing he was going to take this job regardless. Restoring

plantation homes was his passion, as the good doctor probably knew. Hopefully, the guy he

was being forced to work with would screw up right so he could get some real construction

guys down there tout de suite.

“That won’t be necessary,” Leland answered smoothly, still refusing to give any outward

sign of his inner turmoil. “I will have plans and a contract ready for you within two weeks.”

Dr. Thompson stopped in his tracks, raising a brow at Leland’s words. Obviously the

man had expected Leland to try to push on this little snag. It was not his style. He believed in

giving a man enough rope to hang himself; squabbling never did much but cement the other

person’s resolve. Leland picked his battles careful, making damn sure he won the war.

“You will need to see the house before you draw up plans, of course.”

“Of course,” Leland agreed.

He allowed himself a small smile when Dr. Thompson walked back to the desk and

dropped the keys into his waiting hands along with a card. It was little more than the slight

lifting of the right corner of his kips, but he had no doubt the other man noticed.

“Tony will show you around the place,” the doctor informed him before turning to leave

once more. “I will be in Atlanta for three more weeks before we return to Chicago. I look

forward to hearing from you.”

Leland contemplated the card before picking up the phone. T. Bignon Construction.

Jekyll Island was settled by Christophe du Bignon in 1792 after he and his family escaped the

French Revolution. Maybe Dr. Thompson’s wife’s family would be all that onerous to work

with.

“We shall see,” Leland murmured to himself as he picked up the phone. “We shall see.”

Chapter 2

Toni pulled into the dock parking lot an hour early. She wanted to make sure her

trawler was ready to go whenever this architect guy showed up. According to her receptionist,

who was also one of her many cousins, she could expect one Leland Westmorland at ten

o’clock sharp, ready to be escorted to Bignon Island, to the plantation house Alan, her cousin

Desiree’s husband, had bought for her. Toni shook her head and smiled to herself at the sheer

audacity of Desiree’s husband. Being a disgustingly rich white man from Chicago, he had no

idea the ruckus he was about to cause by buying his black wife a freaking plantation. A

plantation island at that! Toni was just twisted enough to enjoy the show.

It was bad enough for the racists in these parts that the Bignons of African descent

managed to be extremely successful while the European branch of the family had fallen on

hard times and never really got up. They blamed it on the Civil War (Toni refused to referred

to it as the “War of Aggression.” Pleeeease!). Maybe it was true the Civil War had knocked

the European Bignon’s down hard, maybe it wasn’t; but the damn war was over a hundred

years ago. How long could a person use that sorry excuse?

The African American branch of the Bignon clan were a tight group; one that worked

together so that everyone achieved their goal. After Toni had graduated from Spelman

College, her aunts and uncles all chipped in to provide her tuition for graduate school. Her

parents had been wiped out after paying for medical school and law school for her two older

brothers, who was just beginning their careers and not making much money. Now that she had

a successful construction company, she not only paid part of her younger cousin, Sookie’s

(Susan, but not many knew her by that name) tuition at her alma mater, she also gave her a

summer job as a receptionist. Her family didn’t believe in student loans. Being in debt from

student loans was no way to start out in life.

Whistling, Toni jumped out of her 4x4 Chevy Dooley, her baby, and locked her up

tight. There wasn’t a great deal of car thefts on Jekyll Island, none in fact, but she was always

careful with her pride and joy. That’s why she parked close to the back of the parking lot,

where few cars were. She would have liked to take up two parking spots, but she knew Jekyll

Island was not a place she could get away with something like that. It had killed her to

obediently obey the speed limits on the drive from her home in Brunswick, but police and

troopers on the island didn’t play, especially not with those who had a dark face.

If she had been paying attention, she would have seen a tall, leanly muscled blonde

leaning against a shining new BMW Z4, watching her every move behind mirrored Bvlgaris

shades. But she wasn’t paying attention, she was on a mission. She walked briskly to where

her trawler was docked, jumped on board and began to prepare for the short trip to the island.

Toni’s Pleasure Palace was not a name she would have freely chosen for her transportation to

the many tiny islands that dotted the coast of Georgia, but she had lost a bet with one of her

many cousins and lead foreman, Jimmy. Shaking her head as she thought about her folly, she

really thought the Nets would beat the Spurs in the 2003 Finals. Live and learn. Never again

would she make any kind of bet with Jimmy—the man had an uncanny winning streak.

Shaking off her thoughts, she made her rounds checking the provisions. She double-

checked to make sure there was plenty of bottled water, sodas and sports drinks in the cooler.

She had even brought along lunch, seeing as how any architect worth his salt would want to

investigate the entire structure. Toni was fairly confident her cousin’s husband, Alan, would

hire the best. That man was crazy about his wife, nothing but the best would do.

Toni sighed as the thought crossed her mind. Desiree was her favorite and closest

cousin. They were more like sisters, so Toni didn’t begrudge the love and happiness the other

woman had found. It was just that at thirty, it didn’t look like that kind of love would ever

come Toni’s way. The way Alan looked at Desiree…Toni could only wish that a man would

look at her like that. The man would die for his wife. He was buying this house because they

were expecting their first child, and Alan knew it was important for Desiree to raise her

children close to her family. Never mind the fact he had lived in Chicago all his life or that his

entire family, who supported his marriage and loved his bride, were there. Desiree wanted to

move back home, so he was moving. He didn’t need to work, though he would be lecturing

from time to time at various colleges, after the baby was old enough to travel. He would be

writing textbooks and doing research, while Desiree continued her extremely successful

online natural beauty product business.

As for Toni, most men only asked her out to hit and quit it. Partially it was her choice

of professions. Working construction was not considered an acceptable job for a five foot

nothing, one hundred and fifteen pound sopping wet woman. Then, there was her rather

brusque manner. She just couldn’t help herself; snappy, sarcastic comments were just her

nature. She had two older brothers she had idolized as a child. She wanted to play football and

baseball and climb trees. And she had for a while. It was Desiree who had talked her into

wearing girly clothes and going out for cheerleader in high school. She had hated every

minute of it. She hated the girls Desiree insisted they hung out with, hated the mindless

conversations and boy-crazy sighs. The funny thing was the more disdain she showed towards

her so-called friends, the more popular she became.

It wasn’t until college that she felt free to be the person she wanted to be. She wasn’t

about to become something she wasn’t, not even for a man.

“So, I guess I’ll just be happy with Mr. Happy,” she told herself, pausing her

preparations to stare out toward the sea. “Which reminds me-I need to buy some batteries.”

*****

Leland had seen her as soon as she had jumped out of the cab of that monstrosity of a

truck of hers, and he had no doubt by the way she parked it far from other cars then caressed it

before walking away it was hers. She was a petite little thing, about five feet even if he had to

guess, with a sinfully packed body. She was wearing denim shorts; not too short, but short

enough to show off her perfectly toned, deep ebony legs. His eyes had started at the trim little

ankles, then worked his way up slowly, pausing at the sight of the compact ass - an ass that

looked firm enough to bounce a dime off of. Giving himself a mental shake, he continued his

perusal past a trim little waist he could easily span his hands around, up to her spaghetti

strapped white t-shirt. Even from the distance he stood he could make out the round shape of

the generous globes. They were just enough to fill his hands, and he had large hands, but not

too big. He licked his lips unconsciously as he contemplated the possible size of her areoles.

Dime or quarter sized? His cock hardened as he explored the possibilities. It was a question

that he really needed to find out the answer to.

What the hell was he thinking? Giving himself a mental shake, he looked away briefly,

but found his eyes drawn back to her. She walked briskly right past him although her hands

where full with paper bags. He was going to offer to help, until she jumped aboard the boat he

had been watching for the owner of. Taken aback he looked again at the trawlers hull. Yep,

Toni’s Pleasure Palace. That was the name the receptionist he had talked to told him.

Apparently Tony Bignon had been expecting his call because the man didn’t bother to talk to

him himself, just had his receptionist set up a date and time.

It must be the receptionist or the secretary bringing aboard supplies. Leland had

planned on taking his time and thoroughly inspecting the structure of the house to see how

much work needed to be done. He would have to have inspectors out before any work was

done, but Leland wanted to see for himself what was needed so he could research original

plans and try to update where he could. The entire process could take hours, so he hoped Mr.

Bignon had set aside plenty of time. From the looks of those bags his secretary had carried

aboard, the other man had indeed planned on a long day.

Feeling better about the man he would be working with for most of the summer, Leland

locked up his car, set the alarm and made his way over to the trawler. It wasn’t new but it was

well kept, showing the owner took pride in it. It was a good sign. He wasn’t supposed to be

here for a few hours, but the drive from Atlanta had taken far less time than he had anticipated

so he had gotten to the Jekyll Island early. He had no idea he could drive across from

Brunswick, he thought he would have to take a taxi boat or trolley over. No wonder the

receptionist had told him he would meet Tony here.

He was about to announce himself, but something stopped him. He found himself

watching her again as she went around readying the boat for launch. She stopped suddenly

and looked out toward the sea. Her expression called to him in some enigmatic way. There

was such longing in her gaze. Leland had the urge to offer her anything and everything just to

make it all better.

Where the hell had that come from? It was beyond odd that he found something

irresistibly appealing about this woman. He was not generally attracted to black women, not

as far as he knew anyway. It was something that just wasn’t done in his circles. He wasn’t

prejudiced or anything, he had just never even considered a relationship outside his own race.

It would give his mother a heart attack.

Get it together, Lee, he told himself, stepping back and taking a deep breath. He wasn’t

here to have a fling. He was here to do a job, nothing more. Taking another deep breath, he

prepared to announce himself again but then heard her wistful voice.

“So, I guess I’ll just be happy with Mr. Happy, which reminds me-I need to buy some

batteries.”

Leland’s cock stiffened instantly. Oh, hell she didn’t say what he thought she did, did

she? He had to take a step back. Never in his life had he felt such intense instant attraction. In

fact, his body was reacting in a way he had never reacted to a woman before, no matter how

good she looked. His eyes roved over her simple clothing, noting she wasn’t dressed

provocatively at all, yet quite possibly her outfit was the sexiest thing he had ever laid eyes

on.

Hopefully, she was only here to make sure the boat was stocked for the day and would

leave as soon as her job was done. She had to; Leland didn’t understand what the hell he was

feeling, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep his mind off of her and on his job. With luck

he would never have to see her again. Not many secretaries or assistants came to the job site

with their bosses.

Unless this Tony guy liked to keep her around because he liked looking at her too.

Maybe he liked to do more than look. Unreasonable anger, burning in intensity sent his blood

boiling at the mere thought. No one should look at her like she was a piece of meat. No one

should ever watch those dark, delicious curves of hers and get so hard they could drive nails

with their randy cock. No one but him.

Stumbling back, he had to shake his head to clear it. What in the name of all that was

holy was the matter with him? None of this made sense. This was not the cool, calm, collected

man he knew himself to be.

*****

Toni could have bitten her tongue when she noticed the tall blonde who had been

leaning against his pretentious Beemer was staring at her. There was no doubt he had heard

her ill advised words as he approached. It never occurred to her that Leland Westmorland

would be as early as she was, well earlier seeing as how he had already arrived by the time

she had gotten here. She just hoped and prayed he wouldn’t understand that she was referring

to her trusty vibrator. It was unlikely seeing as how he hadn’t moved a muscle since she first

spotted him out of the corner of her eye.

“Mr. Westmorland?” She refused to be contrite or look guilty. He had no business

sneaking up on her damn it.

“Uh, yeah, I mean no, I mean…Leland. Lee, really. You can call me Lee.”

Toni had to swallow a smile at the flustered man. His linen slacks did very little to

conceal the fact he had heard every word she had said when she thought she was alone.

Apparently he was intrigued at the possibilities. Too bad she wasn’t into vanilla, or she would

have showed the good Mr. Westmorland, Lee really, some of those possibilities.

He was incredibly hot. He was tall, probably about six-three or six-four, and though he

was on the lean side, his well developed muscles were clearly evident. He was a blonde,

several shades of blonde really ranging from pale white-blonde to a sandy brown color. His

eyes were, of course, as blue as the Caribbean on a clear day. And that bulge he was sporting

was none too shabby either.

Damn shame, Toni thought to herself. Out loud she simply asked, “Are you ready to

go? Since you’re already here, we might as well get an early start.”

Chapter 3

It took a minute for her words to penetrate Leland’s brain, and even when it did he

could do no more than stare blankly for a few more minutes. Where was Tony? Surely this

was not-

“You’re not Tony!” He hadn’t meant for it to sound like an accusation, but damn it he

felt blindsided.

The petite bombshell frowned as soon as his words left his mouth. Her chin went up a

few notches and her eyes narrowed. Damn, she was hotter when she was so obviously angry.

It seemed impossible, but his dick got even harder. There was no way he could spend the day

alone with her. His brain was barely functioning as it was.

“Is there a problem?” she demanded in a voice that implied danger to his person. It was

a turn on really. He wondered if she realized that. “Alan didn’t tell you I was black did he?”

And did she realize how sexy a woman she was when she looked like she was about to

cold-clock someone? Too bad for her his cock was in complete control right about now.

“Alan?” he asked stupidly, his eyes glued to her now heaving bosom. If she had on a

bra, it was doing nothing to hide the hard little pebbles her nipples had become. He wondered

if she got wet when she was mad too.

“Dr. Thompson? The man that hired you to work on the house he bought for my

cousin?”

Leland shook his head and licked his lips. As hard as he tried he couldn’t seem to take

his eyes off her nipples.

“He never told me you were a woman.” Well that and that she was black, but he would

have really liked to have known she was a woman. A delightfully scrumptious little package

of a woman. A woman he would dearly like to-

“Yeah, well you have obviously noticed I am woman, so I ask again, are you ready to

go?”

His eyes snapped back to her beautiful face which was no longer angry. If he had to

guess he would say she was amused. She had the most beautifully expressive eyes. Although

her complexion was dark chocolate, her eyes gleamed light amber, seeming to glow in her

face. And they were directed right at his crotch.

Looking down, he became aware of the fact he was rubbing the outline of his penis

right in front of her.

“Shit!” he dropped his hand and clenched his fist. “Uh, I’ll be right back,” he mumbled

before stalking back to his car.

*****

Toni watched him go with a mixture of amusement and frustration. Alan may not have

told him she was a woman, but she knew he damned sure didn’t tell him she was black. That

was the amusing part; he couldn’t be bothered with her skin color because he was too thrown

by her sex. The fact that his burning gaze set her engines revving was not so amusing, nor was

it a good sign. Her clit was still throbbing from the way the delicious looking bulge pressed

against the fabric of his pants. She had to say something because if he kept on rubbing the

outline of that generous looking piece of meat of his she was going to jump him right then and

there. That wouldn’t have ended well.

“Ain’t this a bitch?” she wondered out loud, turning away to make final preparations

for the short voyage.

She had never felt so powerfully attracted to a man in all her life. The way he licked his

lips while staring at her chest made her want to pop one in his mouth to feel that devilish

looking tongue on her skin. There was no way she could work the entire summer by his side

and not jump him. This was so not going to end well.

By the time he got back to the boat, the bulge was gone. Toni couldn’t help but wonder

if he jacked off in the car. As she steered carefully to the tiny island, she kept visualizing him

leaned back in the driver’s seat, his cock in his hands. It had not only appeared long and

proud, but thick and heavy. She could see in her mind’s eye his thumb rubbing over the

mushroomed head to gather pearls of pre-cum, then those large hands spreading the

lubrication down the thick, heavily veined shaft. She could see him working down then up,

slowly allowing the tension to build, his free hand cupping his heavy testicles and gently

rolling them around. A soft moan escaped her lips as she visualized his hand stroking faster.

She had never seen a white penis before, but she imagined it would be angrily red as he

stroked faster and faster.

“Are you okay?”

Toni jumped at the sound of the honey laden drawl right by her ear. The light spray of

the delta water did little to cool the heat infused in her face. That was the second time the man

heard something he had no business hearing. At this rate, he would know all her dirty little

secrets by the end of the day. Luckily, they were approaching the island.

“We’re here,” she told him after clearing her throat.

They made short work of tying the trawler to the tiny pier and making their way up the

stone paved path to the area where the house was located.

“Looks like someone has already done a hell of a lot of work around here already,”

Leland drawled as they walked briskly toward the house.

“Yep,” was her only reply, setting the pace.

Toni took immense pride in the way the area outside the general perimeter of the house

looked as if someone had been living here and caring for the lawns and gardens for a decade.

That was her parents’ doing. They had worked here every day for the past month, since the

sale of the island went through, making the grounds look perfect.

“Is there any reason why we’re running?”

Yeah, so I can get rid of you before I do something really stupid, Toni thought to

herself, but grudgingly slowed down. The man was walking entirely too close, she could feel

his body heat stroking her skin with invisible fingers, teasing her senses, exciting her beyond

reason. She managed to show him the perimeter of the big house, explaining as they went

along all the work she and her crew had already done. Every time she stopped to show him

where they had done some work, she noticed Leland would stand impossibly close, his hard,

lean body barely brushing against her. She knew her voice was getting huskier, but she

ruthlessly suppressed her growing desire.

Nothing good could come of it. He was just here for a summer job, and the last thing

she wanted or needed was a fling. This man was from a different world. They had nothing in

common.

You don’t know that, her traitorous mind insisted. You don’t know anything about him

at all. Why was she so damn attracted to him? Why were her panties wet just by being near

him? Why did her heart speed at the sound of his deep southern drawl? This was beyond silly.

Turning on her heel she led the way inside the house. There was plenty of work to be done in

there given everything Alan wanted for his wife and newborn. While Leland was busy

scribbling notes and taking measurements, she would simply excuse herself, go down to the

boat and relieve some of the insane pent up desires he was inspiring. Maybe then she would

be able to concentrate on the job at hand and not the man that was sending her libido into

overdrive.

*****

Leland was having a hard time concentrating. He watched Toni’s lips moving as she

explained all the work her construction company had done, but instead of hearing the words,

he found himself fascinated by the shape of her mouth. Her lips were lush and full, coated

with lip gloss he had a growing need to taste. It had a light pinkish color, indicating

strawberry or cherry. How sweet would the flavor be? Would she moan softly in his mouth, or

would she gasp if he took her mouth right this second?

Never in his thirty-five years had he ever felt so damn primal. His body was strained to

the maximum, demanding he take her and make her his. He didn’t understand what he was

feeling, and with every passing second he cared even less. The way she moved with supreme

self assurance made him hard as hell. She looked him dead in his eyes as she went over every

minute detail of the work that had already been done and some of the work their mutual client

wanted done. She dared him to even suggest she wasn’t up to the job by the way she

challenged him whenever he was lucid enough to ask a question.

He tried to tamp down his need to have this little fireball of a woman - he really did.

When she turned and led him into the house, he knew he was a goner. He watched her hips

sway as she walked. His hands literally burned and itched to just reach out and touch her. He

wasn’t even aware he had done it until he felt the soft cotton/silk of her hair slide against his

palm. He watched as if outside himself as she whirled to face him, her eyes wide but

otherwise not protesting.

He couldn’t stop his head from descending, stopping a breath away from her mouth to

glance back up at those mesmerizing amber eyes. What he saw there made his hand tighten in

her hair as he forced her head back and slanted his mouth across hers. Forcing her mouth open

with his tongue, Leland ravished her mouth, her needy little whimpers feeding his obsession.

Sweet and spicy, better than anything he could have imagined. He couldn’t get enough,

drinking in all of her, and demanding more and more.

Just a kiss, he promised himself. Even as he thought it, he knew it was a lie. His body

pressed forward, pressing her against a wall. Bending his knees, he let go of her hair, grasping

the ass that had tantalized him and slid her petite body upward until she was right where he

needed her. Rocking his hips forward, he pressed his bulging erection against her core. Her

heat permeated through the fabric of their clothing, giving testimony that the insane, almost

animalistic attraction wasn’t only on his part.

His body was insistent, demanding reaction from the woman in his arms. He needed her

surrender unlike anything he ever needed - in his life. He wanted to be closer, he wanted the

barriers between them gone. He would never be satisfied until she was underneath him, skin

to skin, without a crack of daylight between them.

“Stop!”

Leland blinked, not sure he heard her right. How could he stop? Didn’t she know she

was driving him insane?

Taking advantage of his confusion, Toni twisted away from him, trying desperately to

catch her breath. What the hell was she doing? Didn’t she feel how right they were together?

“Look, I am not going to pretend there isn’t some kind of, of…attraction between us,”

Toni told him holding up her hand to ward him off as he moved toward her.

Attraction? Is that what she thought? He didn’t know what kind of reaction she usually

inspired, and frankly he didn’t want to think about it, but he knew this was far more than

some simple attraction. Everything about her enraptured him, called to him to make her his.

“We have to work together,” she went on, oblivious to his inner turmoil. “It wouldn’t

be a good idea to, to, uh, you know.” And with that, she whirled away, leaving him standing

there with a painful erection and confusion clouding his brain.

Chapter 4

“Why don’t you put that man out of his misery?”

Toni didn’t bother turning around. She knew who her cousin and lead foreman, Jimmy,

was referring to. The conceited ass had watched her like a hawk every day, every minute they

had been on this job. For the last three weeks she had studiously ignored him when she could,

but it just wasn’t working. She had refused to talk to him since the day she had brought him

out here to look at the property and take measurements. What would she say?

Sorry I damned near climbed all over you and allowed you liberties with my person.

Can you please do it again?

Like hell! Not once had he brought his happy ass over to her and begged her pardon.

He was the one pushing her all against the wall. Yeah, she had liked it, but he hadn’t known

that before he did it! Besides that, he had not spoken a civil word to her since. There was

absolutely, positively no way she would be the one crawling over to him with an olive branch,

unless it was to brain him with it.

Damn man! He ought to be shot for standing there in jeans that fit like they had been

sewn just for him. She really resented the way they molded to those well developed legs of

his, and those buttocks. Have mercy, those delightfully squeezable cheeks should be illegal.

His crisp white shirt betrayed not one bead of sweat, though it did show those defined pecs of

his, showcased the powerful forearms and accentuated that flat stomach. It was hot as Hades

in July today, yet he looked like he was standing in an air conditioned office rather than the

oppressive Georgia summer heat. And how dare he look so damn edible?

“I bet butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth,” she sniffed derisively.

“Girl, you know you want him,” Jimmy rolled his eyes dramatically. “I don’t know

why you are beating around the bush…”

“I am NOT into the swirl!” she lied hotly. She had never before been into white guys,

but that was before Leland Westmorland.

No matter how she lied to Jimmy, who was not only her cousin and coworker, but her

best friend as well, she couldn’t lie to herself. She was into a white man alright, the worst kind

of white man. The kind who could proudly trace his lineage directly back to Confederacy high

ranking officers and government officials, probably boasted about it too. He was pure blue

southern blood from the tip of his blonde locks to his doubtlessly manicured toes. It was

galling to want the country-club-membership-having, silver-spoon-in-his-mouth, never-

wanted-a-day in his life, Southern aristocrat.

“You may not have before,” Jimmy snorted, hand dramatically placed on his hip, “But

you are definitely into that man over there.”

And she was. She couldn’t help herself. Every night in the privacy of her big, lonely

home, she could not stop herself from fantasizing about Leland. If he had been a priss, afraid

to get his hands dirty, or one of those stuck up types who ordered everyone around but refused

to lift one pinky, she might have been able to work him out of her system. But no, he had to

be the hands on type. How many times had she walked in on him shirtless and sweaty,

moving lumber or banging a hammer right alongside members of her crew? He might be fully

dressed today, but generally he could be found not only directing her construction workers,

but working with them. Toni had learned to pick the spots she worked carefully, afraid that

Leland would catch her gawking at him as he worked.

Every night she was tormented by vision of the blonde’s rippling muscles stretching

and straining under lightly tanned skin. Why couldn’t he burn bright red instead of baking a

light gold as he labored under the sun? Why did he have to always use the deep drawl of his,

patiently explaining his schematic drawings to her and her foreman? And why in the hell did

he tend to lean a little too close during briefing sessions, causing her overheated body to

threaten to combust?

Toni felt her face blaze as she thought about the x-rated dreams Leland inspired. She

could not seem to stop her fingers from wandering in the shower as her mind replayed

everything about the man at the end of the day. Somehow her own hands became his as she

smoothed them down her body. When she cupped her own breasts, flicking her hard, aching

nipples with her forefinger, it was Leland she felt on her heated skin. Inevitably one of her

wayward hands would travel down to her creaming pussy, one naughty finger stroking the

seam of her puffy lips. It was always his voice she heard encouraging her, egging her on.

“Tell me what you want, baby,” his voice would purr in her ear. “Do you need me

here?”

As always, she would moan in semi-ecstasy as her finger would plunder all the places

she wished him to be. In her mind’s eye, it wouldn’t be her fingers plunging inside her, but

the thick, hard length of his cock driving her to the point of no return.

“You like that, sugar?” he would ask as he hammered harder and harder deep inside

her.

There was just something about a southern man murmuring a well placed “Sugar,”

pronounced properly, “Shug-gah” that made her go all weak in the knees. Leland had never

uttered the endearment to her in real life, of course, but in her wicked fantasies it was often on

those delectable lips of his.

A white man should never have such succulent lips. What was a decent black girl

supposed to do when faced with lips like that?

“Earth to Antonia!” Jimmy’s voice brought her crashing back to the present.

“Don’t call me that,” the admonishment sprang to her lips without any of the normal

heat. As much as she hated to be called by her given name, she hated being snatched from her

little daydreams of the “forbidden man” even more.

“Mr. Westmorland was just explaining work has to be put off until the right materials

for the roof arrive.”

Damn! She hadn’t even noticed Leland’s approach. He was standing right there in front

of her, frowning down at her as if she had done something wrong.

“Fine,” she snapped at Jimmy, refusing to give Leland the time of day.

How dare he sneak up on her like that? And it wasn’t as if she hadn’t ordered the right

materials. The packaging slip proved that she had. It was the supplier that fucked up the order.

“Knock off the crew,” she instructed Jimmy, giving Leland her back. Hopefully he

would take the hint and kiss her ass. “Tell them I will give them a call the day before we come

back to the island. Y’all go ahead and take all the boats except the Pleasure Palace. I will be

along in a while.”

With that she stalked off toward the newly renovated garden house. She needed some

time to think away from Leland Westmorland and her interfering cousin. Maybe she would

take a dip after they had all gone. If that didn’t cool off her over heated libido, she didn’t

know what would.

*****

Leland was the first to admit he had led a blessed life. He had been born into money

and prestige, school had not been especially hard on him, and women had always come with

ease; though admittedly none he had ever considered settling down with. There had never in

his life been a reason for him to get overly upset, so he never had. There had never been

anything he wanted he couldn’t have. Until he met Toni Bignon. The woman had worked

herself under his skin and just would not get out.

He was man enough to readily admit he was more than interested. Mere physical

attraction could not even begin to explain what he felt about the petite beauty. She was so far

outside the type of women he generally dated; he was at a complete loss at how to approach

her. Not that she would let him. The woman was determined to avoid him like he was some

kind of leper.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if she treated all the men on the worksite the same way.

He had to watch day in and day out as she laughed and joked with the brawny construction

workers under her charge. She could sweet talk a vendor like nobody’s business or given the

provocation, she handled them like a shark. She had the respect of everyone who worked for

her and with her. She was never afraid of getting her own hands dirty, often hefting materials

that had to weigh twice as much as she did. Her men loved her. Maybe a little too much.

Leland was forced to watch men ogle the woman he wanted with something that was

fast bordering on obsession. What was worse was that Toni was completely clueless of their

interest. She wore cut-off jean shorts most days, showing off those shapely dark brown legs

that were sheer perfection. He had never seen legs that short look so well defined, so damn

good! He wanted to take a bite out of those legs.

Didn’t she know every time she walked by, damn near every man on the site was

watching that delectable, well-rounded ass of hers? Wasn’t she the least bit curious as to why

there always seemed to be hands ready to steady the ladder whenever she went up on the

roof? He had watched the construction workers squabble over whose turn it was to hold the

ladder while she blithely went up and down, never guessing the eyes clued to her backside.

It was damned galling it. It was beyond infuriating. It was going to stop.

He waited for everyone to load on to the waiting boats to take them back to the

mainland, staying carefully hidden, especially from that cousin of hers. That man was worse

than a mother hen, constantly blocking him when he tried to maneuver a way to corner Toni

alone. She must have told him about their little interlude while alone on the island.

Jimmy wasn’t going to be here to save her now. He knew Toni had no intention of

heading to the mainland tonight. She often chose to stay over, sleeping either on her boat, or

on the trailer set up on the south lawn facing the ocean. Generally, he would wait in his car at

the marina, waiting for a glimpse of her boat that never came. He had to fight the desire to

swim across the channel to see what she was up to, but he managed to talk himself out of it

and drive slowly back to the house he had rented for the duration of the project.

Well, he was done with waiting.

As soon as the last boat faded over the horizon, he slipped from his hiding place,

stalking over to the trailer Toni had disappeared into moments before. He didn’t bother

knocking, and just as he suspected the door wasn’t locked. He could hear water running in the

bathroom, the door wide open.

Mild irritation blew up to a full grown fury. Anyone could walk in on her and have

their way with that tight ass of hers. Had she no sense of self preservation? That woman

needed to be spanked, thoroughly, until her backside burned. A groan escaped from his lips

just thinking about it. Well, a man has to do what a man has to do.

He strode toward the tiny bathroom with purpose. This was for her own good. While

her men may be on their best behavior on the job site, there was no telling the thoughts that

ran through their heads at the end of the day. And with her flaunting her assets to all and

sundry, a man could get ideas. She needed to learn to take precautions. Had she always been

this cavalier with her safety?

His anger fed his courage as he stomped into the bathroom, ready to lay down the law.

The sight that greeted him stopped him dead in his tracks.

Leland had to grab on to the sink to stop himself from sinking to his knees. The damn

shower had a clear glass door; there was no frosting, no distortion, nothing at all to hide the

wet nymph behind the pane of glass. Were petite women supposed to be stacked like that? He

knew she had delicious illusions of curves fully clothed, but this-this was a body men only

saw in movies.

There was no way he was leaving this trailer before making this woman his own. He

wasn’t going to lie to himself and say all he needed was a taste, then go back to being his

normal self. After spending days of watching and fantasizing about this woman, he had come

to grips this was no simple fascination. He seriously doubted sleeping with her once or twice

was going to cure what ailed him. And right about now he had every intention of embracing

the insane, blistering hot need she brought out in him. Hell, he was going to smear it all over

his skin and roll around in it for as long as she’d let him, and then he would just have to sweet

talk her into giving him more.

He was just about to stalk forward when the messages his eyes were sending his brain

finally processed. Her hands were moving, spreading the thick foam of soap across her skin.

Leland was a man who showered at least once a day, and he knew the difference between

cleansing and caressing. Toni wasn’t cleansing a damn thing. The way one hands cupped her

breasts, allowing her fingers to flick the nipples didn’t have anything to do with washing off

the dirt and grime of the day. And the other hand…

What he wouldn’t give to be right where that other hand was right now. With one leg

bent and resting on the edge of the shower, he couldn’t see that devilish little hand stroke her

pussy, but he could imagine it. If the moans emitting from the steaming shower were any

indication, that hand was doing quite a fine job. But he could do better.

Shaken to his core, Leland took another step forward, and then stopped when the moans

developed into words. One word in particular.

“Oh, Leland.”

The soft gasp of his name went through his ears straight down to his cock. She was

fantasizing about him while getting herself off in the shower? That little minx! All day, every

day she pretended as if he didn’t exist, yet she could masturbate while thinking of him?

Gritting his teeth, Leland stomped the rest away to the door of the shower, flinging it

open and grabbing his prey. She wasn’t about to freeze him out, and then sulk off to be with

him only in her dirty little fantasies! Miss Toni Bignon was about to get all of Leland

Westmorland if it was the last thing he ever did!

Chapter 5

Despite the fact that she shrieked in supposed shock, Toni couldn’t honestly say she

was surprised when the shower door was thrown open, banging against the wall so hard she

winced. She couldn’t claim to be astonished when she was unceremoniously yanked into

incredibly strong, well defined arms. And as much as she knew she would probably burn in

hell for it, she wasn’t the least bit ashamed to have been caught masturbating to visions of the

man who took her wet body and pinned it to the wall, trying to grasp her hair through her

shower cap while invading her mouth with his tongue like it was a conquering army and her

mouth was some kind of rich, ripe prize. The cap was ripped from her head, freeing her hair to

hang down to her shoulder. He wasted no time grabbing a fistful to yank her head back,

allowing deeper access to her mouth.

She was thrilled. She was exhilarated. And damned if she wasn’t turned on!

She knew Leland had been watching her all day. Well, he had been watching since the

beginning of the project really. But his stares had become more intense, his mood more surly.

She knew what he was thinking, but there was no way in hell she was ever going to approach

him. She didn’t really lie to herself as much as she lied to Jimmy. Since that kiss when she

was showing him the house, she could think about nothing else but being with Leland. Some

days she was so wound up, she locked herself in the trailer and took care of her wayward

yearnings right there. She even purchased a new Mr. Happy and kept him locked in the trailer

bedroom that was both an impromptu office as well as a place to crash when she was just too

tired to drive back home.

So, when the shower door swung open, Toni was relieved. She and Mr. Happy #2 had

become far too well acquainted with each other. She knew without a doubt the fire started by

a kiss would not be doused by anyone other than the man who started it. Once she slept with

him, she could ignore him properly and get on with her life. Leland was becoming a

distraction she just didn’t want any more.

“If you wanted the real thing, sugar, all you had to do was ask for it.”

Ah, hell, there was that “sugar” word, said all proper like. That was about all the

foreplay she needed.

Even though she shivered at the deep drawl in her ear, there was no way in hell she was

going to ask for a damn thing. He wanted every bit as much as she did; he needed to be the

one asking. Begging even.

“Get off me,” Toni growled, though she didn’t bother moving her hands from grasping

his shoulders to push him away. She didn’t mean it. From the smirk on his face as he leaned

back, she knew Leland didn’t believe it either. Instead moving away, she felt a thick finger

probing her sopping opening.

“Come on, sugar,” his lazy twang was accompanied by an equally lazy smile. He was

too good looking for his own good! “You don’t mean that do you?”

She didn’t bother to answer. He knew damned well she didn’t mean it! What an idiotic

question! If she meant it, why would her nipples tighten so much they felt like they would

burst? Her breast felt all hot and heavy as his talented tongue circled the areolas before

sucking the distressed nubbins, sending a flood of juices to her core.

Damned man! Didn’t he know the last thing she needed was freaking foreplay? She

was so hot, so needy; she was seriously considering pushing him back and jumping on him.

But then he traveled south, his scorching mouth blazing a trail of fire from her chest,

down her torso, to her belly, where he paused to worship her belly ring.

“Damn!” she heard he exclaimed in a fervent whisper as his tongue flicked the

diminutive piece of jewelry back and forth.

She thought she was surely going to have to punch him upside the head if he didn’t get

on with it. Fortunately for him, he kept going, moving downward so slowly she felt like

screaming from the tension building in her belly. Sharp bolts of tingling lightening raced

across every inch of her skin. Her nerve endings were wound so tightly, by the time he made

his way to her pussy, the first swipe of his tongue nearly sent her over the edge.

“Right there, please!” She didn’t care that she was pleading. She didn’t care she had a

death grip on his hair. All she cared about was getting satisfaction, and she wanted it now!

With a growl that thrilled Toni to her toes, Leland wrapped both legs around his

shoulders, grabbed her ass and lifted her up in one smooth move. She barely had time to

release a delighted squeal before he sat her on the edge of the sink, and then dove right into

her center, eating away like a wild man.

And damn, could the man eat some pussy! He feasted like it was his favorite meal,

alternating between thrusting as far inside her as he could go before moving upward to torture

her clit. It took less than a minute before she was coming like a rocket, her hips rocking

forward in a desperate attempt to get closer.

And he didn’t stop there. Never in her life had Toni came more than once with a man

going down on her, but Leland would not let her pull away. His mouth demanded more,

sending her body higher and higher. He sucked, he licked, he even bit her ever so lightly,

sending her over the edge again and again. His tongue wasn’t talented, as she had earlier

believed, it was a miracle worker. It was maestro, playing her body like a Stradivarius.

“Stop! Leland please, I need you. I want your cock! Please!” Begging had never felt so

good.

*****

“You taste so good,” Leland groaned against her mound, placing a lingering kiss on her

nether lips. “Condom?”

He hadn’t wanted to stop, but if he hadn’t, he would have come on himself the next

time she screamed his name. Never was a sweeter sound ever uttered than Toni screaming,

“Leland! Yes, yes, Leland!” If his cock got any harder, it was going to break off!

“In the cabinet,” she gasped out, pulling at the handle although she was sitting right in

front of it. Her body was blocking her best efforts to get the damn thing open without getting

down and turning around to do it.

He took pity on her, understanding all too well her haste. He had to get inside her right

now! Thank the Heavens above she had condoms…

“What the hell are you doing with condoms here?”

Out of nowhere jealous anger engulfed every nook and granny of his body. Who the

fuck did she have condoms for? He knew damn well she wasn’t sleeping with any of the men

on her crew; he had been watching her very carefully. None of the men on the site followed

her with intimate knowledge in their eyes. Just hunger. A hunger that pissed him off to the

highest level of pistivity.

So why the condoms?

Her big brown eyes blinked rapidly up at him. He could almost see her brain trying to

assimilate his words. She probably had condoms stashed everywhere, not that she was

sleeping around, but just in case. Toni was nothing if not over prepared. That just pissed him

off more. She didn’t need to squirrel away prophylactics to make sure she was protected. She

wasn’t going to be with anyone else. Ever.

As a man who had spent most of his adult life running from anything that had even the

slightest whiff of permanence, the epiphany should have scared him shitless. Instead he felt a

surge of satisfaction he couldn’t begin to explain.

“Are you on birth control?” He really didn’t mean the words to sound as gruff as it

sounded, but damn he needed to be inside her. All the jumbled thoughts and surging emotions

aside, he really, really needed this woman right this second.

“Yeah, why?”

She hadn’t really caught on to what he had just said about the condoms, which was a

relief. He knew he was going to pay for that comment later, but he’d cross that bridge when

he got to it. Instead of answering, he grabbed her ass, pulling her forward on the sink and

buried himself balls deep inside her in one powerful stroke.

“Oh, shit!” It was more of a plea than an exclamation. He hadn’t been prepared for this.

She was so damn tight, her walls opening to him like a flower, than immediately

clamping down in a deliciously taut grip. He was going to die. Pass out right here in this tiny

bathroom in a trailer. He couldn’t think of a better way to go.

His hips slammed into her of their own accord. There was simply no way to slow it

down and savor the moment. He would savor later, but right now he just had to possess her, to

be possessed by her. He was half afraid he was hurting her, but by the way she was scratching

the hell out of his back and digging her heels into his behind to lift herself into his thrusts told

him pain was the last thing on her mind.

“Yes, Leland,” Toni cried, scouring his back. “Harder!”

Oh, hell yes. He grasped her ass, pulling her completely on his cock. He needed a bed,

a slab, something. If only he could stop long enough to find one.

“Oh, shit. I’m coming!”

Her pussy was strangling his dick. Her vaginal walls squeezed him, demanding his

essence to flood her womb. It was too fast, but he was helpless against it. His balls drew up

against the base of his cock, the pressure was too much.

“Aw, fuck!”

He came so hard his head swam, yet his dick stayed hard. Refusing to leave the warm

cocoon of her incredibly snug sheath, he cast a look over his shoulder to discern the direction

of the bedroom. Without a word he gathered her into his arms and stalked to the bed,

following her down onto the mattress without untangling their bodies. He needed more. And

he would have it.

*****

Toni couldn’t stop the tiny shivers encompassing her body. Her clit throbbed

mercilessly, her pussy wept. It was so much better than she had imagined! Leland was all

thick and long and devastating. But it had gone too quickly. She didn’t want it to end.

“More,” she demanded, unsure if he could.

Most men needed a few minutes between rounds, not that she had a wealth of

experience, but that was what she’d been told. Given that most sexual advice she’d ever

received came from Jimmy, who was gay as the day was long, she wasn’t sure how much she

should apply to her own life.

The way he was looking down at her…Toni quivered at the fierceness in his eyes. It

was sexy as all get out.

“Why do you have condoms in this trailer?” Leland growled.

She would have been pissed and told him all about himself if he hadn’t flexed his hips

while he was growling at her. She couldn’t think straight with his beautifully broad cock

brushing all up against her spot like that.

“Not mine,” she gasped, straining to take him deeper.

She needed more!

“Whose?”

Who the hell cared?

“Jimmy’s. Gay. Lover on the crew.” She really didn’t want to talk about this now, even

if she could manage to pull together a complete sentence. “More!”

She wanted to cry with relief when he placed her legs on his shoulders, backing out till

only the head of his cock remained before plunging forward and grinding their pelvises

together.

“So good,” she moaned, pressing herself into him. “Please don’t stop!”

She was lost in a sea of pure sensation as he moved with infinite slowness, making her

feel every ridge, every throbbing vein. His eyes never left her face, staring at her with such

intensity it took her breath away. He looked at her as if she was the most amazing thing on

earth.

“Touch your breasts for me, baby,” Leland commanded softly. “Play with them for me.

Pinch your nipples, just like that.”

Rolling her nipples between her fingertips, she pressed the mounds together, lifting

them up in offering. The look of something between pleasure and pain that crossed his face

was priceless, spurring her to lift her head and circle the nipple with her tongue, first one, then

the other.

“Aw, shit, baby that looks so good!”

His was moving faster, plowing deeper. She was completely impaled, so wholly his.

Why had she ever tried to stop this from happening? She would cherish this moment for the

rest of her life.

It was an act that was more than the combining of two bodies. He was taking her

totally, making her his, marking her in a way no man ever had. She wouldn’t be okay

tomorrow. She might never be okay again, and she could have cared less. There was no way

she would be able to just walk away from this as was her original plan.

“Come here, sugar.”

Leland moved them again, getting up on his knees while placing her firmly on his lap.

Not once did he leave her body, she might have died if he had. Twisting his fingers in her

hair, he leveled her head back, engulfing a breast in his hot waiting mouth. His tongue swirled

around her nipple, his lips adding delightful suction sending bolts of tingly delight straight to

her packed cunt. She could feel the quakes beginning from her very core.

“Leland, I’m going to…I have to…” She couldn’t get the words out. He body lit up like

a roman candle. The explosions happened one after another, wracking her entire being in a

wave of ecstasy.

“Yes, baby, come all over my cock,” he whispered to her feverishly, as if she had a

choice. He was guiding her, lifting her up and slamming her down on top of him while

meeting her lunge for lunge.

“Don’t ever deny this again,” he growled into her hair, his hands kneading her ass as he

maneuvered her just where he wanted her. She loved it. She loved the way he handled her,

just like a real man. By damn, it had been so long she felt all feminine and soft. “Don’t ever

deny us. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” she whispered, her throat dry, she could barely form the words. Her legs shook

uncontrollably. The quakes just wouldn’t stop! Thankfully, he laid her down again, this time

wrapping her legs around his waist. His movements never stopped, driving her insane with

bliss.

“Never again, Antonia. You will never sleep without me again.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Hell she would have agreed to anything at that moment. She didn’t

even mind the use of her given name. She was completely his, mind and body.

“Come for me again, sugar. Come with me!”

And as he commanded, she did.

Chapter 6

Leland hadn’t slept. He spent the entire night holding Toni, Antonia, in his arms. The

ferocious possessiveness he felt towards this woman scared him now that he had time to think

about it without being in a haze of lust. It was immediate, hitting him hard in the gut. He

didn’t want to let her go. He waited for the sun to rise, waited for whatever her reaction would

be from what had happened last night, all night long.

Even now his dick pulsated and sprang to life in remembrance of being buried balls

deep in her tight channel. Far from being a virgin, Leland had never been so utterly fulfilled.

She’d been like an extension of his own body, moving with him, convulsing around him. He

hadn’t wanted to stop. He’d made love to her several times, unable to help himself. Her body

felt like home, and he never wanted to leave it. He’d come so hard his dick hurt, his balls felt

unnaturally empty, and even now he wanted more.

It was crazy; he knew nothing about her really. Oh, he knew she was as tenacious as a

bulldog once she set her sights on something. She had the courage of ten muscle men. He had

never known a woman who handled herself like Toni. It was cute and sexy as hell the way she

worked alongside her crew like she was one of the guys. She never made excuses, never said

she couldn’t do something. If she couldn’t handle something on her own, she wasn’t afraid to

ask for help. The construction company was truly all hers, built by her own hands, fostered

and grown by her diligence and attention to detail. He could honestly say he had never

worked with a better construction company.

He may know her personal traits, but he didn’t know her likes and dislikes. He didn’t

know what she liked to do on her off time. He didn’t know what movies she liked or her

favorite food. He had no idea if she liked beer or wine.

He knew he wanted to keep her. He wanted to see if they could have a real relationship.

This was way beyond mere interest on his part, more than sexual chemistry. The magnetic

pull between them was something he couldn’t name. As scared as he may be now, his desire

to be everything to her was even greater than the fear. He wanted to know all the things that

turned her on. He wanted to fulfill her most secret fantasies. He wanted her to fulfill his own.

Rubbing his hands down her back he had to smile at her likely reaction when she

finally woke up. His feisty little woman would be hell on wheels. She would probably curse

him out for his autocratic attitude last night, and then curse him out some more because it felt

good. He couldn’t wait. There was something undeniably alluring about a pissed off Toni.

Alluring and arousing. He never wanted to piss her off for real, but he loved to see her all

riled up.

Leland was prepared for the battle to be waged once she opened her eyes. She would

want to run from this, from them, but he had her promise. Toni was not a woman to go back

on her word, once he reminded her of it. Of course he would twist it just a bit, just to make

sure they had a working chance. In many ways, she was just as frightened of commitment as

he was. She loved her independence too much. He would just have to find a way to convince

her being with him didn’t mean giving up who she was. She would fight him every step of the

way, but she wouldn’t be his Toni otherwise.

He had to get her to come with him to Atlanta while they were waiting for the right

materials. The manufacturer said it would take two weeks, that was two weeks he could tie up

some loose ends and spend more time here in southern Georgia after the job was finished. He

had no idea where this thing was going but he wanted to find out. He really had no frame of

reference for a full time thing with a woman. It was something he had avoided like the plague.

His parents’ relationship hadn’t been the best. It had been downright contemptuous in

fact. When his father was alive, he seemed to take delight in rubbing his mistresses in his

mother’s face. His mother took solace in his father’s money and prestige. Theirs had been

something of an arranged marriage, all about familial connections and bloodlines. Leland

didn’t want that kind of life, though in the back of his mind, he had resigned himself to it.

Never had a woman sparked his imagination like this. He had never had anyone get

under his skin. He wanted to be the one who made Toni smile. He wanted to shower her with

gifts he knew she didn’t want or need. He wanted to pamper her to death as soon as she got

home every day. It was an odd feeling for him. Odder still, he didn’t want to fight it. He didn’t

want to run from it.

He wondered if she realized how good they could be together. He felt linked to Toni on

a level he didn’t know was possible, one he rarely saw in the couples he knew. He hoped like

hell she felt the connection too.

“Leland.”

It was more of a sigh than a spoken word, but it warmed the deepest, darkest corners of

his heart, flooding his world with light. She thought about him in her sleep. That meant more

to him than he ever thought possible. She was sealing her fate and she didn’t even realize it.

*****

Toni didn’t want to open her eyes. Leland was out there doing heaven knows what, she

didn’t want to face him or what they had finally done. He couldn’t have left the island, the

only boat left to transport him to the mainland was hers. What was she going to say to him?

Should she pretend last night never happened? Somehow, she didn’t think he would allow

that. It was too much to hope he would want to leave last night in the past and never refer to it

again. If his pillow talk was any indication, he would be looking forward to more.

Memories of the past night made her break out in goose bumps despite the warm

summer morning. Who knew behind that polished, gentlemanly veneer lay one seriously

dominant lover? The man had certainly taken control of her body; he had her doing things

she had never even considered with anyone else. Like the way he had her on her hands and

knees begging, practically panting for it. Toni had never begged for a man in her life-before

last night anyway. He also gave her more orgasms in one night than she’d had in a lifetime.

And stamina! She doubted she had gotten more than four hours of sleep last night.

Leland had acted like a convict just let out of prison after an extended stay. He couldn’t get

enough. She might be sore, but she felt so thoroughly satisfied she wanted to purr in

contentment. This was not good. It was fine to fantasize about the man, but getting involved

would only cause her endless headaches. There could be no ongoing affair while they were

working together, or ever for that matter. Besides, how the hell was she supposed to finish this

job on time and on budget getting only a few hours of sleep at night? The fact that her body

was humming with energy this morning had to be a fluke. She would probably crash hard by

midday.

One had to wonder how many lovers he’d had in his lifetime to have perfected the art

of making love so well. No, not making love. Sex, it was just sex. And he was very, very good

at it. He must have had a lot of experience- Oh, shit! She had let him do whatever he wanted

without a condom! Of all the idiotic things to do! What the hell was wrong with her?

She had to get away from him. She couldn’t afford to let Leland know how badly he

had affected her. She damn sure couldn’t ever have sex without protection again. He would

probably go back to Atlanta while they were waiting for the correct materials for the roof.

That would give her time to figure out a way to avoid him for the duration of the rehab job.

Convinced she had come up with a game plan, short term anyway, she rolled out of the

small bed, stretching out the kinks in her muscles. How the hell he fit on the tiny twin bed she

would never know. She had probably slept on top of his generous frame. In fact, she distinctly

remembered falling asleep with him firmly embedded inside her.

Stop it, Toni! She had to shake off the slow ache beginning to build. She couldn’t allow

a repeat performance, no matter how much she wanted to.

“Good morning, Sugar.”

Toni jumped at the sound of his voice. Damn, she hadn’t heard him approach, even

though the floorboards of the trailer squeaked like a wounded mouse.

“Uh, yeah. Mornin’.” She considered pulling the sheet off the bed to cover up, but what

would be the point? He had seen all she had to offer last night.

Leland had obviously showered this morning, his usually light hair was dark and wet,

brushed back away from his face. His eyes sparkled with barely suppressed mischief as he

leaned against the door wearing nothing more than boxers and a smile.

The man was really too fine for his own good. Her eyes traveled his frame, from the

way his folded arms showcased the definition of his muscles, his chiseled chest, his flat

stomach, to rest at the apex of his thighs. Oh, my, my, my. She couldn’t seem to pull her eyes

away from the area that had brought her so much joy and fulfillment. The healthy bulge grew

under her watchful gaze, pushing the light cotton material outward to create a little tent. She

could catch glimpses of the heavily veined penis through the opening slit of the underwear.

She found herself willing it to slip free of its confinement.

“I figured you’d be hungry, so I fixed breakfast,” Leland was saying, but Toni could

have cared less. She was fixated. Just a little more, and it would be free. “Honey, you keep

staring and licking your lips like that, I’ll give you a breakfast neither one of us will forget.”

“What?” Oh, hell. What the Sam Hill was she thinking?

Leland didn’t bother to answer, just arched a brow and smiled. She really couldn’t

stand the man.

“I don’t suck-” Okay, she so couldn’t go there. Primarily because while it was true she

didn’t give head as a general rule, she certainly had last night. Damn him!

“Really?” Leland slithered up so close, and her hardening nipples brushed his hot skin,

just below his chest.

Man, he was tall! Tall and incredibly built. She must have licked her lips again,

something she was completely unaware of doing the first time, because he growled, grasping

the back of her head and swooping down to devastate her mouth. He tasted minty fresh, like

he just brushed his teeth.

Brushed his teeth! Dag nab it all, she hadn’t brushed her freaking teeth, and here he was

slobbing her down. Toni had to fight to gather her wits enough to push him away.

“I will drop you off at your car as soon as I shower,” she grumbled, unable to come up

with much to say.

The man was dangerous, making her forget her purpose. She managed to skirt around

him and make her way to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. All she had to do was

get through the next couple of hours, and she would be free for at least two weeks. Maybe this

delay was a good thing. He could go back to his world in Atlanta and forget all about her.

With any luck, he would come back wanting to forget all about this little episode.

“You can lock me out of the bathroom, but you have to come out sometime,” Leland

called through the door. “We will talk, Antonia.”

Just what she didn’t want to hear.

By the time she finished her shower and other morning absolutions, memories of

exactly what Leland had said filtered through her foggy brain. That man had had the

unmitigated gall to demand why she had condoms in the trailer! What was worse, he had

demanded that she never deny him again! Never deny him, uh? She would show him denial

all right!

“Where the hell do you get off?!” Toni exploded, storming out of the bathroom wearing

nothing more than a towel and an attitude. “It is none of your damned business why I have

condoms in my trailer! And I get to do whatever the hell I want with my body, you don’t get a

say in anything I do buddy!”

Of course, Leland stayed completely unruffled through her little tirade. The man even

had the audacity to grin at her anger. A shit eating grin from a man who knew he held the

cards. The fucker!

“Your anger would have probably been more effective if you hadn’t answered last

night,” he replied drolly. Holding out his large hand he beckoned, “Come here, sugar.”

Her anger deflated faster than a popped balloon. Just one softly drawled, “Sugar” and

her feet moved determinedly in his direction, her body melting into his. Seemed he had her

weakness all figured out, and yet, she didn’t resent it at all.

Allowing Leland to arrange her on his lap, she tried to bite back the purr of

contentment as he held her close.

“I meant what I said last night, Toni,” Leland murmured as he fed her fresh fruit with

his fingers. For just that moment, Toni allowed him to take charge. There was time enough to

set him straight-later. “I am willing to fight for you sugar, so you had best just get used to

me.”

That wasn’t going to happen, but there was little point in stressing the matter now.

When they got back to the marina she would break it to him she wasn’t interested in anything

more. Because she wasn’t, right?

Chapter 7

What am I doing here? Somehow Toni had allowed Leland to convince her to come

with him to Atlanta. Jimmy’s added encouragement hadn’t helped. She knew she shouldn’t

have shared what happened at the trailer with him, or what had happened at her house after

they got to the mainland. Less than forty-eight hours after committing the major mistake of

sleeping with the handsome architect, she found herself ensconced in a downtown Atlanta

luxury penthouse. It was a beautiful place, located on the top floor of a brand new building in

the very heart of the downtown area. It was prime real estate, probably designed by Leland

himself.

The apartment had to have been professionally decorated. No man could have pulled

together the tasteful creams and soft muted browns, beiges and various other earth tones. It

looked like an advertisement for some design magazine. Tasteful, welcoming, yet strangely

untouched. Everything about the place screamed old money. Tasteful but priceless antiques

and precious art were scattered around the six-thousand-plus square foot apartment. The

apartment was slightly understated, but Toni had made her living building homes for the very

rich, old and new money alike, she knew what outrageously expensive looked like. Southern

Georgia was full of old family summer homes, second homes and ancestral homes. She had

been in many a living room both tasteful and tacky. She probably couldn’t afford his couch,

and she made a damn good living.

It was an affirmation of what she had suspected. Leland Westmorland was old money.

He didn’t really talk about his family. During the past two days, she had talked ad nauseam

about her large, rambunctious clan. They were an important part of who she was, and he had

claimed he wanted to know all about her. However, Leland had said very little about his

family. She only knew his father had died three years ago, and his mother was something of a

social butterfly. From the charities and projects Leland had mentioned, Toni was able to

piece together enough to know he came from an old Georgia family line. That meant

heartache, if she ever allowed her heart to become engaged, which she wouldn’t. This was a

purely physical thing. Some kind of insane chemical attraction that would fade once they got

to know each other better.

Men like Leland didn’t marry women like Toni, and ultimately, that is what she wanted

more than anything else. Marriage and a family. Yeah, she was proudly independent. She had

made her own way. She was proud of what she had accomplished all on her own. But she

wanted the same thing most women wanted. She wanted someone to come home to, someone

to share her life with. Desiree might have found a white man from a prestigious family who

didn’t mind adding a little color into the family fold. Southern families just didn’t swing that

way. Well, most of them anyway.

Standing at the bank of ceiling to floor windows, Toni wasn’t watching the lights of

Atlanta below the fortieth floor penthouse. She could have cared less about the view, as

spectacular as it was. Her body was completely attuned to one thing-Leland. She watched him

watch her, shivering as he slowly moved toward her. She could only see his reflection, but

she could damn near feel him as he settled behind her. Her eyes closed as his arms enveloped

her in their embrace. His arms felt so good, she could almost believe in happily ever after.

Almost.

“Do you want to go out to eat?”

Hell no, she wanted to eat him alive. So not a good sign.

“Um, yeah. Let me go change.” Anything to get away from temptation.

She could handle the mind blowing sex, at least she hoped she could. What she

couldn’t take was the cuddling, the soft intimate moments outside the bedroom. Things such

as these were traps for the unsuspecting female, meant to lure the unsuspecting heart into

danger and pain. They were just too different for this to work in any real way.

However, Leland didn’t budge. He was frowning down at her. She could see that

clearly that. But why? Did he suspect her trepidations? It wasn’t as if she tried to hide them

after all.

“All I ask is that you give us a chance, Toni. Can you do that?”

Could she? What would it hurt?

My heart.

*****

Leland loved to watch Toni eat. Actually, he just loved to watch Toni. Because they

had only gotten into town a couple of hours ago after the long drive from Brunswick, he had

planned on grabbing a burger, maybe some bar-b-cue, but he’d quickly changed his mind

when Toni had emerged from the bathroom in that delightful skimpy little black dress.

Instead, he had brought her to Prime, one of Atlanta’s best restaurants located at Lenox

Square.

She was uncomfortable, her body language fairly screamed to anyone who knew her,

yet she projected an innate grace and ladylike decorum. He seriously doubted she even

realized it. She wore poise like she wore her skin, naturally without forcing it. No amount of

etiquette classes could teach what came so naturally to her. He enjoyed watching the way she

cut her food in tiny little pieces. It was adorable really. She pulled the fork out of her mouth

slowly, the metal seeming to cling to the generous flesh as she did so. He couldn’t blame the

eating utensil. He wanted to cling to those lips too.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Because you’re beautiful,” he knew she hated when he said that, but he couldn’t resist.

“Half the world is beautiful,” came her sharp retort. “It’s not like you’ve never seen

beautiful before. And I’m not beautiful.”

It never failed to amuse him how much Toni hated to be reminded of her femininity,

yet she was the very definition of the word. It didn’t matter if she was wearing a dress and

strappy heels like she was right now, or coveralls and an oversized t-shirt. There was no

doubting she was all woman.

He was about to argue the point when he was cut off abruptly.

“Leland? Leland that is you!”

“Aw, hell,” he muttered under his breath as the blonde whirlwind of Atlanta society

breezed up to their table.

Annabelle Clemons had somehow gotten it into his head that they were one day going

to be married. Their mothers, who happened to be best “frienemies” had fostered that notion

since they were both knee high. Leland had no intention of ever marrying such a vain, self-

centered woman who lived for society parties and shopping. He couldn’t imagine what they

would ever talk about. The thought of taking her bony body to bed made him physically ill.

Her perfume hit the table before Annabelle did. He had to swallow the urge to cough.

Toni didn’t bother, coughing delicately in her napkin while pushing away the rest of her

dinner. He couldn’t say he blamed her. The smell was overpowering.

“Leland!” She moved in to kiss him on the lips, but a swift move on his part and she

only managed to stain his cheek with the bright pink lipstick. Annabelle tried her best to look

like Barbie, but she only managed to look like a cheap knock off. “You mother didn’t mention

you were back in town!”

“I am only here for a week or so,” Leland started, but Annabelle didn’t pause.

“And you already back at work!” Casting a quick glance in Toni’s direction, she

smirked before returning her full attention back to him. “Why on earth are you entertaining

clients here? You really need a better secretary. Or a wife.”

Man, could she lay it on any thicker?

“Your mother and I were just talking about that the other day. You do so need someone

to organize your life. A person could get the wrong impression by bringing them to a place

like this!”

“Wrong impression?” Toni spoke up for the first time, a dangerously devilish gleam in

her eyes.

This was about to get interesting.

Annabelle looked shocked that Toni had actually spoken.

“Oh, excuse me,” she twittered. “I’m Annabelle, Annabelle Leigh Clemons. Leland and

I go way back. I certainly didn’t mean to intrude on a business meeting…”

“Oh, you didn’t,” Toni’s voice had taken on syrupy sweetness Leland had never heard

before, but one which made him sit up and take notice. “Intrude on business that it.”

Annabelle blinked rapidly, not quite sure what to say. The smile that graced Toni’s lips

scared him. When she reach out to caress his hands he wanted to laugh out loud, but she

would probably kill him if he did. Annabelle looked like she swallowed a live fish whole.

“Lee and I were enjoying a quiet evening.”

The implication was thick, there was no way Annabelle could have missed it.

“Excuse me?”

“I said Lee and I were enjoying a quiet evening out before you interrupted. We are a

bit…tired tonight.”

There went that wolfish smile again. His woman really had that down to science. He

felt his seams burst in pride.

“Leland?”

Annabelle looked a little green, but really, how many times and how many different

ways did he have to tell the woman he wasn’t interested?

“O, how rude of me,” turning to Toni, he did what she was daring him to do-claim her

publically. “Sugar, this is a family friend, Annabelle.” He picked up the hand that had been

caressing him so casually and brought it to his lips. “Annabelle, this lovely lady is Antonia

Bignon. As you might have guessed, we are very much a couple. Hopefully, I will one day

convince her to make an honest man out of me.”

There. No ambiguity. If Toni thought he was playing, she had another thing coming. He

meant every damned word.

“Does…does your mother know?” Annabelle’s entire face turned bright red. She kept

casting glances back at Toni as if she were some kind of oddity. It was starting to piss him off.

“Not yet,” Leland was grateful his voice didn’t betray his anger. Toni was shooting

daggers with her eyes, but hell, she started it. “I wasn’t aware I needed my mother’s

permission to see a woman. As a grown man I assure you I am quite capable to finding a wife

all on my own. A fact I have been trying to convince her of for some time now.” If she didn’t

understand that hint, she was quite possible the most obtuse woman he had ever met. But then

again- “I am positive my mother will be satisfied with my choice.” Or he would cut her off.

Toni was fast becoming just that important to him.

“Yes, well,” Annabelle suddenly became interested in looking everywhere but at their

table.

Leland was willing to bet dollars to donuts his mother would be fully informed in the

next three minutes. It would take even less for Toni to go off.

“Are you ready to go home, sugar?”

Leland knew he was playing with his life at this point, but it just might be worth it. A

pissed off Toni was a beauty to behold.

“Yes, darling, I believe I am.”

He winced at the draw out “darh-ling”, but bravely signaled for the check, throwing

down money without even looking and telling the waitress to keep the change. It must have

been a pretty generous tip because the waitress nearly fell over herself trying to be helpful in

getting them out of their seats and calling for someone to tell the valet to bring around his car.

Toni’s scary sweet smile got even scarier as it got wider. It looked like her jaw was about to

crack. They left a gaping Annabelle standing there looking stupid, leaving with a thrown back

“Goodbye.”

As soon as they were safely in the car, Toni let it fly.

“What the hell was that? What in Sam Hill were you thinking?” she exploded.

He decided to play dumb. He had no idea why he did it. It just seemed the thing to do at

that point.

“What was what, sugar?” Man was he asking for it.

“Why did you imply to that woman we were serious? What if she goes back and tells

your mother? What are you going do then?”

“Aren’t we? I know I’m serious. Are you playing with my emotions, Antonia?”

He could feel her gawking at him. How many ways could he possibly let her know he

was serious about her, about the two of them? It wasn’t his fault Toni had a problem dealing

with emotions. She needed a little prod and Annabelle had given him the perfect one.

“Yeah and what will you Momma say?”

“Did you miss the part about me being a grown man?” That shut her up, but he was

under no illusion that it would be for long.

“This can never be more than what it is now.”

Now, that just pissed him off. What was this to her? Thankfully, they had pulled up to

his apartment building. Jumping out the vehicle and throwing the keys to the onsite valet,

Leland marched over to her side of the car. She already had the door open. Typical Toni. She

would learn. Simple things like opening the door for her gave him pleasure. It pissed him off

she wouldn’t allow him to do such a minor thing. Taking her hand, he assisted her out of the

car, refusing to entertain her protest. He was a man damn it, and she had damn well better

learn to let him act like one.

She shook off his hand as soon as she was on her feet, stalking toward the entrance.

The doorman opened it, so he really had no cause for complain. Instead he stewed on the

elevator ride to his penthouse. He waited until they were safely inside, door securely locked

before returning to the earlier conversation.

“What is this to you, Antonia?” His voice was deceptively soft. Lord help her if she

ignored the warning.

“It’s a fling. Physical attraction, mutual lust, whatever.” She waved her hand in the air,

dismissing the subject. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

“No.”

Chapter 8

“No? What do you mean no?”

Surely she hadn’t heard him right. He couldn’t possibly want more. He was just saying

the things he had said in the restaurant to get rid of a woman who obviously annoyed him.

Coming to Atlanta had been a colossal mistake. Leland was obviously reading far more into

this than she had suspected.

“Look, Leland, this was a bad idea,” she strived for calmness when he hadn’t answered

her. “I think you should take me to the nearest bus station. I shouldn’t have come here.”

“No.”

It wasn’t said in a combative way, for which she guessed she should be grateful, but she

felt the first signs of dread creeping up her spine.

“Excuse me?” Just who did Mr. Leland Westmorland think he was anyway?

“No, Antonia, I will not take you a goddamn bus station,” he replied calmly, but Toni

heard the anger he was masking.

What exactly he had to mad about, she wasn’t exactly sure. That fact that he was mad

infuriated her.

“You know usually men are grateful for no strings attached tail,” she snarled, unable to

help herself.

The entire situation was ridiculous. They had an insane physical attraction, so what?

That didn’t mean anything more than they were good in bed together. Really, really good in

bed. Downright sublime as a matter of fact. That didn’t mean she had to go and try to have

some kind of relationship with him. Maybe he had just never found someone who could keep

up with him before. She could understand that; there was no way the wanna-be Barbie back in

the restaurant could’ve gotten down and dirty in bed, and that was probably the kind of

woman he usually went for. She just had to get him to see that physical attraction did not

equate a long term thing.

“I want more, Toni,” his voice was really beautiful when he spoke all purposeful like. It

was deep and mesmerizing, as if he were trying to lull the person to whom he spoke. Toni lost

her train of thought, becoming engrossed in the movement of his full lips. “I want everything,

sweetheart. I want to be everything to you. You will let me in won’t you?”

“Yes.” Oh, damn that so not what she meant to say! But his body was crowding her, his

clean, woodsy scent like an aphrodisiac that tantalized her senses.

Her arms wound themselves around his neck; her body pressed itself against the hard

length of his front. He didn’t move; his face stay scant inches from her, but he made no move

to kiss her. She desperately wanted him to, but he didn’t. Instead his gaze held hers,

unwavering and honest. He was seeing far too much with those eyes of his, but she was

helpless to hide.

Why didn’t she just take a chance on Leland? What did she have to lose? Long distance

relationships may be hard, but they were in the same state. A six hour drive, an hour by plane-

that was nothing. She could see him every weekend if she chose to. Then there were

holidays, and being in construction, there were always lulls in business…

No! What the hell was she thinking? Taking a step back she stared at the dangerous

man before her. Not that he would hurt her, at least not physically. He was dangerous to her

heart. Downright deadly. Her head shook from side to side in slow motion as she continued to

back away slowly. He still hadn’t moved. He didn’t need to. She could see the storm brewing

in his eyes. He was serious! He wanted nothing less than everything, and that she couldn’t

afford to give him.

“I need to leave,” she spoke every word distinctly, like she was talking to a simpleton.

“This will not end well.”

“How do you know that, Toni?” Leland demanded determinedly. “You won’t give it a

snowball’s chance. What exactly do you have against being with me?”

Toni could tell by the barely suppressed sarcasm in his voice he already knew what she

thought. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of confirming what they both knew was

true.

“We are just…too different.” Her back hit the door, blocking that avenue of escape.

She considered making a sprint for it around him, but he had begun to stalk forward.

“Stalk” was perhaps too tame a word for what he was doing. His tall, lean body moved

languorously, as if he was daring her to make a run for it. It was damn near hypnotic, like he

had some kind of theme music only he could hear. It was sexy as hell, and the damn man

probably was well aware of that fact.

“Too different how, sugar?”

There went that word again. It was truly her kryptonite, causing her to melt just as he

grasped her around the waist. She pressed herself into his hard front, rubbing against the

granite evidence of his arousal. If he didn’t do something soon, she was going to have to jump

him. He was leaving her little choice, being all fine and sexy and all.

“Toni?”

“Huh? Oh, what?”

What were they talking about? Damn! Leland was the only man alive that could make

her totally lose her train of thought like that. She tried to remember why she had been so

intent on getting away from him, but all she could seem to focus on was how it felt to be in

his arms. He had such strong cable arms that held her like she was the most precious thing in

the world after rocking her to the core. Or his smell; all clean and fresh and oh, so masculine.

He used some kind of sandalwood aftershave. His scent wrapped all around her, making her

forget her own name.

Leland was pure sex on steroids, and damned if she didn’t need him something fierce

right about now.

“I think it’s time for bed, sugar.”

Oh, hell yes!

“I do too,” she answered, licking her suddenly dry lips.

That was the one thing she could never deny, sex with Leland was…Well, it was

beyond description really. The man really knew what he was doing in the bedroom

department. That was in no way an excuse to start anything serious, but for now, it would do

just fine.

“Why don’t you go on to bed,” Leland drawled all sexy, and slow like honey. “I will be

there in a minute.”

He didn’t need to ask Toni twice; she jumped back and practically ran to the bedroom.

She would think about the ramifications of her neediness for his lovely cock later.

*****

Leland grit his teeth in frustration as Toni bounced out of the room. What did he have

to do to get through to that woman? He had thought bringing her here would have stated his

intentions loud and clear, but obviously not. Toni was so wrapped up in preconceived notions,

she wasn’t giving him much of a chance. It was fine to fuck him, but not to have a

relationship with him? He just didn’t understand her way of thinking. They weren’t so very

different. She would see that if she ever took the time to look.

On the drive up to Atlanta, they had talked nearly nonstop. They had so much in

common-couldn’t she see that? If anyone could understand the work of an architect, it was

someone who owned a construction company and vice versa. They both wanted children, at

least three. Both wanted to build their dream home in the country. Both wanted nothing more

than to grow old, watching their children’s children play in the yard while rocking on the front

porch. Sure they might differ on little things, but who the hell didn’t.

For some reason, Toni had got it in her head that he enjoyed the social whirl here in

Atlanta. He hated it. He hated everything about the artificial society in which he lived his

entire life. He detested the false smiles and even falser friendships. Hell, he couldn’t even

trust his own business partner further than he could throw him, and Jeremiah McCarthy

weighed close to three hundred pounds, so he wasn’t going to be throwing him anytime soon.

She was looking for excuses. Leland understood that. What he didn’t understand was

why Toni was running so hard from something that was so very real if only she would let it

be. It was deeper than his color or his family. Toni was terrified of falling in love, and Leland

wanted to know why. What was it that made her shut herself off at the mere mention of a long

term relationship? Honestly, a long term girlfriend wasn’t what he had in mind ultimately. He

wasn’t really sure when it had happened, but Leland knew that what he wanted from Toni was

forever.

There was no way in hell they were going to have sex tonight. Toni needed to

understand this was not all physical. Their sexual chemistry might be off the charts, but there

was so much more right in front of her face. Two people didn’t just click they way they had

from pure physical attraction alone. He could let down all his guards with her; he didn’t have

to be anyone other than himself. He didn’t have to worry about social niceties, didn’t have to

dress to impress, didn’t have to woo her with diamonds and other gems. Flowers meant more

to Toni than a fortune in precious stones. Besides, how could any stone outshine her natural

beauty?

Oh he would spoil her. Once he got her to admit what they could be together, there was

nothing in world he wouldn’t do for her, buy her, build her. But right now, gifts would be

looked on as an insult. Toni was fiercely independent; there wasn’t a damn thing a man could

buy her to impress her.

Shaking his head, he looked in the direction she had disappeared to. It was going to be

one hell of long night. Lying next to her, holding her without being inside her was going to be

a new kind of hell. He wasn’t sure he was man enough to do it. He couldn’t even think about

her without getting hard. Wanting her had become as natural as breathing. That woman could

turn him on with a look.

He had to do this. He had to be strong. He couldn’t let her continue to think this was all

about sex. Great sex. Hot, sweaty, calorie burning sex.

Shit! He was in over his head.

Electing to keep his underwear on at the very least, he slid between the cool sheets,

pulling the petite beauty close. Her ass snuggled right against his crotch, making him break

out in a sweat. Toni had a great ass. It was all round, full and high. Grown men cried looking

at an ass like that.

“Lee?” Toni’s voice could turn smoky and seductive in a heartbeat.

Did she have any idea what she did to him when she talked to him like that? Probably

not. He had never met a woman so completely unaware of her innate sexuality.

“Yeah, sugar?”

“What are you doing?”

He had to smile. She sounded downright bewildered.

“Going to bed.” He kissed her forehead, rubbing her belly. He didn’t dare touch her

anywhere else. He was holding on by a thin thread as it was.

“Yeah, we are in bed,” she sounded exasperated now. “Aren’t we going to…I mean,

don’t you want to?”

“To what?” He almost moaned when she wiggled that ass back against him. Luckily he

was able to bite it back.

“To have sex!”

This was it. He had to choose his words carefully, or she just might rip him a new one.

Still, she needed to understand this was not the Toni Show. She needed to see him as a man,

not a willing dick with no brain attached.

“Toni, I have no desire to have sex with you.” When she stiffened, he thrust forward,

just a little so that she could feel proof of his attraction. “I want to make love to you. Until

you are ready for that too, we will just cuddle.”

“Are you insane?”

She tried to move away, but he held her tight. He couldn’t afford to give her an inch. I

just might be, he thought.

“Go to sleep, sugar,” he murmured instead of getting into it now. It would gain him

nothing.

Thankfully, she didn’t try to fight him. Not yet anyway, but he had no doubt he was in

for it tomorrow. Too bad he would be leaving for his office early in the morning. Unless he

was sadly mistaken, and he was pretty damn positive he wasn’t, his mother would be paying a

visit bright and early.

He had no intention of leaving Toni to his mother, but he felt maybe a little time alone

wouldn’t hurt either of them.

Much.

Chapter 9

Leland had never been so glad to roll out of bed as he was at that moment. He had only

been half right; it had been hellish to lie next to Toni without making love. Still there was

something so damn fulfilling and right just holding her close to him. He had fluctuated

between supreme contentment and absolute anguish all night long. At some point during the

night he had lost his boxers. Toni’s hand had a firm grip on his painfully erect dick, and it

didn’t look like she was letting go anytime soon. He probably had no one to blame but

himself. Sleeping with clothes between them seemed a sacrilege.

He looked down at her, sleeping so peacefully. She was a stunning woman. Her

eyebrows delicately arched, her full sensuous mouth, the way her body curved in all the right

places despite the fact she was a tiny, little thing. It was truly a marvel the way she was

stacked without being stacked at all. Those breasts of hers just stood right on out there,

taunting him with their lush fullness, though she couldn’t be more than a “C” cup. Decadently

dark nipples goaded him, “Don’t ya wanna taste?” Hell yeah he did.

Trying carefully to extract himself from her firm hold, he hissed through his teeth when

her hand tightened. That hurt, yet it felt so damn good. His hips were moving without his

permission, and he knew he wasn’t going to stop until he was balls deep inside her snuggly

goodness.

He wasn’t going to make it. There was no hope for it, he had to have her.

Shifting her so that she lay on top of him, he breathed a small sigh of relief when she

finally let go of his package. His reprieve was short lived, however. She might have let go of

her stranglehold on his member, but now she was sliding up and down on it. A trail of

moisture coated his cock as she moved in her sleep, stroking him with her increasingly wet

pussy from root to his throbbing mushroomed tip.

Leland had to call on every fiber of his will to reach down and still her hips. She

grumbled, but didn’t fully wake. Perfect for his purpose. He had learned a few things about

Toni in their short time together. For one thing, she melted at a well drawn out “Sugar.” It was

her catnip, but it usually lead to the sexual. Another thing about her was that she was brutally

honest, even with herself when she was in the vague state between sleep and waking. She

tended not to hold anything back and let go of truths she would never otherwise admit to.

“Toni?” He spoke softly, afraid he would wake her a little too much if he spoke too

loudly.

“Ummm? Let me have it, Lee. Pretty please?”

Yeah she was still only half awake.

“Do you only want me for my cock?” He really needed to know how she really felt.

There was no way she would ever just tell him. Toni tended to keep her thoughts and feeling

all bottled up. It killed him to see her pulling back. He had to know if he was wasting his time.

“No,” she sounded like she resented the fact. Well, damn.

“Then what else, sugar?”

A low moan was her only reply at first. He was very scared that maybe it was all

physical for her. That all the emotion was one sided.

“I like you for you,” she sighed and snuggled her head between the crook of his

shoulder and his neck. He thought that was all she would say, but then she continued. “I feel

comfortable with you. Never felt that with a man before. Well besides my family. I like you

as a person and it pisses me off.”

“Why? Why would that piss you off?” At least he knew she really did like him. That

alone was incentive to fight for her.

“I don’t want to fall in love with you. You are going to hurt me.”

Aw, hell. Vulnerability was the last thing he expected. He would rather saw off a limb

with a rusty blade than hurt her. He would kill any man who ever dared to do such a thing,

whether she was his or not. Just watching her over the summer had made him fall halfway in

love. Making her his had finished the job. Now to get her to recognize she was his, that was

going take some doing.

“I would never intentionally hurt you, baby.”

“Not on purpose,” she replied into his shoulder. “But you will. When you start thinking

about all the things you are missing by being with me. When your friends start treating you

different because you are dating the black girl, then you will leave me.”

“I swear I won’t ever leave you, baby.” And he wouldn’t. She couldn’t know it, but he

really didn’t have “friends”, not in the true sense of the word. He had tons of associates and

acquaintances, but none he had ever really called a friend. It was one of the consequences of

living the life he lived.

“Yes, you will,” she sounded absolutely certain of it. “All men leave.”

Warning bells went off in his head. She had just told him a hell of a lot.

“Who left you, sweetheart? Who hurt you?” He would kill him. He would track him

down, whoever he was, and skin him alive. It was bad enough he had to pay for some other

idiot’s mistake, but that anyone could hurt Toni just pissed him off.

“Roger,” she said as if he knew the asshole. “Gave him the panties and he was out.”

Now he hated him.

“Roger who, baby?”

Yep, he was going to look him up. He wasn’t sure what he would do when he found

him, but he would find him.

“Lee, I need you.”

She was squirming again. His hold had relaxed on her hips, and she resumed her sweet

torture of sliding up and down his erection. Instead of stopping her this time, his hands

clasped the generous globes of her behind to assist. Felt too damn good to stop.

“Let me love you, Toni,” he groaned against her hair. “Please, baby, let me show how

good we are together.”

“Yes. Oh, damn Leland, yes.”

That should have been good enough, but it wasn’t. He didn’t want her unconscious

reply. He wanted her wide away and aware when he made love to her. Not fucked her, not had

sex with her, but made slow, determined love.

“Toni, wake up!” It was harsher than he intended, but it did the trick.

Her movements stopped. She lifted her head to blink down at him.

“What?” she was groggy. Probably didn’t remember what the hell was going on.

“I want you wide awake when I make love to you.”

It looked like she would argue his terminology, but strands of their conversation when

she was asleep must have came to her because she closed her mouth and just stared. His

heartbeat stuttered, terrified she would say something he really didn’t want to hear. Instead

she bit back whatever she wanted to say and rolled off him. He followed, shifting to his side

to look at her, but he didn’t touch her.

“That was a dirty trick,” she grumbled, sticking out her bottom lip.

It was a far gentler reaction than he had anticipated. Leland didn’t know whether to be

grateful or weary.

“Would you have told me otherwise?”

“No,” she admitted. “Why couldn’t you just let it be? Just let this be what it is?”

“Because I want more.” Madly, desperately.

It was strange; whenever Leland had pictured his future “someone”, he had always

imagined she would be quiet, soft-spoken, never speaking above a velvety smooth drawl. Of

course, she was blonde and perfect, never interfering with his job, quietly supportive, always

there for him. Man, had he been a misguided dumbass. Now he couldn’t imagine his life

without a firecracker with dark skin and eyes that flashed fire.

“Give me a chance, Toni. Give us a chance.”

“Okay,” she sighed as if giving in. “I’ll try.”

She was lying. He knew it, and he knew good and damned well she was aware that he

knew it. It was all he was going to get this morning, so he decided to take it at face value.

*****

It was hard to get in the mood after such a bald faced lie. There was no doubt in Toni’s

mind Leland knew she was lying. It was just easier than going on with this conversation.

There were two facts she knew for sure; one, she didn’t have the willpower to fight her

attraction to him as long as they saw each other every day. That meant she would be sleeping

with him for the duration of the project to restore her cousin’s new home. The second fact was

that as soon as the project was finished, this affair had to be over. She just couldn’t take the

gradual withdrawal, the unanswered phone calls, the missed weekends. She had replayed the

scenarios in her head over and over again. It always ended the same-her heart broken and

alone.

It was unfortunate, but Toni had a very fertile imagination. She had played various ugly

scenes in her daydreams from the morning she had first woken up in his arms. She would

become all needy and URHG, feminine. She would call him every day they weren’t together.

It would be all perfect at first, but then, he would become increasingly unavailable. He would

have his secretary take messages when he was “in meetings”. The woman would become

nastier and testier each time she called. Eventually Toni would get it in her head to surprise

him in Atlanta, and find him wrapped up in some blonde, the surprise being on her.

Maybe it was unfair to project something that hadn’t even happened yet on Leland, but

she couldn’t seem to help herself. The daydreams seemed so real she could reach out and

touch them. Surely they were premonitions, right?

“Come here, sugar.”

Okay, he was doing that on purpose. He must have figured out her major weakness for

that damn word. She was leaning into his embrace quicker than batting an eye. How could

arms so wrong for her feel so right? His lips skimmed over her forehead, down her cheek, her

jaw line, stopping to pay special attention to one of her spots—her neck right under her ear.

The small, piercing bites sent electricity sizzling through her. She had to admit, the man was

skilled at turning her on.

“Let me love you, sugar. Just for now.”

Now how could a girl say no to an offer like that? At least he wasn’t still asking for the

impossible.

“For now,” she agreed, giving herself over to his capable hands.

Thank goodness they were already undressed. Toni didn’t think she had the patience to

disrobe. Leland hadn’t mentioned a thing about missing his boxers. Maybe he didn’t realize

she had slipped them off during the night so she could torture him. She felt justified seeing as

how he dared to lay there looking all delicious and not making a move. It wasn’t right, getting

her all worked up and then denying her what she wanted like a crack head wanted a hit.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” Leland murmured, running his large

hands over her torso.

She loved that he paid far more attention to the valley between her breasts, her shoulder

blades, everything put the places men usually focused on. There was something deeply erotic

about his touch that was far from blatantly sexual. He made her feel beautiful. She had never

really associated that word with herself before. Sexy in some eyes, maybe, but not beautiful.

There was something in the word that implied so much more than physical attractiveness.

The warm, supple lips traveled all over her neck, to her shoulders. Hands cupped her

underneath her chest, still not touching her sensitized mounds or her aching nipples. The little

points were so hard they could probably cut glass.

“So perfect,” Leland breathed against her skin, bringing out a crop of goose bumps all

over.

She almost wished she really was perfect, perfect for him. Oh, how she wanted to be.

By the time he moved his body on top of her, she was a shivering mass of pure need. How did

he manage to do that without traditional foreplay? She was wetter than she had ever been in

her life, and he had not once played with her breasts or gone anywhere near her pussy. Yet her

body was alive, soaking up every touch, every caress. The light smattering of hair on his chest

grazed her rigid peaks, sending shards of painful pleasure straight through her. He had to

touch her! He had to do something!

“Leland!” She wrapped her legs around him, trying to drag him forward, but the damn

man wouldn’t budge.

She arched, opened her thighs, closed them around him again, but she couldn’t force

him closer. He took his sweet ole time, kissing his way down her body without stopping

where he knew he damn well should. Who knew the shoulders were an erogenous zone? Or

that hand gently stroking the outside of a thigh could send the libido into overdrive?

“Shhh,” the infuriating man seemed completely unaware of what he was doing to her.

“Relax, baby. Just let me love you.”

Relax? How was she supposed to relax when he was destroying her? This had to be the

lowest of the low. There was no way in hell another man could EVER come close to making

love to her like this! And he hadn’t really even done anything yet!

Then finally, with a harsh groan, his lips captured a puckered nipple, pulling on it while

he suckled. His tongue circled her areola, making sure it was well loved before moving to the

other. Blood rushed to her head, her heart pounded against her ribs. She was going to come!

She was actually going to come just by having her breasts played with. Her hands fisted in his

hair, pulling him closer into her chest. She opened her mouth to cry out her pleasure, but no

sound emerged. Sharp teeth biting into her tender flesh never felt so good.

Yet, he still wouldn’t let her rub her rapacious quim against him. She was helpless,

panting between some small satisfaction and nearly insatiable yearning while Leland made his

way deliberately down her body, stopping far too often for her liking to explore her belly

button, or the hypersensitive flesh near her hips. By the time his broad shoulders lay nestled

between her thighs, she was half out of her mind. Toni had begged, pleaded, yelled, but

Leland was determined to drive her insane. If this was what he called making love, she wasn’t

sure she could handle much more. This was a torture Tomás de Torquemada might have

thought up, had he been a real man and not a punk bitch.

And the man had the unmitigated gall to just lie there, blowing on her searing snatch.

Why wasn’t he getting down to business? This was just wrong! With the steel grasp he had on

her hips, she couldn’t move to force the issue.

“Oh, come on!” she moaned in agony.

Of course he ignored her complaint. Leland was out to shatter her hard-fought-for

control.

Chapter 10

Exploring Toni’s body was something Leland could spend a lifetime doing. He wanted

to know every nook and cranny, wanted to taste every inch of skin. His shaft was so far

beyond simply being hard it wasn’t funny, but he couldn’t help himself. Running his mouth

over her stomach sent chills throughout his body. One day his children would grow there.

That fact blew his mind, making him dizzy. No other woman could ever be the mother to his

progeny. He wanted it all, everything, no holding back. Toni might have freely given her

body, but she kept a tight leash on her emotions. That ended right now. He drove her to the

brink and kept her there, tenaciously battering down those walls she kept hiding behind.

He felt it when they came crashing down. It was palpable shift in the room’s energy.

Whereas she had been a combative lover, fighting for supremacy even in her surrender, her

body became much more pliant. The fingers wrapped in his hair were that of a lover, not a

competitor. She was like liquid heat in his arms. The smell of her desire pulled his face

forward just as assuredly as if they had been hands. Her spicy sweet flavor burst on his

tongue, inviting him to delve deeper. He couldn’t get enough of her addicting elixir, diving

into her like there was no tomorrow.

Maybe he was. He had never in his life wanted a woman with such single-minded

determination. He couldn’t remember ever feeling anything beyond a nebulous kind of like

coupled with physical attraction for any woman. Not Toni, never Toni. Leland had wanted her

with a fierceness from the first moment he saw her. Everything about her called to him, the

man inside. Every sigh, every tormented groan simply spurred him on. He locked on to her

clit, sucking like a gay man with a bag of dicks. He rode her bucking body, refusing to let go.

He felt her body quake in release no less than three times while he alternated fucking her with

his tongue, licking her like a pudding pop on a hot summer day, or sucking her little clitty off.

Only the incessant pounding of his cock threatening to spill before he got anywhere near

where he needed to be made him finally move reluctantly away.

Looking down at her stole his breath. She was gorgeous all wantonly spread out just for

him. The little imp on his shoulder urged him to play just a little while longer. He had to see

her fall apart by his ministrations. He wanted to witness her silent acknowledgement her body

belonged to him, because his was without a doubted her sole property.

Taking hold of his pulsing rod in hand, he ran the bulbous head across the seam of her

sodden nether lips, making sure to make a slow circular pass over her stiff nubbin. He loved

the way her body twitched, her legs opening, her back bending, trying to entice him inside.

And damn did he want to go, but first…

“Come for me again, sugar,” his voice somewhere between a rasp and an agonized

moan. “Let me see how much you want me.”

“Can’t,” she puffed, her face twisted in sweet agony. “Too much!”

“You can do it, sweetheart.” No was not an option. “I need to see it, sugar. Show me

you want me. Come for me.”

It may be perverse, but he needed this.

“Please, Leland! Need you so bad.”

Music to his ears, but not what he wanted to hear.

“Come for me, Antonia,” he demanded, needing to see her come acutely. “Come all

over my cock, baby. Then I will give it to you.”

Damned if that didn’t set her off. Throwing her head back she jerked her hips, rubbing

her clit harder against the head of his cock. He damn near came himself.

“Damn, baby, that was beautiful.” A thousand years with this woman wouldn’t be

enough. He needed eternity.

Her natural lubricant eased the way for the thickness of his cock, but it nothing to stop

the walls of her pussy from damn near strangling him. How was it possible for her to be so

fucking tight given how wet she was? It was heaven and hell all wrapped up in one. He had to

work his way inside, seesawing until she opened for him. The sight of his thick tool seeping

deeply inside her entranced him. It was magnificent he almost wanted to cry.

“Look at us, sugar,” he panted, anxious to share the glorious sight. “See how good we

look together?”

Sweat rolled down his back as he struggled to hold on. A final push and he was fully

seated-and Toni was coming.

“Shit!” he growled, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from going over with her.

It was a close call. The way her walls pulsated against his rod, choking the shit out of

him. It was glorious. He had to stay completely still until her quakes subsided. Only then

could he take the chance to move. He started slowly, watching every nuance of emotion that

marched across her face.

“Feel me, baby,” he demanded, his surges increasing in tempo and intensity. “Feel what

you do to me. You make me so hard, so damn hard.”

He probably should shut the fuck up, but the words seemed to tumble from his mouth.

“I need you to come again, sugar. I want you to come with me.”

His hips were frantic now, plundering her incredible sheath, unable to stop to save his

life. Her bucking hips in answer to his quest fueled the blaze in his gut. Her cries became

screams, made him feel invincible. Every man dreamed of bringing their woman true

pleasure. This was not about conquest, this was giving her everything that he was, and having

her accept it, love it, get off on it. Her response was so fucking glorious, it spurred him to

endurance he never knew he had.

“Aw, shit, baby, I am going to explode! Come with me Toni, let me feel you!”

*****

There was no way Toni could speak. Her entire existence narrowed to this one place,

this one moment in time. She felt like she just might explode from the inside out. Every nerve

ending alive and snapping, every inch of her completely and utterly possessed by one man.

Leland. His name was like a prayer on her lips. Heaven help her, she was falling deeper and

deeper. Falling hell, she was in deep. She was in way over her head.

Every stroke sent her deeper, or was it higher. She wasn’t sure. Hell at this point she

wasn’t sure of her own name. He was so deliciously thick; so long he caressed her g spot with

every stroke. And that fucker knew he was driving her crazy. He had driven her to the point

where every touch was a sensual assault. She was actually sweating. She had never sweated

while having sex before in her life!

By the time he commanded her to come; she would have done anything he told her to.

Her entire being shattered from the inside out. She grabbed onto him, her anchor in the storm.

She never wanted to let go.

“You bastard,” she growled once she was able to talk. It didn’t sound anywhere near as

fierce as she had wanted it to. “Why did you do that?”

One thing was painfully clear. She had never made love before this morning. Not once

in her life. She wasn’t altogether sure if she ever wanted to again. Then again, how could she

ever live without it? The pleasure so intense it was painful. Feeling as though they were the

only two people in the world. She had just given Leland a piece of herself, and he had taken

it. He wasn’t about to give it back.

“You needed to know how I felt,” his response was as smooth as ever. Not slick, not

like so many men she had known before. Just steady, sure of himself. Leland made a decision

and stuck with it. In spite of evidence to the contrary where Toni was concerned, he wasn’t

hard headed in a bad way. But he knew what he wanted.

It wasn’t that Toni didn’t know. She was just too damn afraid to take it. He knew that,

and he wasn’t going to force her hand. Not much anyway. He would however, remind her of

what he was offering. He would pressure her without words. Damned if it wasn’t the sweetest

torment ever known to man, or woman in this case.

“Lee? Leland! You will not believe the nonsense I heard…”

Toni didn’t have to look around his very broad shoulder to see who was standing there.

It was the voice of an older woman. An older white woman. A cultured, dignified, older white

woman.

“Oh! Oh, my I…Well I will wait for you in the living room.”

The sound of her retreating footsteps was obscenely loud in the suddenly still room.

The bead of sweat that formed on her forehead then rolled down the side of her face had

nothing to do with the intense workout they just went through. The lump in her throat wasn’t

from any warm fuzzy emotions.

That was Leland’s mother.

It was the reality she knew would come calling, but had expected it much later on. She

knew Barbie from last night would be calling the older woman, she just didn’t expect her to

actually show up. Call Leland and throw a tantrum yes, but to just show up? To walk on into

his place like she owned it? Obviously she had a key, as her parents had a key to her house,

but they would never just walk on in.

There could be no denying what they were doing. Her legs were still firmly wrapped

around him. He was still buried deep inside her. He remained hard although he had come with

a fierceness, bathing her womb with his seed. Seed that would never take root, not in her.

Mrs. Westmorland was about to do her level best to make sure that never happened.

Seemed that all the denial in the world hadn’t protected her heart after all. Dread

clenched it in its icy grip. She didn’t want to lose him. She could not imagine a day without

him. But she could never tell him that. Not when she knew the best thing to do was to pack

her shit and get as far away from Leland as possible. It would hurt like hell today, but it would

be so much worse later on.

Chapter 11

Shit! Leland had completely forgotten about his mother. Truthfully, he had planned to

be far away from here when she showed up, as he knew she would. Annabelle probably

thought Lorileigh Westmorland would break a leg trying to get over to his place to see with

her own eyes what was going on. Although his mother often hinted she wanted him to settle

down, preferable with Annabelle, she would never presume to tell him who he should and

should not be seeing. Yeah, she might be appalled by his decision, but given her own

miserable marriage, she was careful not to drive her son away with her disapproval.

And she had disapproved of women he had become superficially attached to before. He

could see it in her eyes. But Leland also knew his mother was no one’s fool. She might not

love Toni, might not even like her, but she would accept her; he would accept nothing less.

His mother had better be prepared to let go of any preconceived notions she might have, but

he wasn’t letting Toni go. He had to mentally prepare himself for any and every scenario that

could play out here because he had never, EVER brought a woman to his home before. Who

knew how his mother was going to react?

Toni’s presence would speak volumes. He had no idea what his mother would have

done, but he knew Toni would never allow anyone to talk down to her or to look down on her.

He might have caught hell later, but her place in his life would have been solidified in his

mother’s mind.

Now he had no idea what his mother thought. She might believe he had brought Toni

here as a one-time thing. An anomaly. He would have to now disabuse her of that notion, if

that was indeed what his mother was thinking. He only hoped and prayed Toni wouldn’t do

anything to jeopardize what he was trying to do. He could never allow his mother to think of

Toni as anything less than what she was; his woman.

“Well, we might as well get cleaned up and greet my mother.” Leland was nowhere

near as calm as his voice implied. For Toni’s sake, he had to appear so. Anything less and she

would think he was ashamed of her. That would be her immediate assumption had he shown

any concern that his mother had caught them in a rather delicate situation.

Toni glared up at him. He could tell she was pissed and horrified all at the same time.

Good. As long as she was pissed at him, she wouldn’t get it into her pretty little head that he

was in away ashamed his mother had walked in on them. In truth he was more than a little

dismayed. He had wanted more.

“I am not going in there to face your mother,” Toni ground out through her teeth.

Leland smirked down at her, making her even madder. He could tell by the way her

nostrils started to flair. Perfect, because he needed to keep her a little off kilter.

“You would prefer we have this conversation in here?” he raised a brow and allowed

his lips to quirk a little. “I can bring her in here to meet you, honey, I mean, if you can’t stand

or something.”

“Bastard!” she hissed jumping to her feet. That was the Toni he knew and loved, not

some weak kneed missy cowering under the covers.

Just in case though, he stayed right by her side until they were in the living room facing

Lorileigh Westmorland. She looked immaculate as usual, but there was a gleam in her eyes

that sent all of Leland’s senses on high alert. She wasn’t the least bit upset. She wasn’t even

uncomfortable, which made no sense at all. The woman was beaming at him. Beaming! He

mother wasn’t the devious sort, so what was her damage?

“Well hello dear,” Lorileigh breezed right by him and encompassed Toni in nothing

short of a bear hug.

Toni looked at him like she might faint. He personally concurred.

“What’s your name honey? Where are you from? Are you planning on moving here to

Atlanta?”

Lorileigh pulled Toni over to the couch, seating herself comfortably beside her. She

had yet to let go of Toni’s hand. Leland felt like he was adrift at sea with no land in sight. He

hadn’t expected a blow up or anything crass like that, but there was absolute glee stamped on

his mother’s face. Man had he pegged this particular parent all wrong.

“Uh, Mother this is Antonia Bignon, Toni, from Brunswick. She and I met on a project

I am working on-”

“Oh why that is wonderful!” Lorileigh fairly gushed.

And that didn’t sound fake. What the hell was going on here?

“I have no intention of moving to Atlanta,” Toni finally spoke up. Leland was grateful

she didn’t appear to be upset. Hell, if he were her he’d be freaking right about now.

“Oh!” Lorileigh cast a long assessing look in his direction. What did she see? he

wondered. “Well, I have plenty of friends in Savannah! It wouldn’t kill me to move there.

That way I can be close when the children start coming.”

“Excuse me?” Toni looked at her like she just sprouted horns. “What children?”

“Yours and Leland’s of course!” Lorileigh laughed. Her laughter always reminded him

of wind chimes, all light and airy. He would miss that laughter when Toni demolished her.

Man, she had to go and mention kids. He was having a hard enough time just getting Toni to

admit he meant more to her than a good roll in the sack!

“Mother, I don’t think-“

“Oh, hush Leland Bartholomew Westmorland! I have eyes you know. I have waited for

years to see my son settle down! Did you really think I would give a damn what she looked

like, or who she was?”

Now she was snapping. Her porcelain cheeks stained red in righteous anger. Well, shit,

this was about to get ugly. His mother turned back to Toni, apparently dismissing him

entirely.

“My dear, I did not have what one would call a ‘happy’ marriage. Leland’s father was a

dear, but far from being madly in love with me. I made the mistake of thinking being the

perfect society wife was what he wanted. I forgot to be his lover and his friend. So he went

elsewhere. I have learned the hard way, love is far more important than appearances. And

sweetie, let me tell you the fact you are here in this apartment tells me a hell of a lot about my

son’s feelings for you! I can see it in his eyes, honey. My son loves you. So I love you. I am

not about to lose my son over some antiquated notion of race. I am just glad he found

someone! The boy is not getting any younger!”

Leland had to sit down. He had known about his parent’s marriage. He had known

about his father’s affairs. He never once suspected his mother knew, or even cared. Seemed

the grand dame was a heck of a lot deeper than he ever gave her credit for. Would wonders

ever cease?

But now the ball was in Toni’s court. Would she accept what his mother had said, or

would she fight it?

“Um, wow,” Toni looked at Lorileigh for several long seconds. Her mouth opened,

then closed, then opened again, but she didn’t say anything. Leland could see those gears

working at full speed in her head.

What would she do? His damn hands were sweating, his heart pounding, he felt like he

had freaking asked her to marry him or something. In a way he had. He had known this

confrontation was coming, he had just misread all the players. Except Annabelle of course,

but shallow people were never hard to read.

“Mrs. Westmorland-”

“Lori, please,” his mother cut Toni off.

“Er, Lori, I won’t lie, I like Lee a lot,” Well Halleluiah Amen! “But I’m not sure this is

going to work out. I appreciate your blessing and all, but we have a lot to overcome.”

Of course it couldn’t be that easy could it? Why she had to make everything so damn

complicated he didn’t know. He felt bitterness threatening to choke him. Did he give up? Did

he let her just walk away?

“Of course, dear,” Lorileigh was telling her. “You will do what’s best I’m sure. Just

know love doesn’t come around often. Grab the happiness you can. Life is hard enough trying

to muddle through on your own.”

The rest of his mother’s visit went reasonable well. Both women more or less ignored

him. He didn’t mind. It gave him time to plan. Toni believed they were only good sexually.

He had to prove to her it was more than that. He had tried being with her without having sex

and that failed miserably. Common sense told him to let her go, but he couldn’t do that. His

heart knew what it wanted, what it needed, and no one but Toni would do. He was just going

to have to force the issue.

He wasn’t going to cut their little holiday short. He would spend every waking moment

loving her like there was no tomorrow. But when it was time to go back to Brunswick, he

wouldn’t be joining her. He would send a junior executive down to finish the job. He had to

give her time to miss him. Maybe, just maybe she would be a little more receptive to

something more than a physical relationship. He just had to make damn sure he didn’t waste

these two weeks.

Let her think they were having a fling. He would stop pressing. In the meantime he

would be more than a friend. He intended on working his way into her very being slowly,

methodically. By the end of these two weeks, he would know damn near all there was to

know about Antonia Bignon. And she would know everything there was to know about him.

He would be her everything as much as he could be. Then he would let her miss him for a

while.

It would work. It had to work. Leland was not prepared to give her up. It might not

have been love at first sight, more like uncontrollable lust at first sight, but he was sure as shit

in love now. Thinking about a future without his petite little hell raiser made him sick to his

stomach. Everything about the woman made him hot and cold, as hard as steel and softer than

a marshmallow. Her smile made his world brighter. Her laughter soothed his soul. How she

managed to do it

he didn’t know, and didn’t really care. The point was she did it for him. She

made him feel like a real man, and that was a hell of a thing.

Just in case, he would be making a call to Jimmy today. The man had been instrumental

getting him to convince Toni to come to Atlanta in the first place. Jimmy was well and truly

an ally, one he intended to use to his fullest advantage. If the plan that had just blown up in

his face was any indication, he had better have a back up.

While Toni was hopefully missing him, he would be busy transferring his business to

Brunswick. He already knew without asking Toni that she would never move here. He

wouldn’t even think about asking that of her. He could design buildings anywhere. Some of

his junior executives would move with him, some would not. He could even possibly keep an

office here in Atlanta. That way he wouldn’t have to lay anyone off. If by chance Toni did

finally accept what they could be together, he would be ready. If not, he could spend his sweet

time convincing her.

He just prayed this plan worked. As determined as he was to win his woman, he knew

that if his absence didn’t jar her, ardent pursuit might not either. But it was all he had, and he

would do anything to get the chance to win her love.

Chapter 12

“Your body is here but I am guessing your mind is back in Hotlanta.”

Toni glared at her cousin, but refused to reply to Jimmy’s statement. It was all too true,

and he would be able to tell if she was lying. Hell her thoughts, her heart, and half her damn

mind was back in Atlanta. She had no idea why Leland had suddenly decided he wasn’t

coming back to finish the plantation project. Instead he had sent a junior executive whom he

apparently gave instructions to every night. That had been a month and a half ago.

It hurt much more than she thought possible. Was he ever coming back? It sure as shit

didn’t look like it. She talked to him on the phone, but the conversation always ended the

same. He wanted more and she couldn’t give it to him. The call last night might well be the

last she received, which was why she was in such a nasty funk.

It had started out alright, nice and superficial, but then the wanting got to be too much

for her.

“When are you coming back?” she had asked, unable to hold the question back.

It was agony hearing that sexy voice over the phone, so far away. Just hearing him

made her all wet and needy. Masturbation just wasn’t cutting it. Once she had the real thing,

nothing less would do.

“What would I be coming back to, Toni?”

Why had he gone and asked her something like that? What was she supposed to say?

Tears of frustration burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Maybe this was all

for the best. She would get over it soon wouldn’t she?

“I miss you,” she had dared to admit. “You would be coming to see me. Why can’t that

be enough for now?”

“Because I want more, baby. I told you that. I meant it.” He sounded resolute, if a little

sad. Damn.

“What do you want from me, Lee?” She was so aggravated she couldn’t see straight.

She really didn’t get the problem. She had never in her life met a man so intent on a

relationship. It just wasn’t normal. She felt as if she stepped into bizarro world.

“I want everything, Toni. I want it all, all you are, all you were, all you will be. I want

to be there holding you hand when our first child is born. And our second and third. I want to

hold you when you hurt. I want to see you when you smile. I want to grow old with you.

Baby, I want it all. I won’t accept being some little secret or just a sexual plaything. I want

you-all of you.”

That had left her speechless. There was no come back for something like that.

But Toni was well aware of the setbacks and pit falls that awaited them. She just

couldn’t risk the hurt that awaited her if it all fell apart. Could she?

“Lee, I-”

“I love you, Toni. Goodnight.”

He hadn’t even waited for her response. Probably because he knew she didn’t have one.

It shouldn’t be so complicated. He should just accept her wishes. Right?

Who the hell was she kidding? Had the roles been reversed she wouldn’t be taking this

whole thing very well. In fact, once upon a time she had been in his position. The man she

had mention to Leland before, Roger Kilpatrick, had strung her along for three painful years

before she realized he had no interest in her outside the bedroom. She had been so young and

dumb, hanging on Roger’s every word. She had been that booty call at two or three in the

morning for the first three years in college. She had ignored the rumors that he had three more

just like her. In her mind she had been in love.

But it hadn’t been love at all. Not on either end. Roger simply wanted a ready and eager

woman whenever he felt the urge. Toni had wanted to feel wanted. He had made her feel

sexy, something no had ever done before. It wasn’t even puppy love. Beyond sex, they had

little to say to each other. Toni had to face the fact; she didn’t even like Roger much. Still,

finding out she was nothing special had hurt. And she had felt humiliated. She never wanted

to feel that way again.

And Leland has never given you any reason to believe he was anything like Roger. The

thought mocked her as she went about her day. As much as she hated to acknowledge it,

Leland had never been anything but the ideal male. He wasn’t perfect by a long shot. He was

autocratic, too privileged by far. He had even gone so far as to fight her about certain aspects

of this project. However, when she proved him wrong, he admitted defeat and didn’t even

chafe, much, as she did her victory dance. He always listened to her, whether it was about

work or any spontaneous thought she felt the need to discuss. Not once had he made her feel

like less of a construction worker, or less of a person in general.

So why was it so hard for her to let him in? Hard to let him in? Hell he was already

setting up residence in your heart, idiot! The question was, what was she fighting?

“Jimmy do you think I’m being foolish?” Toni waited until the crew had left before she

brought up the subject.

It was just her and Jimmy going over the work of the past week. The house would be

done in less than a week, but every Friday she and Jimmy usually checked over everything

that had been done that week before heading back to Brunswick.

“Hell, yes,” Jimmy drawled, not even bothering to pretend he didn’t know what she

was talking about. “A straight fool. That man is crazy about you, and here you are bound and

determined to end up without yet again.”

“Again?” That threw her. She had never experienced anything like Leland before. What

the hell was Jimmy talking about?

Jimmy sighed, rolled his eyes, and then sat heavily on the wrought iron bench they had

just installed near the back of the house. It had a perfect view of what would be a small

playground as of next Tuesday, designed by her own hand for all the little rug rats Desiree

and her man would undoubtedly have.

“Come here, girl have a seat so I can school you.”

That was rich. The man who could never settle on one man his damn self trying to give

her advice on her love life. Jimmy was notorious for the speed of his relationships, which is

probably why they had always understood each other so well. Neither one of them wanted to

be tied down. At least, she hadn’t ever wanted that before. She sat beside her cousin

reluctantly, ready to cut him off the minute he started saying anything crazy like, “Give love a

chance.” This was the real world, things weren’t that easy.

“Now baby girl I know you are skeptical of Mr. Man. I was too when I first saw his

interest.” Jimmy paused, looking out toward the water as if in deep thought. His usually

smooth brow furrowed as if he was grasping for the right words.

“Do you remember Ron Davies?” he asked out of nowhere.

“Yeah, I remember Ron,” she nodded unsure where this was going. She had dated Ron

about two years back for about a month before she had to break it off. It was just too

suffocating. The man expected to know where she was at. Who she was with, and to make

matters worse, he wanted most of her nights and all her weekends. She couldn’t breathe. She

couldn’t stand the thought of her life no longer being her own. And it had way too soon to be

spouting about how much he loved her.

Just like Leland, she thought in a huff, before her righteous indignation deflated just as

quickly as it had arisen. It was nothing like Leland. Ron was a nice enough guy, decent, law

abiding, never sticking his noise into her business-professional business anyway. But she had

never wanted to share herself the way she wanted to with Leland. She never laid in bed awake

at night thinking about him. Once he was out of sight, he was usually out of her thoughts as

well. Leland stayed with her every waking minute of the day, and then had the nerve to invade

her dreams.

“You could have settled on Ron,” Jimmy went on. “You thought about it for a minute. I

even thought you should. He was nice and steady, and would have never hurt you or cheated

on you.”

Toni had to snort at that. No, Ron probably wouldn’t have cheated on her, but that was

partly because he was half scared of her. Not in a wimpy way, but he always complained

about her unpredictable nature. She could blow up at the tiniest things. She knew that and she

was not about to apologize for it. She was who she was. He had been willing to go along with

it, shaking his head but otherwise saying nothing when she flew into a temper. He didn’t back

down, he just didn’t confront her. He didn’t do anything at all.

Leland, damn his perverse hide, seemed to relish her tantrums. He even provoked then

every now and again. Toni swore the damn man got aroused when she blew up. He stood right

there, toe to toe, never touching her in anger, but not backing away either. Then, there were

the times he simply changed the subject. It was usually so abrupt she didn’t realize it until it

was too late to go back and get mad all over again.

He picks his battles. The thought brought a smile to her lips. Wise man.

“You probably would have had a nice life with Ron,” Jimmy went on. “But you didn’t

settle for nice. And I love that about you. You wanted more, and you deserve it. But this thing

with your boy, Lee,” Jimmy shook his head and sighed dramatically in a way only a gay man

could. She envied the hell out of that. “Girl, this is no joke. This is more than lust. That man

looks at you like you are the sun, the moon, and the stars. And honey, I know you don’t want

to hear this, but you look at him the same way. Even before you were, uh, intimate, those

looks passing between the two of you made me jealous.” He fanned himself shaking his head.

“And he isn’t going away, Toni. This is the kind of thing most people dream about, but never

find.”

“People fall in and out of love every day, Jimmy,” Toni rolled her eyes.

“People fall in and out of lust every day,” Jimmy retorted. “They fall in and out of lust.

The thing between the two of you is something few people ever see. It is more than the

pleasant love maybe your parents or mine have. It is deeper than friendship that develops over

time. That is something you will both have to work on. This is raw, it is primal, it is rare.” He

finally turned and gave his cousin a long, hard look. “I am not talking soul mate bull shit. You

know I don’t believe in it. But every so often, two people click on so many levels; it is

criminal for them to be a part. You found that here, baby girl, don’t fuck it up. You will regret

it for the rest of your life.”

Jimmy got up and pulled Toni up with him. “I am not saying it will be easy. I am not

saying it will be perfect. But I am saying you need to give that man a chance. He just might

surprise you.”

Toni let that cryptic statement go without pushing for an explanation. She was too

focused on all the other things Jimmy had said. She was afraid it was all too true. When it

came right down to it, this was about what she really, really wanted. It may be hard, and they

were going to hit some snags up ahead. But was it worth it? Was Leland worth the struggle?

She was too caught up in her own musing even after they got to the mainland to notice

Jimmy ushering her to the passenger side of her truck. They were halfway to Brunswick

before she noticed she was not the one driving her baby.

“What the-”

“Hush,” he cut off before she could work up a good head of steam. “I need to take you

to see something.”

Hush hell, the man was driving her baby! She never let anyone drive her truck, and

Jimmy knew it. Oh he was going to pay, but there was no way in hell she was making him

pull over on the long bridge to their hometown. Oh, but he would pay.

Instead of taking the main road into town, he turned down a red clay country road. Toni

winced thinking of the mess that was no doubt accumulating on her undercarriage. All that

nice shiny chrome, coated with Georgia red clay. She was so kicking Jimmy’s ass as soon as

he stopped the truck. And then he was going to wash dry and wax her baby while she

supervised.

He turned a few more times, the roads getting smaller and smaller until near dusk he

stopped at a construction site in the middle of nowhere. The trees and bushes had been cleared

just enough so snakes and other creatures wouldn’t come near the structure unless starving.

The newly cleared meadow was lush emerald green, built on a slight incline to protect from

flooding or the invasion of marshes so prevalent in South Georgia. It really was the perfect

location to put a house for people not wanting to be bothered by others.

Toni did a double take at the structure being erected. There was something oddly

familiar about it. Getting out of the truck, she forgot all about whupping Jimmy’s ass the

closer she got to the building. She knew this design. And she knew the back of the man

shouting orders to a crew she had never seen before.

Although it was getting dark, the workers didn’t pause. There were flood lights

stationed all around, like they were planning on working through the night.

“Leland?”

The man who haunted her dreams turned, startled as she approached. She could just

make out the dark circles under his eyes and the beard that looked to be several days old. She

had never seen Leland all scruffy before. It looked kind of hot.

“Hey, sugar,” he drawled, pulling her into his arms as soon as she approached. “I guess

some people can’t keep a secret.” He was looking past her to Jimmy, but that wasn’t what was

on her mind right now.

She didn’t pull away as she usually did in public. In truth, she could give a shit who

was looking. Reaching out she stroked the rough stubby hair on his face. He hadn’t been

taking care of himself. How long had he been in Brunswick? Why hadn’t he told her?

“How did you know? How did you-”

Jimmy no doubt. Who else could have given Leland the plans to her dream home, or

tell him how she wanted a place away from everyone else? The point was he was here,

building her dream home, obviously to surprise her.

“You did all this in two months?” she switched tactics. “You did this for me?”

Leland shifted unsure of himself. “I can charge you if that’s what you want.”

Her eyes flew to his reddening face. That was the sweetest damn thing any man had

ever said to her! Recognizing she didn’t need him, not to take care of her, or to buy her

anything.

“I think I can accept this gift,” she laughed, feeling strangely lighter than she had in a

very long time.

“You can?” He seemed shocked, making her laugh harder.

“I love you, Leland Bartholomew Westmorland!”

Chapter 13

Leland was afraid to move, afraid to breathe, afraid to do anything to break the spell.

Toni said she loved him. Said it without prompting or threats. She had said it of her own free

will, loud and clear so there was no misunderstanding. She loved him!

His eyes closed when she threw her arms around his neck hugging him fiercely. He

wasn’t sure he would be able to let her go. At least not for a while. He just held her, his nose

buried in her hair, trying not to choke on the emotions assaulting him.

The truth was he hadn’t been at all sure how she would react when she saw what he had

done. He prayed in ways he had never prayed before for the best, but he had steeled himself

for the worse. He had two crews working darn near around the clock to build this large,

country style home. He knew it wouldn’t be done before the plantation house, but he had

hoped to finish as close to the finish of the other as possible.

He had paid a small fortune to get all the best materials sent with ungodly speed.

Sticking as close to her original plans as possible, he added a few extravagant touches here

and there. She hadn’t noticed them yet, but she would. He had been so scared of what she

would say, especially about the nursery and extra office.

“Toni, I think we should talk,” he whispered, not wanting to put it off any longer.

The last thing in the world he expected when she looked back up at him was a teary

eyed smile. The love he saw in her eyes hit him like a shot to the gut. . His knees threatened to

buckle as the ramifications swarmed over him. Every minute of every day for the rest of his

life, he swore to himself he would work to never, ever dim what he saw right there. He would

work his ass off for the rest of his days to be worthy of it.

Fear that maybe he wasn’t man enough caused a trickle of sweat to bead on his

forehead, but he was determined. He was resolute. And damned if he didn’t love her twice as

much.

“I am not going to ask you to marry me,” he croaked. “Not yet. But that is where I am

planning on ending up Toni. I am more than willing to work for it, but baby, you gotta meet

me halfway.”

“Okay,” she giggled.

Toni giggling was more frightening than Toni yelling. Toni giggling sent tentacles of

pure terror down his spine. It sounded all sweet and feminine on the surface, but it implied

things he couldn’t hazard a guess at.

“Okay?” It just could not be that easy. She was going to make him work for it. He was

sure of it.

Laughter exploded from her lips as she watched him squirm. He was sure she was

doing it on purpose.

“Relax, Bart,” she ribbed him. “I promise I have nothing up my sleeve. I said okay. I

am willing to work on this thing. I won’t be moving to Atlanta though, so if you had any

thoughts-”

“I’ve relocated.”

That made her blink up at him, laughter forgotten. “You have?”

“I have an office there, but I moved the main offices down here,” he informed her. “I

can work from anywhere and I knew you wouldn’t move.”

He watched her digest that, waiting for the final verdict.

“Well, damn, you are smarter than you look,” she finally said, then broke down into

loud guffaws.

“What is so funny now?” Leland didn’t get it. Was she please or pissed? Did she think

it was ridiculous, or was she just happy?

“It just hit me,” she was laughing so hard she was crying. Leland shifted from foot to

foot, waiting. Then she let him have it. “Your middle name is Bartholomew!” She laughed

even harder. She would have fallen over onto the ground if he hadn’t caught her. “So Bert,

where’s Ernie?”

He knew he shouldn’t say it. He knew he would pay for it. But damn it, she asked for it.

Kissing her on the tip of her nose, one hand crept to her ass, cupping it and pulling her

closer. Leaning down he whispered seductively in her ear, “Tucked safely away in your

ovaries until you’re ready.”

That shut her up.

Epilogue

“Damn, girl breathe!”

Toni ignored Jimmy as she put her head between her legs.

I am really doing this! Oh, Lord I am really doing this!

What if this was a horrible mistake? What if he changed as soon as Jimmy drove away?

What if-

“Sugar, are you planning on staying in Jimmy’s truck, or are you going to come on in

to our house?” Leland’s voice made her head snap back up.

Why did he have to go and say “our house” like that?

Her head began to swim all over again. She couldn’t do this.

“Toni?” Opening the door, Leland gathered her in his arms.

Damn, that felt good. It felt…right.

Her breathing returned to normal as her body relaxed. Yes, she was ready to do this.

“Look you don’t have to-”

“No,” she cut him off before he let her put this off any longer. “I want this.” Looking

up into his eyes, she made sure he could see the truth shining in hers. “I really, really, want

this?”

“Are you sure?” he still wasn’t convinced. “Because I can wait a little while longer.”

“And move back into that crowded apartment? I don’t think so! Your neighbors were

noisy as hell!”

Not to mention they tended to sneer at the interracial couple. Besides that, they spent

the night either at her place or his so many nights; they might as well have been living

together. Her parents were disappointed they were taking this step without marriage first, but

there were only too many giant leaps forward Toni could take at a time. They would see how

this went for a while, and then, who knows?

Leland had been more than patient. He had finished her dream house three months

earlier. She knew he wanted to move in to the home with her, the little additions he made on

her original design made it abundantly clear. Still, he had waited, handing over the keys

without even hinting at what they both knew he wanted.

Funny, but she couldn’t seem to move into the place without him. There was just

something about the place that screamed “ours” not “Toni’s”. So, she had waited. She had

come up with a multitude of excuses not to ask him to move in with her, beating around the

bush until her desire to be with him in every way made it impossible not to ask.

Today was the day. No more running and hiding. This was what she really wanted.

“Come on,” she smiled jumping down from the warm cocoon of his arms. “Let’s go

home.”

Cashmere Sky

By

RaeLynn Blue

Dedication

To Jenn who polished it,

to Alice who read every single word,

and to J, who keeps me grounded.

Chapter 1

“Lee, where are we going?” asked Sky Parker as she squeezed through the throng of

perfectly dressed people spilling out of the elevators in a cloudy mix of perfumes, body odor,

and hair care products.

A flood of frozen smiles, sparkling make-up, and shiny clothes mashed together, and

Sky sought cleaner air as she elbowed pass a rather stuffily dressed woman moments before

the slick metallic doors closed.

“You’ve got to tell me!” she shouted to Lee Stone, her best friend.

Lee looked over her shoulder, her braids piled high on her head and clipped into

submission with sparkling silver and diamond clustered barrettes. She shot Sky a secret,

knowing smile. Her burgundy painted lips moving up in a grin. One so seductive Sky felt her

stomach tingle in trepidation.

She’s up to no good. It’s written all over her face.

Walking backwards in her strappy raven heels and turning around fully to face Sky,

Lee’s mischievousness made her eyes wide and sparkling with secret knowledge.

“It’s a surprise. If you keep on asking me, I’m going to tell you. Then the surprise will

be ruined. I ain’t going to let you go out like that. It’s our last night in Sin City. So, shush.”

With the swish of her curvy, fuchsia-clad hips, Lee put her back to Sky once more and

headed out to the valet booth to retrieve their rental car, something sporty, convertible, and

coal-black. Its paint was like spilled ink, glossy and thick. The car screamed that they were

two available women and quite ready to throw down at a party.

But it was only partly true.

Lee’s engine was revving to go dance the night away or crawl into bed with a new-

found friend.

Yeah, like we’re in our twenties.

They weren’t.

Sky’s enthusiasm had sunk like a stone. Walking around her was a swarm of sensual,

scantily clad young things all dressed-ahem-undressed as much as possible; only enough to

not be arrested. They chatted and laughed with the freedom and innocence of youth. Thin

bodies, sparkling jewelry, perfect make-up, and artfully decorated, unblemished skin buzzed

like a hive of energetic bees spilled out over the neon clad landscape of asphalt and whispered

promises.

What in the name of Jesus on high am I doing here? Sky asked herself, tugging her

dress down to her knees again. It kept riding up like as a hidden pair of hands wanted to

display her thick thighs to the world.

Sky plopped down on one of the stone benches outside the Las Vegas Hilton. Renting a

hotel room off the strip was fine with her. They had managed to get within walking distance

of the conference they were attending, which was being held at the Riviera Hotel and Casino.

Nothing wrong with exploring Sin City, right? As long as she made it to her eight a.m. panel

on differentiated instruction tomorrow, it didn’t matter how long she stayed out tonight.

Well, that was Lee’s argument anyway.

Since arriving in Las Vegas two days ago, Sky’s stomach hummed and her skin tingled

as if a brush of electricity had skirted across her flesh. Nearly ten at night and the summer’s

heat rested at an even one hundred degrees. Was that why she felt sick? Desert valley heat and

all that. Sure, that had to be it. No matter how they sliced it, Vegas was hot as hell.

Sky watched as hoards of sparkly dressed females—all nearly young enough to be in

the senior high school English class she taught—vie for cabs to take them to the latest hot spot

on the Strip. Some headed out on high heeled feet, electing to walk to points of interests in

stilettos that made Sky’s feet ache just looking at them. Others moved in the direction of the

monorail. Thursday in Las Vegas and already an electric charge emanated to all. From the bus

drivers to those cruising around in air-conditioned limos, the feeling beat against them like a

hyper heart. Sky knew because she felt it too. Add to the natural voltage, compulsion conjured

by the sizzling summer sun and the blistering heat, Vegas was a firecracker ready to pop.

She rubbed her arms as the city hammered its heat into her bones, charging her up like

an old spent battery needing a recharge.

And she mostly certainly needed to be juiced.

This can’t be real. Bodies all over the place and no real faces to go with any of them.

A toot toot from the rental car’s horn made her jump. The car still running, Lee stood

behind the opened driver’s door, tipping the valet and waiting for the convertible top to glide

back into the trunk.

“Come on, girl. Let’s go!” shouted Lee. “We ain’t got all night.”

Dressed to the nines, she in a jet black dress and Lee in a bright, notice-me-fuchsia,

curvy hugging dress, they were begging to get into trouble—the teasing, fun kind of trouble.

Only Lee’s begging resounded louder than Sky’s.

Jeez, what’s the rush? I’m in no hurry to sit in a smoky nightclub pretending to be in

my late twenties instead of forty. Hoping the men don’t catch the strips of gray at my temples.

Right.

“So, where we going?” Sky asked, trying hard not to convey her impatience as she slid

into the searing passenger seat. She wiggled up a bit so that the hem of her dress protected the

back of her knees from the leather’s scorching heat. “Do tell.”

“Surprise,” Lee sang as if it was the first three chords of a song.

She got in and closed the door. After fussing with the seat to adjust it to her height, Lee

pressed her finger to her lips and said, “Hush, hon, because I’m not telling.”

With that, they chugged along the Strip. Rows of vehicles in all shapes and sizes were

like schools of fish on the six lane street. Sky made out people shifting back and forth in an

ocean of human bodies, hormones, and self-induced happiness. The night air wasn’t any

cooler than the day, but the absence of the sun helped alleviate the feeling of being fried.

People in the car next to them were holding beer bottles and leaning precariously out of

the windows. A group of boys, no older than 21, were shouting at women. Wearing muscles

shirts and unshaven fuzz, the guys behaved like a bad video for some television talk show. To

Sky’s horror, some of the women they shouted out, lifted up their tee-shirts and blouses to

show their bras, or in one case, tiny ruby nipples.

This isn’t real. People don’t do this kind of thing.

Lee caught the expression on her face and laughed.

“It’s Vegas, Sky. Sin City means violating as many commandments and committing as

many deadly sins as you possibly can. You should too. Everybody lets loose and leaves their

inhibitions behind.”

“Right along with their common sense apparently.”

Lee laughed, tossing her head back and letting her guffaw free. Her dark ebony flesh

glistened and shined beneath the streetlights. Breezes coaxed some braids from her up-do. Her

big movie star sunglasses seemed so right at home amongst the velvety night and

manufactured glitz of Vegas.

Finally, they arrived at the MGM Grand, but instead of shooting off the car to valet and

heading to some club, Lee drove the car down Tropicana Avenue. Behind the magnificent

golden MGM lion which dominated the front view of the MGM Grand, rested a more

residential section of the gigantic property. Here, a metallic, glassed building shot up some

thirty stories. The sign out front named the place as the MGM Signature. Wrought iron gates,

palm trees and special lightening illuminated the building giving it the tuxedo appearance

amongst a field of tee-shirt and jeans décor along the rear of the Las Vegas Strip.

As Lee pulled up to the gate, she took out a keycard and swiped it across the tiny green

button. With a ping, the gates pulled back, opening slowly to accept their slick, ebony phallus

into its gaping mouth.

Sky coughed hard.

Where had that come from?

“What are we doing here?” Sky asked instead of saying the other thoughts swirling

through her head out loud.

This place wasn’t even on the Strip, but on Harmon, a street running parallel to the

casinos. While she was glad it wasn’t a nightclub, she wasn’t sure she was going to like it as

an alternative.

“Hold on to your horses,” Lee said, again grinning at her. “I know the divorce killed

what remained of your love life. So consider this my gift to you.”

“What’s the present?”

“You’ll see…”

A stripper. That had to be it. Lee had ordered a male stripper and planned to surprise

me with a gyrating hunk of masculine chocolate. I’m a breath shy of 40 for crying out loud!

What the hell do I do with a partially naked boy on my lap?

Her hands began to sweat and she wiped them on her dress.

Intrigued, Sky decided to not pursue it further until she knew for sure. After all, she

could be blowing the entire thing way out of proportion, though with Lee, nothing was too

farfetched. Exhaling and smiling back at her long time friend, she watched as they drove

around to the lobby. Lee zipped on past, heading instead for the parking structure in the rear

of the hotel.

They parked and Lee nearly bounced out of the car before the lights had even shut off.

Her purse clasped tight in her hand, she was waiting with an impatient foot tapping the asphalt

when Sky finally got out.

“Suga, we ain’t got all night,” Lee said, popping her gum.

“I’m coming. This car is so low to the ground it makes getting out difficult,” Sky

explained, yanking down her dress.

Tossing her evening bag on her shoulder, she followed Lee across to the hotel’s

entrance. In minutes they’d crossed through Signature’s automatic, thick, heavy, fingerprint-

free doors and into the lush lobby. The registration section blended into the surrounding décor

of palm trees, taupe, and tans throughout the exterior. Even the metallic finish on the outside

surface didn’t distract from the absolute cool of the place.

Money. More money than my little teacher pay could afford. What are we doing here,

Lee?

They by-passed uniform-clad desk clerks and concierges. Lee navigated the path to the

elevators as if she’d been there thousands of times before.

“You’ve been here before?” Sky asked, peering at Lee.

Oh, I bet you have Little Miss Naughty.

Lee shoved her sunglasses into her hair and winked.

“Twice this week,” she said over her shoulder. “A girl’s gotta relax.”

She pressed the up button and waited for the elevator.

Sky’s own heart raced as nerves tickled her stomach.

What the hell has Lee gotten me into now? A spa maybe? No, it can’t be that… I’m way

too overdressed for a spa treatment.

Popping her gum, she kept her back to Sky, so Sky couldn’t read her expression. Not

that it mattered. Sky could tell Lee was beside herself with excitement. Feet tapping, body

moving while standing still, and her constant glances to see how much closer the elevator was

to reaching the lobby floor, told Sky that Lee was very excited, indeed.

“Twice this week? What have you been up to?” Sky asked, feeling her stomach bubble

with the contagious excitement. “Hmmm?”

“You’ll see.”

At this point one of the elevator doors dinged open.

Before Sky could ask any more questions, Lee hurried inside. Following her and

feeling uneasy, but curious at the same time, Sky folded her hands over her chest in a v and

hugged herself.

What had her co-worker been up to the last two nights while Sky had been holed up in

her room reviewing her notes from the conference?

As if she knew Sky was thinking about her, Lee kept her eyes on the door. Still a

synergy seeped from her as if she was a well shaken soda ready to explode. The doors hushed

open on the 14

th

floor. Without hesitation, Lee bolted out, her stilettos silent on the corridor’s

carpet.

“This way.”

Sky trailed, not paying attention to the smooth painted walls or the colorful artwork.

Classical music seeped out of incognito speakers and floral fragrances scented the hallways.

Too nervous to think about anything but her own jittery feelings, Sky kept her eyes glued to

the back of Lee’s head.

A short distance from the elevators, Lee stopped short at a room. From behind the door,

nothing could be heard. The door resembled all the others. Tan with a sandy gold embossed

number in the center of the frame, about eye level with Lee.

Lee turned around to Sky, grinning with full blown enthusiasm.

“Surprise!” she shouted. “We’re here.”

Sky frowned. “What’s here? What’s going on in there? You didn’t hire a prostitute or

stripper for me. Did you? Because I’m too old for that.”

Lee smiled. “No, but I do want you to know two things before we step through this

door. Two very important things.”

Not a stripper? What can be back there?

“Keep your mind open,” Lee said, holding up a crimson tipped finger. “That’s number

one.”

“I’ll try,” Sky replied, not wanting to commit to something that might haunt or harm

her later. “What’s two?”

“Keep your options, like your mind, open.”

With that, Lee turned to the door and knocked.

In moments, the door cracked to a sliver of dimness and a voice.

“Codeword.”

“Dante’s swing.”

The door opened all the way. A rush of murmurs, low light, and incense swept out to

greet them.

Lee strutted in. Sky followed, not nearly as self assured and eager as her friend.

Code words? Secrecy? What have I stepped into?

Lee stopped at the hotel room’s closet and waved Sky over to her. She whispered into

Sky’s ear.

“This place is for freaks! You are going to love it!”

Sky looked around, peering at people through pockets of cigarette smoke and shady

dim lightening. In the background, playing very softly was one of Barry White’s songs. Sky

couldn’t make out the actual song, but she knew his voice at once. The song was for making

love and very little else. For setting a mood and at the same time announcing that doing the do

was what this party was all about.

Good Lord! Lee’s brought me to an orgy.

Sky forced herself to breathe, and to take big gulps before she hyperventilated into

unconsciousness.

She peered all the way to the room’s far end. A panel of windows took up three-

quarters of the wall, overlooking Harmon and glimpses of the Vegas strip. At the end of the

wall, in a corner, was in a single high back chair. The chair didn’t belong there. Sky could tell

it had been moved to that spot. It faced the room, and seated inside of it was a woman with

her skirt pushed up to her waist. Her head was tossed back and her eyes were shut tight as in

deep thought. Blouse unbuttoned, a scarlet bra flashed between its folds. A large, tawny hand

clutched one of the woman’s breasts as she glided up and down on someone’s lap. All that

could be seen of the woman’s lover were his legs still clothed in trousers and his shoes.

Despite the shadows, Sky could still hear the soft moans and the gentle noises of people doing

the do—and in full view.

“Yeah, you got that right,” Sky said, reeling back a step closer to the entrance.

Orgy. Those people are straight up fucking in the corner. Goodness!

“Oh, come on, chica. It’s life. Can you feel it?” Lee whispered with glee. “That pulse

slipping over your skin is raw human energy. Lighten up and consume large quantities of it.

Have a good time for once in your life. Grab that big O before you’re really too old.”

“You sure you haven’t had a drink already tonight?”

“I’m going to get lucky and you are too!” Lee said.

Her round eyes locked on to Sky’s ignoring the implication she was drunk.

“This is our last night in Vegas. Make it count.”

With those encouraging words, Lee slapped a wrapped condom into Sky’s palm,

squeezed her hand closed around it and stepped away.

You’d think she gave me a damn stick of gum she was so casual about it.

Lee approached another woman who wore a crimson lace teddy, glossy stilettos that

tied up to her knees, and a matching ribbon wrapped around her throat—a late, naughty

Christmas gift. Her stilettos fell quietly on the carpet, and her hair had been curled into loose,

supple waves. The crimson color seemed to add gloss to her toffee skin, and her firm body

only served to fill out the teddy’s more prominent points and highlight the outfits’ lack of

material.

She held a silver serving tray by the handles. The tray contained dozens of multicolored

masks. Some had feathers, others had streamers, but none were the same.

“Evening ladies and welcome to Dante’s Swing. Please, choose one of the masks.

Leave your life behind and emerge as a woman of mystery, of pleasure, and of openness,” she

said, voice a caressing calm against the rush filling the room.

It was an invitation to illusion. That’s the thing with Las Vegas—everything was a

damn illusion. One couldn’t really trust their eyes, ears, or any of their senses. So much could

be faked, bought, and sold in this city. That’s one of the reasons why people came here. It was

a meat market.

Sky swallowed the acid mix of anticipation on her tongue. She stood behind Lee

fighting the urge to bolt out of the room and race down to the lobby, call a cab and call it a

night.

Lee would never forgive her running out on her “present.” Her best friend wouldn’t

lead her into something dangerous. After all, she’d been twice and liked it. How bad could it

be? Really?

She looked over at Lee, who of course, picked a fuchsia spotted, fake fur-trimmed one.

The ivory fur traced the curvy top of the mask like a lazy caterpillar, fluffy and without care.

She wasted no time stretching the elastic and pulling on her mask. She actually shimmed once

she got it on.

This is why she had insisted we wear our hair up tonight. To get the masks on without

messing up our do’s.

“And you ma’am,” the hostess said to Sky, presenting the silver tray toward her and

bowing slightly, giving Sky a shot of her cleavage.

Sky picked an ink-like one with fake pearls lining the top. Satin trim curved along the

base. The mask covered all of Sky’s face except her mouth. It reminded her of the Phantom of

the Opera’s white mask, only darker. Only Lee knew her and with the mask, she could be

anyone.

So could everyone in this room.

Sobering to that realization, Sky followed Lee’s lead, and put on her mask as well,

careful not to break the thin piece keeping it attached to her face. Amazingly, it wasn’t

uncomfortable and she could see through the eyeholes with clarity.

“Your cards,” the scantily clad hostess said having set down the tray, she now held a

bone china plate with a series of cards and miniature pencils scattered over it. “Select one card

and one pencil.”

The cards were no larger than playing cards. Lee took hers, snagged a pencil, and

promptly darted off to the suite’s living area.

Sky took a card and pencil too with her hands trembling. A list of names, if one could

call them that, ran down the left hand side of the card. A box was on the right for each name.

There were no directions.

“Excuse me,” Sky said quietly, trying hard not to stare at the hostess’s large bosom

which threatened to spill from its fragile confinement and out into the soft warm air.

The coffee toned breasts called to Sky’s curiosity. They were so firm and big.

Supported by the sheer strength of underwire, the hostess’ package was on top display, like

mangos at a market. A valley of coffee toned flesh had been pressed into cleavage so stirring,

Sky thought the woman had some surgery to achieve it. Cinnamon dark areoles pressed

against the thin lace, the nipples tiny stones fighting to be freed from their confinement.

I shouldn’t be staring at this woman’s chest like that. God!

Coughing out her awkwardness, Sky asked, “What is this for?”

The hostess smiled—a kind, but kinky smile. One that said she’d suck and lick

anything Sky asked her to, or anyone in the room for that matter.

It made Sky’s heart thunder and to her horror, her panties damp.

A faucet turned on—rusty as it was.

“You new?”

“Y—y—yes,” Sky managed around her rapidly closing throat.

“Good,” the hostess purred, raking her nails across her cleavage. “It’s always good to

have someone new to try.”

She smiled again—a hungry one. Her eyes drifted over Sky’s satin dress, down her

legs, across her toes and back up to her face.

“Well, for one thing, suga, you’re way overdressed. For another, there are plenty of

men here who like a woman with a little umph and age.”

“Excuse me?” Sky balked, hands on her hips, rearing back in insult.

“You know, your umph in those hips and thighs, and right around your waist. Men here

like that too. All kinds of flavors and sizes are welcomed at the swing. You get me?”

Sky blushed. Yeah, she got it.

No woman had ever looked at her with such raw lust. If it had been a man, well, Sky

would’ve blushed too, but having a woman do it, turned something on inside her. Not quite

sure how she felt, Sky gave the hostess a nervous smile.

Referencing Sky’s body as one with umph made her feel appreciated. Wow. At least

she didn’t have to deal with that expectation tonight. Ted, her ex-husband, used to call her a

fat, pudgy, porky the last fifteen years of their marriage, which was why he was an “ex”.

No, you aren’t going to spoil this Ted. Get out of my head!

“The card?” Sky asked, trying to get herself together, and leave the strange feelings and

Ted’s attitude out of her system. “What’s it for?”

“Oh, yeah, that. It’s a checklist. This is a freak mixer. Once you meet the man on the

list, you mark on your card if you’re interested in, uh, learning more. Simple as that.”

“And if I am?”

Though the thought terrified her a bit, she had to ask. A freak mixer? Holy Christmas!

She wasn’t a freak and well, what if all the men here expected her to be?

The hostess smirked at her.

“Honey, if you interested and he interested, then go get your freak on.”

Feeling the plastic edges of the condom wrapper press against her palm, Sky drifted off

to the living section. She glanced back and caught the hostess’ eyes on her ass. Now she really

felt more vulnerable and on display. She didn’t think she should like a woman checking her

out, but maybe she was secretly thrilled someone was. At 39 it didn’t happen often anymore.

The hostess’ lustful looks turned on Sky’s yearning and her clitoris beat against her panties,

panties that shouldn’t even be close to being as damp as they were right then.

She blew out a stream of air. If she was already horny, what would these men think?

They’d be circling her faster than sharks with blood in the water.

I’ve got to settle down and not jump at the first man who shows an interest. Yes, it’s

been awhile, but I can do this. Yes, I can.

Releasing a deep breath and shooting the hostess a tight smile, Sky started toward the

larger section of the suite.

Here we go.

The living area was intimate with warm red and earthy tones splashed about in

contemporary décor. A low ceiling and even lower lighting made it all feel seductive and

sexual, intimate and interesting, all at the same time. Two loveseats, both tan, a round bistro-

style table with two chairs, a queen size bed, and a bathroom rounded out the suite. All around

people were in pockets and moving between those pockets in hushed tones and quiet

conversations. Not that she could make out much. The room felt private because the

organizers had made it a point to create chasms of privacy.

It looks more like a brothel or harem would in some exotic movie.

It all felt much too public to be so private.

So, she let out a brave sigh and searched around the densely peopled room for a

possible candidate or better yet, Lee. The guy couldn’t be within any range of her students.

Just because there wasn’t supposed to be anyone here under 18, didn’t mean there weren’t

some young-thangs lurking about.

She scanned the list and groaned at the names. Mandingo. Mack Daddy Jones. Prince

of Players. Great Dane. Cashmere.

And this is what I have to work with?

Sighing, she had to admit to herself that finding a partner for the night wouldn’t be too

terrible. Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?

Why am I here? I should be back at my hotel, packing.

Sky realized that her skin was tingling. Feeling someone’s eyes on her, she looked over

to the queen bed, which was closer to her and at the edge of the suite, like a gateway before

descending to the living area of loveseats and chairs. Dressed casually in a shirt of some color

and dark slacks, the gentleman was hidden in the gloom cast by a neighboring candle. Unable

to make out anything more from this distance, Sky knew one thing for certain. He was not just

glancing around.

Nope, he meant to look at her.

He moved then, scooting closer to the candle’s illuminating arc and his face fell into

view.

As their eyes timidly met, her pulse zipped as if she’d stuck her finger in a light socket.

Without waiting, Sky glanced away, cheeks warm from being so bold as to stare at a man—a

stranger. Women her age didn’t gawk with their mouths gaping like a fish.

Vegas. She reminded herself. This is Vegas. Live!

Somehow the voice in her head sounded a lot like Lee, but Sky shook it off. The truth

couldn’t hold her back, nor could it set her free. And the sad truth was she was afraid. Fear

had frozen her to the spot. She didn’t want to be hurt anymore. Taking chances were for the

brave, the bold, and the young, not for emotionally scarred school teachers.

When she had convinced herself to try, she looked again. The gentleman patted the spot

on the bed beside him where he sat Indian fashion, encouraging her to come over.

Live!

Okay, here goes nothing.

Starting for the bed, Sky tried to slow down her thundering heartbeat. It seemed as if

she’d been injected with pure adrenaline, just from one single eye contact. All over, she

shuddered. This was so new and strange and awkward.

Don’t be an idiot, Sky. It’s only a look. A single, solitary glance.

Her body didn’t take it as a simple anything. Beyond the hammering of her heart, her

skin felt aflame, and she’d broken out in a sweat. The dampness between her legs only served

to increase her elevated hormonal state. Without even thinking about it, she squeezed her

thighs together, relishing the shuddering sensation as it flowed over her. Sky drew her lower

lip between her teeth and did it again. The sheer lace of her bra rubbed against her now stony

nipples, making them harder. She sighed in spite of herself. Physically shaking, she planted

both hands firmly on her waist to steady herself as she walked.

What’s wrong with me? It was only a look!

What had she been thinking? Vegas. Yeah. This was Vegas. The V-bug had bitten her.

The thought had become a litany in her head. And here she thought it was going to be a

stripper! Nothing could have prepared her for this surprise.

She reached the bed and sat gingerly down beside the mysterious man. Up closer, she

could make out that his hair was a little too straight to be fully African American. A light

chestnut, his hair was long, and straight as an arrow. Tousled a bit, it fell to his shoulders.

Outside of that, she couldn’t make out much. He too wore a mask, and like hers, it was

black. Unlike hers, tiny feathers lined the left side of the mask running down to the edge of

his jaw line. The other half of the mask was shorter, ending at the end of his nose, revealing a

lighter complexion than hers along his cheeks and thin lips. Coupled with the shadows, and

his hair, Sky couldn’t make out the rest.

About the only thing she knew for sure was that he was younger—way younger. Mid-

twenties at the most.

“You must be new,” he said, his voice like silk brushing across her body. “I haven’t

seen you before. A virgin.”

“What? I beg your pardon,” Sky asked, sitting up straight, her teacher voice set to on.

I’m probably old enough to be your mother! Watch your tongue!

She didn’t say this last out loud, but it tittered dangerously close to escaping her lips.

He laughed, a soft musical sound. “No, no, I meant virgin as this being your first time

to a freak party.”

“Oh, oh, sure. My first time.”

“On your list, my name’s Cashmere,” he said, so calmly, but with a hint of naked

sexuality.

It was so concentrated that Sky’s nipples contracted—harder. His voice alone had made

every button on her body start to pulse. She shivered slightly and sighed before she could

catch herself.

“Oh, do you have a list too?” she asked, checking to see if he had any paper in his hand

or beside him on the bed.

“No, it’s ladies night,” he said, grinning. “The men are on the menu.”

And what type of meat are you packing, Cashmere? Thick cut beef, perfect pork, or

heavy sausage?

Blushing at her thoughts, Sky looked at him. Once she met his intense eyes, the

electricity contained within them made her jump. Green eyes. The color of baby leaves met

her maple ones with a sharp pow. Automatically, she squeezed her thighs and was rewarded

with a small quiver that made her discomfort grow. If she could just touch her rapidly beating

clit, to ease its impatience, to soothe its heat, she would die a little death.

Or better yet, you can lick the fire, soothe my ache, can’t you, Cashmere?

God, he’s a child! Barely out of high school. In his twenties.

“So, are you from Las Vegas?” Cashmere asked, peering at her intently.

“N—n—no,” she answered, suddenly self conscious. Could he make out her pointed

nipples through her dress? Did he smell the lust seeping from the triangle between her thighs?

“Here on business?”

“Yes.”

He laughed. “If you keep this up, I won’t get a chance to get to know you at all. Give

me more, please. Something about you is so, so… stimulating.”

Give you more? Was that a pick-up line? Stimulating?

Me? The English teacher? Really? God, that was pick-up line for sure.

“Sorry, I—I’m new at this,” Sky said and adjusted her dress, pulling its hem down to

her knees. She rested her hands in her laps after placing the pencil and paper down.

“What’s your name?” Cashmere asked, fingering one of the buttons on his olive shirt,

never breaking his stare at her.

Yep. The color was definitely olive. She was staring at it way too hard to not be able to

tell.

The top two buttons were already undone and they revealed brunette hairs ready for

Sky to lick. They were darker than the hairs on his head, which only made Sky wonder what

the little garden around his cock would be.

“I mean, the one you’re using tonight. I’d like to undress, ah, address, you with

something other than you.”

Sky hadn’t missed his slip up.

“You can call me, uh, Caramel.”

Stupid name, but she didn’t know what else to call herself that didn’t sound like a porn

star or worse, a prostitute. Though Caramel came dangerously close to each of those.

“Nice to meet you, Caramel,” he said, smiling. “You seem like a real nice woman.”

“Thank you,” was all she could manage around the lump in the throat.

“Pleasure will be all mine,” he said, grinning to reveal white, even teeth behind thin

lips.

Did he say the pleasure will be all his?

“Excuse me?” she asked, frowning at him, and trying to puzzle him out.

“Nothing,” he said, folding his hands in a tent in front of him. “I’m here on business.

You said you were too. What kind?”

“Conference,” Sky said, wiggling a bit to alleviate her hard throbbing clit. If she moved

forward, her panties would press her clit, sending shivers of sexual longing across her body.

“Lots of those here,” he said, his eyes on her, his mouth set in a closed-lip smile. “Only

last month I was here for a conference. Now, I’m back again.”

“You come here often then? To these types of freak parties?” she stammered willing

herself to meet his gaze.

He nodded, but with his whole torso.

“Live close to Vegas?” she asked, talking more to calm her whirling anxiousness and

not think about her body, than for information. His aftershave floated from him as if burned

off from his sizzling sexuality.

Damn, you’re a long slice of masculinity, despite your age.

Sky blew out an unsteady breath. “I’m from New Mexico.”

Why doesn’t he turn those eyes on to something else?

“California.”

“What field are you in?” Sky asked because the layers of uncomfortable silence

between them kept attempting to crop up, building like unchecked weeds. Her mind filled

those bouts of silence with images of lust—heated pictures of her mouth on his cock, his

mouth on her clit, licking her tiny knob with sucks and nips.

He’d asked her to the bed to talk? Was that what they did first at these freak parties?

How the hell did it go from chit chat to fucking in the corner?

He waved his hand back and forth.

“A little of this. A little of that.”

He brushed his hair back behind his ear, and Sky noticed that his mask lacked elastic,

but rather hooked over his ears. Perhaps he was a regular.

“At these parties, the people come to see who is compatible, sexually, Caramel. So, let

me ask you, if I told you I was going to my hotel room next door and I winked at you before

getting up, what would you do?”

Sky’s mouth opened in disbelief before snapping it close. This was a party about

getting into someone’s pants, why should she be surprised he’d get to that point so swiftly?

God, I’m going to kill Lee!

“It’s hypothetical,” Cashmere said with a slight hint of amusement.

“I, I—uh, I...”

“Okay, close your eyes and tell me what you’re imagining, right now.”

She nodded and licked her lips. Maybe if she didn’t have to see his sultry gaze on her,

she could do it.

Sure.

He was nearly twenty years younger than she was. She could be his mother. Ugh, that

about killed any sexual images in her mind.

“If you said you were going to your hotel room and winked at me, I would give you

two minutes and then follow you over.”

She opened her eyes and smiled at Cashmere. And swat you for trying to seduce an old

bag like me!

Even with the mask, she could see that her answer wasn’t what he had expected. Didn’t

she say what he wanted her to say? It was the right answer, but Cashmere was shaking his

head.

“And?”

“And, we would both be in your hotel room. Talking about how you’re a boy toy and

trying to seduce a woman much older than you.”

He sighed and leaned in closer to her, his hands flat on the bed in front her, close

enough to touch her thigh, since she sat properly on the bed with her legs over the edge.

Cashmere sat Indian style, his feet folded underneath him, his shoes in a neat pair on the floor.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are. So, let me tell you what I would do if you followed

me to my room,” he said, staring at her, his eyes at half mast, his voice a caressing whisper,

moist and minty, against her face.

“I would first lock the door once you’ve entered. Then I would take you into my arms

and kiss your beautiful, full lips, allowing my tongue to roam all through your mouth,

exploring and tasting you, Caramel.”

Sky’s body tensed. God, he can’t be serious?

He’s like what? 20? I’ve got to get a grip.

But Cashmere was very serious.

He continued, unmoving, his eyes on her, watching her reaction to each word spoken.

“While my tongue is buried in your sensual mouth, I would put both my hands on your

gorgeous ass and palm those globes, massaging them and thinking about making them mine.

I’d think about how they would eventually feel pressed against me, gliding over me, and

slapping against my thighs. Once I unzip your dress and drop it to the floor, my hands move

up your back and around to your rather magnificent breasts…”

“Oh, okay, that’s enough. Thanks,” Sky said, her voice trembling. “I—I think I should

move on to, to another candidate.”

Though outwardly, she got up with ease, inside her panties were drenched and her body

vibrating with carnal cravings so fierce she shook. Her desires reawakened, Sky swallowed

and tried to rid herself of the temptation by blowing out her frustration.

He was a boy. A horny child.

I’ve got to move.

But she couldn’t.

This close to her, she could make out something she hadn’t expected when she sat

down beside him. Truly shaken, she scooted toward the edge to put her feet on the floor.

“None of them are like me,” he said, sitting back, his hands folded in his lap. “Look

around.”

Sky snorted, but stopped herself. Following his advice, she searched the room and this

time made herself pay attention. Many males engaged females in conversations, some deeper

than others. Some had succumbed to their lusts and were busy kissing each other, their

respective masks still on. Sky spotted Lee in the corner by the window with a large man, who

looked like he played professional sports for a living. Already Lee was cradled in his lap and

was tracing his jaw with her index finger.

Though she saw all of this, Sky knew that Cashmere was right.

He wasn’t like all the rest.

He was the only white guy in the room.

What the hell was this? Did he come just to get his freak on, to feed his black chick

fetish?

“You got some black girl fetish, boy?” Sky asked him. Her words sounded angry and

annoyed, which she was all at once. “Want to see if we’re as wild as the media reports us to

be?”

Cashmere didn’t smile. He didn’t say anything at all, but he watched her from behind

his mask, his eyes burning in the low light.

“I guess that answer speaks for itself,” Sky snapped, drawing herself up to her full

height and finding her balance on her high heels.

“You’re angry,” he said at last.

“No, no, I’m not angry,” she replied though she knew she was pissed. “I’m moving

on.”

She stalked away from him and over to one of three men who weren’t with a woman.

Dressed in sable, the gentleman with a scarlet mask, sat down next to Sky on the sofa, beside

another couple who were getting ready to leave.

“I’m Caramel,” she said, feeling bolder, but still upset.

She liked anger better than fear and right now, certainly better than the unrelenting

longing to pin Cashmere between her thighs. Anger erased all traces of lust he raised in her,

and it helped her focus on disarming the next bastard who tried to deceive her.

Chapter 2

Cashmere watched with confusion as Caramel went over to a guy calling himself

Mandingo. A regular at these things, Cashmere had been going to these freak mixers for

months, and although he seduced a few women, most of them had the “white boy fetish.” So,

he didn’t quite understand why Caramel thought he was only here to fulfill a fantasy. And if

he was, why would that be so bad?

She was outright furious with him.

Did that mean she liked him? Or she cared a teeny tiny bit?

“Oh, Cashmere, lost another one,” said Dante, the hostess. “There are plenty here, so

don’t worry. You’ll take home your piece of chocolate cake yet.”

“Seems like,” he said, trying to put the incident aside and find a partner for tonight. Not

that he thought of the women as pieces of food. Those were Dante’s words. Partners implied

an equality that Dante probably didn’t subscribe to. He wanted a partner, an equal player in

the game.

“You look ravishing in red, Dante,” he said, his balls aching from being near Caramel

and imagining how soft her skin would feel under his hands and against his cock, gliding

against the head of his phallus, forcing him to groan. He grunted as he adjusted his position.

Already a thin sheen of sweat covered his face despite the room’s full throttle air

conditioning.

It didn’t help. What he wanted to alleviate his swollen cock was seated across the room

from him. Caramel.

Dante laughed, arching her back, thrusting out her full rack. She stood on the opposite

side of the queen bed.

“I was playing the whole Dante Inferno thing. ‘Cause you know, I’m smoking.”

“You sure are,” he whispered to her. “Sizzling, in fact.”

He stood on his knees, the bed giving as Dante climbed on, crawling over to him. He

knew she’d been watching him all night. She smelled earthy and sexually aroused, like a

woman in the throes of heat.

“You feeling my heat?” she asked, her voice laced with thick lust. “Yeah?”

“Uh, yeah.”

And he was sort of. It wasn’t Dante, but Caramel’s heat he was truly seeking. It was her

warmth he wanted to plunge his cock into again and again until she shouted his name and

raked her nails across his back pulling blood.

He looked at Dante and he shuddered. She knew things no twenty-four-year-old should.

They were the same age, he and Dante, but she scared him a little. He wondered how she’d

come into such skillful sexual knowledge. On-the-job training as a call girl? Promiscuous? He

didn’t want that long term. But tonight. Yeah. He had a pocket filled with condoms. She’d do

for tonight.

He watched her take in the bulge in his pants. He smiled as her eyebrows arched. Of all

the people in the room, Dante was the only one who didn’t wear a mask, which laid her

emotions bare. Something she enjoyed.

She slinked across the bed to him, the teddy’s thong slicing her tight ass cheeks into

two glowing spheres of toffee perfection. As she reached him, she sat back on her heels and

allowed the teddy’s straps to slip down her shoulders. With one smooth movement, she

reached inside the cups and lifted her breasts out of their thin lace.

His eyes drank in her long legs. The red teddy’s lace bit into her curvy hips in a way

that suggested she had plenty to hang on to during sex. But if Dante had a real treat, it was her

full breasts, the tasty treat of taut nipples and cinnamon shaded areoles. She cupped them, the

orbs jiggling as she kneaded them. With her eyes pinned to him, she pinched her nipples,

sucking in a breath as she did so.

“Oh, mmmmm. Stick around a while and you can have these all to yourself—all night.”

As he was about to answer, a giggle shot through the hushed room, and he turned to see

Caramel giggling with Mandingo. She looked up as if feeling his eyes on her and met his stare

in earnest. Still angry, those eyes flicked down and then back up. They drifted over to Dante

and then back to him. Sobered, Caramel then returned to her conversation, making sure to put

her back to him.

And Dante.

“Oh, Cashmere, she’s a tight, stuck up woman,” Dante was saying, her arms slipped

around his waist. She turned his face back to her with strong fingers on his face. Her breasts

pressed against his chest, the stony nipples teasing him. “And way too old. Besides, I got dibs

on you. Don’t waste your time.”

But Cashmere wanted to dip his aching cock into Caramel. As Dante rubbed his back,

racking her nails gently across his shoulder blades, his phallus continued to harden. His eyes

however were on the soft spoken woman sitting with her back to him.

Oh, man, she is so incredible. Real, fleshy with all the right curves and softness that I

can indulge in. Caramel is a woman, something Dante wouldn’t understand. Moreover,

Caramel doesn’t even know how her maturity made her stand out. Mature, and terribly real,

unlike Dante’s fake breasts, and the other stick figures in the room, Caramel is filled out,

perfect for cuddling and even more for holding onto as I’m riding her…

“Damn, Cashmere, you are packing some serious equipment,” Dante whispered, her

hands between his legs, rubbing up and down the outside of his trousers, feeling his swollen

piece.

He watched Caramel laugh, smile, and giggle and his heart grew tense with jealousy.

Why hadn’t she stayed with him? Because he wasn’t black? Or because she didn’t trust his

motives? Because he was younger than her?

He had the same motives as everyone else in the world, regardless of race. And as for

age, he could do what guys her age could do and more without threat of a heart attack.

Dante’s hand rubbed against his swollen shaft so hard, he winced, and he turned his

attention to her. She leaned over and breathed onto his cock through his pants, and her warm

breath sent shivers through him like invisible satin strips wrapping around his phallus, tugging

and relenting in timed teasing. Unable to stop himself, he moaned. If Dante kept this up, he

was going to take her right here on the bed.

He doubted Dante would mind.

“Oooo, you like a little heat,” Dante said, grinning up at him as she cupped his balls

through his pants and massaged. “I want these in my mouth. Now.”

“Now?” he glanced over his shoulder at Caramel.

She sees me creeping out of here with Dante and she’ll believe I’m a boy toy for real.

Dante nodded. “I can’t wait, Cashmere. I’m soaking wet.”

With one final look back at Caramel, who seemed to be having a great time, he

abandoned the hope he had of being with her, and got up. He slipped his feet into his loafers

and followed Dante out of the room. Her room was only two doors down from the Freak Party

suite which belonged to Dante’s sister.

Dante didn’t even bother to put on a robe or cover her breasts. She stalked down the

brightly lit hallway and over to her room. Knocking, for she didn’t have her room key (where

would she have put it?), she waited until it opened from the inside. Snatching a fistful of his

shirt, she dragged him in.

The room wasn’t unoccupied. On the bed was a couple he saw earlier at the party, both

in stages of undress, their masks locked on tight. Sitting on the sofa were two others from the

party, they were in the throes of lovemaking, their rhythm hypnotic, their bodies glistening

from the sweat, their guttural sounds and the suction of wet parts working together dominated

the room.

“Orgy,” Dante said with some disdain. “Some people need an audience.”

“And you?”

“Depends on the night, but right now, I only need you,” she said and opened the

bathroom door.

“Anybody in there?” Dante asked the person who opened the door, a black male whose

name tag read, King Kong.

“Nope,” he said, removing what was left of his trousers and heading over to the couple

on the bed. “What’s up, Cash?”

“The usual,” Cashmere said, smirking at his friend, Marcus, as he disappeared into the

room’s gloominess.

Cashmere didn’t want to know what the threesome was going to do, but it was a freak

party. It was bound to draw some freaks. Marcus included.

Dante led Cashmere into the diminutive square room, a typical ordinary place. It came

with the usual equipment, sink, toilet, towels, and a shower.

Pushing him back against the sink, Dante locked the door. When she turned back to

him, her eyes were aflame, wicked with purpose, her smile etched into her face, and he knew

then—she meant to consume him.

Despite the turn-on of being wanted, all he could think about was Caramel next door.

He tried to focus on Dante’s delicious attributes, but her face faded from him and in its place

was Caramel’s. He closed his eyes and the picture only intensified, making him moan, as

Dante got to her knees, rubbing his cock until it swelled like a monsoon rain, fast and full.

He opened his eyes to see where the little mink had gone.

Dante was kneeling before him, staring up at his face.

Her dark skin contrasted greatly with the harsh ivory porcelain tub, sink, and cream-

colored tile floor. Yet, he knew the true joy would come from watching his purpling cock

disappear into her hot, greedy mouth.

Smirking, she bit by bit unzipped his slacks. Reaching into the gaping opening, she

slipped her fingers into his boxers. With soft hands, she wrapped them around his hard length,

and guided it to the light.

“Oh, yeah,” he groaned, waiting for her mouth, feeling the anticipation pile into his

lower abdomen, making it hurt with agony. “Ah, lick it again. Oh, oh.”

With skill and speed, she removed her hands from his phallus and pushed his trousers

and his boxers down to his ankles, careful to pull them over his cock. Once out of the way,

Dante rubbed his ass and raked her nails across his pale globes. Palming him as he was

nothing more than the sum of his parts, her wet finger glided along the path between his balls

and his anus, making his body tense.

Quivering, he gritted his teeth. If she did that again, they were going to be done really

soon.

“You like that, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cashmere whispered, but his eyes were tightly shut.

With his fantasy full blown, Dante had left the room and Caramel had taken up

residence in her spot. As she placed soft kisses onto his hardened thighs, she managed to coax

more moans from him. She scratched them lightly.

“Gorgeous buttocks, tight, perfect, and pale. Ah, soooo fine,” Dante crooned, rubbing

her face against his thighs. Sneaking in kisses and tiny nips when it suited her, making him

grow longer and more rigid with every lick.

Moving to his spread legs, Dante buried her face beneath his balls. Licking and kissing

all over him, Cashmere’s hips moved up and down against her tongue and mouth. His rigid

cock’s silken head glided up and down her face, adorned and licked like a long, thick lollipop.

He squirmed and moaned, losing himself in those sensations and in the thundering in

his belly. His balls had tightened and soon he was going to lose more of himself. Deliciously

more, but he wanted to be sticky from Caramel.

“Hmmm, oh, that’s nice! Ah, do it, ah, take me in, baby, do it.”

Dante’s mouth, tongue, and hands became Caramel’s and for Cashmere that made all

the difference. For it was what he longed for, the wonderful warm woman that even now sat

in a neighboring room being courted by someone else.

At this thought, Cashmere’s eyes popped open and he inhaled.

What’s wrong with me? This super sexy woman wants me, and I’m thinking about the

one who didn’t?

“Come on, baby,” Dante said, sucking one of his balls into her mouth.

Drawing in a short breath, Cashmere closed his eyes and once again tried to focus on

Dante and the incredible feelings she was giving him. Peering down at her cleavage, pressed

up to his balls, her smooth skin brushing his cock, using her breasts to fuck him, slipping him

in between their satin folds, her face meld into Caramel’s and his chest tightened.

Oh, man, oh, man, ah Caramel.

The valley between her golden globes massaged his cock as he slid it between her

generous breasts.

“Ah, yeah!”

Dante let go of her breasts and used her mouth on him, sending his frenzy to new

levels.

As she worked her way up to his balls, she buried her face in them, licking the path

from his anus to his sack and back. Massaging the sensitive streak with her tongue before

taking each round lustful treat into her mouth.

Oh, goodness, she’s so good. Come on, Caramel, give me all of it.

No, not Caramel. Dante. Right, Dante.

But even as the rebuke echoed in his mind, he’d forgotten it and again it was Caramel’s

ebony skin, oval face and full mouth that teased him, that took his rigid rod in scorching

splashes of incredible heat.

Cashmere groaned deep in his throat. He shoved his hands into Dante’s hair, and

guided her to his rhythm of circular licking his heavy, aching balls. In moments, she wrapped

her hand around his cock.

“Oh, please, put your mouth on me! Take me in and draw me out!”

His hips moved restlessly under her stroking hand. Her mouth becoming something

fantastic, a space to be enjoyed. Swelling like a coming storm, he didn’t dare look down at the

woman at his feet. In his mind, Caramel’s intense chocolate eyes burned with smoldering

heat.

Licking the rim wickedly, she nibbled a bit, forcing Cashmere to surge up to his toes.

“You naughty girl…”

She took him in her mouth again. The guttural groans and sucking sounds echoed

through the small space.

His body jerked and his hands slipped down from her hair before gripping the sink

instead. His breathing changed, and she kept her touches feather light and brief. With her

mouth covering his stone stick in timed movements of up and down, Cashmere couldn’t

contain the noises, moans, and grunts escaping from his mouth. She sucked as if she meant to

feed on the newfound beast in her grasp.

In no time Dante found her rhythm and all sense of teasing him faded. Her sole goal

appeared to be making him dissolve into warm, milky liquid in her hands. Pumping with ever

increasing speed, she didn’t seem to suck so much as inhale him into her mouth. The gurgling

noises, coupled with her moans of pleasure, were too much for him—for Cashmere heard

only Caramel’s voice in his ears.

And she was straight up begging for him to give her more.

So he did. Holding Dante’s head gently, he met her mouth with thrusts and she

accommodated him.

Faster and faster they hurled toward the finish line, but only one of them was going to

win. Words fell from his mouth, but he had no idea what they were anymore.

“Mmmm, yeah, yeah, baby, yeah…” he heard himself saying without even realizing he

was speaking at all.

Moments flickered past and all Cashmere could see was stars and Caramel’s smiling

face. Good boy, she said with a wink.

The wave crashed over him, sending him into tiny spasms, jerking and releasing at the

same time. He slumped against the sink as Dante got to her feet.

“God, that was fantastic,” he said, opening his eyes at last and finding Dante’s furious

eyes staring back at him.

“You bastard!” she said, hands tight fists, face burning with anger. “You couldn’t even

call me by the right damn name. You fuck!”

“Wait, what did I say?”

She scoffed. “Oh, you don’t know you called me that bitch Caramel’s name? She

leaves you high and horny and you can’t even do me the courtesy of being polite and

remembering my name. As I was doing you a favor!”

“I—I called you, Caramel?” Cashmere whispered, pulling his boxes up. Shame burned

his cheeks red. “I—I’m sorry, Dante. I didn’t mean to do that. It was a mistake.”

“You damn right it was.”

Her face was full of hurt and she carefully tucked her breasts beneath the teddy’s lace

cups. She tossed crumpled toilet paper filled with his essence into the garbage. As she turned

on the faucet, she didn’t look at him while she washed her face and dried it on the hand towel.

Tension sat on them and Cashmere wondered how he could make it up to her. What

could he say? Calling another person’s name during any kind of sex was a universal no-no.

“I feel horrible, Dante,” he said, reaching out for her. “A slip of the tongue.”

“Don’t matter now, does it? Damage already done.”

She unlocked the door and left.

Shaking his head, Cashmere yanked on his pants.

Two times tonight I’d disappointed someone. I must be losing my touch.

He liked Dante, and this wasn’t their first go around in the bathroom or the bedroom.

Feeling like a heel, Cashmere stepped into the room, where the moans, slaps, and groans of

sex were being played out. Quietly he slipped out of the room and into the hallway where he

saw the door to the freak party opening.

He hurried to the door. He’d take her to dinner. Make it up to her. Perhaps a show over

at the MGM Grand.

“Dante…”he started, but the person who emerged fully into the corridor wasn’t dressed

in a red lace teddy. “Oh, it’s you.”

Caramel had her purse firmly secured beneath her arm and her mask still enact. Her

eyes grew wide when she saw him.

Startled she stopped.

And she was alone. Was that good news for him? She hadn’t found Mandingo or any of

the others worthy either.

“Sorry to disappoint,” she snipped, her mouth drawn into a tight line. “Your crimson

pussy is inside.”

She started down the hall toward the elevators. He could almost see the smoke trailing

her, because she was fuming!

“Wait!” he said before he could stop himself. “Caramel!”

She hesitated but stopped again. The corner of her lip twitched as if she was ready to

spew a stream of anger at him.

“What do you want?” she let out a deep sigh. “I haven’t all night.”

I want you. Will you let me have you?

“May I walk you to the elevator?” he asked instead, trying to keep his hormones in

check, wincing at the pinch of his growing cock in his boxers. “I’m leaving too.”

Silence.

Ah, she’s going to blow me off.

But then she relented.

“Sure.”

He grinned, but she didn’t. What was so wrong with him that she was angry with

herself for allowing him a simple action like walking? She didn’t trust him, but then he was a

stranger. One whose face she hadn’t even seen.

Yet the same was true for him. She too wore a mask and he couldn’t see her face either.

Autonomy was supposed to encourage the freak party. People could let themselves go and

enjoy their lust and pleasure acts.

It seemed to have the opposite effect on Caramel.

“If I offended you earlier, I apologize,” he said, because he meant it. He was sorry that

he had offended her, even though he did so without realizing he had wounded her. “I’m not

here to indulge a fetish, but to meet someone special.”

“Special? Right,” Caramel said with heavy sarcasm before stopping herself. “A freak

party. Please. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

“I’m being honest.”

“As honest as anyone can be behind a mask and a fake name like Cashmere,” she

retorted and pressed the down button to call the elevator.

“For your information, my real name is Cashmere,” he said, feeling a bit offended

himself. Judging him already and she didn’t even know him.

“Is it?” she asked, surprised into a smile. “Wow. Creative parents?”

“Liberal parents,” he replied. “And I meant it. It’s hard to find stimulating people,

Caramel.”

She nodded in agreement. Her smart and alert maple eyes relaxed as did the rest of her.

She believed him. It was a start.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open to an empty car. They walked inside and he

pressed the nine button. She pressed the L for lobby.

“You’re staying here?” she asked, but then shut her mouth.

He could see her struggling and he would bet money that beneath her ebony skin was a

scarlet blush.

“Yes, I am,” he said, letting the question hang out there.

Come with me. Visit my suite and I promise to be gentle. You’re fragile aren’t you,

Caramel? And I bet a bit clingy too.

At that moment, as she turned to ask him a question, the door dinged at the ninth floor.

He waited, hesitating before stepping out of the car.

“It was nice to meet you, Caramel.”

She grinned at him and said, “Sorry about our disagreement earlier. I overreacted. It’s

nice to meet you too.”

He couldn’t move. It was almost as if he hovered on the spot.

“So, uh, have a good night then.”

She fidgeted and took a step toward him.

Then the doors began to close and he sighed.

She isn’t going to come. Ah, I should’ve asked her outright.

But he knew that being direct with her like he had at the party hadn’t worked well

either. The doors closed, slicing off his chance to touch her.

Let it go old boy. There are many other fish in the sea.

None like her, I’ve been fishing a long time. Staring into the glistening abyss and

begging the gods to have something full and beautiful to take my bait.

As he turned the corner from the small elevator lobby to the hotel hallway, the

elevator’s ding echoed making him smile. He thought about some drunken couple staggering

home from a torrid night on the Strip.

His room wasn’t far from the elevators. Disheartened, he unlocked it and within

seconds he was inside the stylishly sleek suite. Removing his shirt, his mask and his shoes, he

tried to put Caramel out of his mind, and moreover, out of his libido.

Somehow he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

Chapter 3

Sky, aka Caramel, watched the metallic elevator doors open and close with her heart

hammering inside her chest. They shut on her opportunity, slamming closed with a quiet kiss.

Her mind whizzed about the decision she wanted to make and the one she made. Shoving the

mask into her hair, she rubbed her eyes.

Oh goodness. Why can’t I go with the flow? I made a complete ass of myself, acting all

proud. And still he wanted me to come to his room. The look he gave me, his eyes, smoldering

like emeralds in a fire, shone through the holes in his mask, but their message was received.

He wanted me in his bed—or elevator or wherever.

Nut, he’s a boy toy. A freak party prize gift. A white stallion being passed around and

ridden with abandon. He already rolled that hostess, so why did he want me? The moment I

turned him down he’s off with someone else.

He was a youngster, impatient and restless.

But his gaze made her feel as if he was watching her without her clothes. The dampness

between her legs annoyed more by the buttons he effortlessly pressed on her person. What

exactly was he seeing in her that she didn’t? The dress wasn’t low cut, and its hem fell to her

knees so she wasn’t flashing any thigh. In fact, she was downright conservative. Lee had said

so herself.

“He’s a baby,” she said to the elevator. “Who cares?”

You do, a voice whispered from deep inside the well of swirling desire.

The doors opened again and an elderly man with a too young woman came in. Bolting

out, Sky found herself alone in the lobby. Lee remained at the party, and she didn’t look as if

she was leaving anytime soon. So, Sky had decided to leave when Mandingo started

discussing “tossing salads.” She didn’t find him at all interesting, but had gone through the

motions, missing Cashmere’s smoothness and wanting it back with each clumsy word that fell

from Mandingo’s mouth.

A bar rested just off of the lobby, and Sky headed in that direction. At least she could

watch television while Lee did the horizontal hello with a linebacker. As Sky crawled into a

vacant booth, she waited for the waitress to come over and take her order.

Food was a long way from her mind. Though she was starving, it wasn’t for anything

edible. Her dormant battery had been jolted with a jump from Cashmere. His words kept

echoing in her mind, and she wondered if he would’ve done all those things he said and more.

She suspected he would, but why? She was more than 19 years his senior.

“Ah, there you are!” came a shout as Lee appeared in the bar’s entranceway.

Excellent, now they could go.

But Lee wasn’t alone. The shadow the size of a small boulder was a breath behind her,

but stopped abruptly at the bar’s entranceway.

Breathing heavily, she lifted her mask and wiped her face as she got to Sky’s booth.

“Whew! What a kick ass party!”

“Doesn’t seem like you’re done,” Sky said dryly.

Lee shrugged, giving Sky a small smile. “Do you mind? I mean, taking a cab back to

the hotel? I’m going to go with him over to New York, New York. His room. I don’t want to

be without a car in case he gets all strange. You understand?”

“Sure,” Sky said, and she did understand. Her friend had scored and she hadn’t. That

was always the case between them. Though linebackers weren’t her type anyway.

“Here’s a twenty to get you back.”

“Okay.”

“You aren’t mad, are you?” Lee asked, and the nervousness was clear. “I—I mean, I

thought you would hook up with someone, you know?”

Sky smiled at her friend. I’m so glad it wasn’t a stripper…

“I did meet someone,” Sky said, patting Lee’s arm to cheer her up. “So, no problem.”

“Really? How come you ain’t with him now?” Lee asked, suspiciously. “You didn’t

like him?”

That was the real question, now wasn’t it?

“I, I--oh, God, Lee, he’s in his twenties. A baby.”

Lee laughed. “And?”

“I’m nearly forty,” Sky said indignantly. “As are you.”

“So what? Everybody’s falling in love or lust with whomever they want, Sky. Hell, if

he was into you, you could bank on a night of zesty love. No drug could make up for a young

stud, girl. He probably doesn’t care about you making more money than him or having a

better car, or anything stupid.”

“You’re kidding.”

Lee shook her head. “See the big one over there. He’s 28 and plays football for an

arena football team out of Memphis,” Lee confided. “Said he wanted a mature woman

because women his age act like they’re still in high school.”

“Yeah, his killer line? He found me stimulating.”

“Hell, I dunno. He probably thinks he means it.” Lee laughed. “He might have been

trying to get up your skirt. That’s what these parties are all about.”

“You think,” Sky said, smirking at Lee.

Obviously, Cashmere wanted sex. But he seemed so sincere too. Even she had her

doubts when she learned he was white. “Well then, he’s probably over it by now.” Sky

muttered to herself, and felt a little bit doleful about it, before moving on to something else.

“Probably.”

Sky frowned as she leaned against the crinkling leather booth. Cashmere’s words had

sounded like a compliment, and they felt all warm and electrifying. So, it must have been.

Yes, that’s it for certain.

“Oh, he has no idea how I'd want to stimulate his, uh…”

“Sky!” Lee laughed. “See if he’s still around because the look on your face is definitely

one of come screw me to heights previously untouched. Go find him. He might even still be

upstairs. Grab him before someone else does. Do it or I’m going to give you a big dildo for

your birthday, in front of everyone at the school’s office party.”

Lee’s eyes met hers. Red lined and streaked from cigarette smoke and fatigue, they

seemed hammered and ready to sink in the bags beneath them. Partying hadn’t been pretty for

either of them.

“You wouldn’t!”

“Yeah I would. I only want you to have fun. You’re my girl. But I don’t want you

taking dangerous chances, you get me? So if this guy gives you bad vibes then scoot on back

to the hotel. If he doesn’t, go grab some.”

“I know, but I wanted to do something fun for myself. Not that we haven’t done fun

things. The Blue Man Group was a great time, but…”

“Say no more,” Lee said waving it off with the swipe of her ring clustered hand.

“We’ve all been in a bit of a dry spell. Divorce will do that. Still don’t be afraid to give the

goose away to someone who’s going to pay you back. In full, you get me.”

She shaped her hands around a long, invisible cock and stroked it.

They burst into laughter.

“And he could’ve meant every word that came out of his mouth. I can be as appealing

as anyone.”

Lee laughed. “That’s my girl!”

The man’s shadow fluttered into the entrance, followed by a raw cough.

Lee put her mask back on and sighed.

“Well, I’ll see you bright and bushy tailed in the morning! Be safe!” Lee shouted,

heading to the entranceway.

“Right.”

With a miracle, Sky would be at the panel tomorrow. She wouldn’t be bright eyed and

her tail wouldn’t be bushy, but slicked back into a nice, proper bun. As the senior department

chair for English, she had to appear well dressed, rested, and professional—even during this

conference to Sin City.

Respect was important to maintaining her role. A black woman caught being even a

little bit sensual got blown into something super sexual, whorish, and Sky couldn’t tolerate

that—not on the job. So, she defied the stereotypes by presenting a professional appearance

and behavior at work.

Deciding to skip the alcohol, Sky left the bar. Cashmere would be fodder for her

fantasies, nothing more.

But as she reached the lobby, a well dressed man in a hotel uniform was carrying a tray

which contained a bottle of wine and a matching pair of wineglasses. As he dashed by her, a

piece of paper flew off. Picking it up for him, Sky scanned it and read that it was clearly

labeled Cashmere Martin, room 904.

Lee’s voice sounded off in her head.

You won’t even see this guy after tonight. Go for it, chica! It’s now or never.

The elevator doors opened and the room service waiter zipped in.

Sky followed, blood racing as adrenaline saturated her. Excitement zoomed through

her. For a minute she felt sick with nerves. What was she about to do? Follow the room

service guy in? What if Cashmere wasn’t interested in seeing her again? Or worse, what if the

wine was for him and someone else?

Jesus, there’s a million ways this can go wrong.

Before she could blink, the doors slid back to reveal the ninth floor.

The room service attendant allowed her to exit first before following her out.

“Excuse me, sir, is that wine for room 904?” she asked politely, her legs shaking like a

tree branch in a hurricane. The mask still atop her head, she figured she must look like a

lunatic to him. “I’m going into that room. You want me to take it?”

The room service attendant eyed her with caution.

“No madam. Mr. Cashmere must sign for the slip.”

“Oh, this slip?” Sky held it up and winked at him.

The room service attendant’s face darkened.

“How did you get that?”

“It flew off, speedy,” she snapped, not liking him tone.

“Give it back.”

“Listen, all I want to do is surprise him,” she said, tossing in a few winks for the

waiter’s benefit. “You can walk me to the door, announce room service and then watch me

take it in. He’ll come out and sign. I promise.”

The waiter sighed and said, “Damn I hate working in Vegas. All right, let’s go.”

Whoa, that was surprisingly easy and a bit naughty—but fun.

They reached 904 in seconds and Sky yanked down her mask.

“Ready?” the room service waiter asked, a condemning scowl on his face.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

What if that scarlet teddy wearing hostess was in there? He left with her and she was

all over him like a wet blanket at the party! Better yet, what if there’s more than one person in

there with him? What am I doing here?

There are so many ways this can get screwed.

Which means I won’t be.

“Room service,” the waiter shouted after three raps.

Sky picked up the bottle in one hand and the wineglasses in the other, and stood in the

doorway. A smile on her lips and a sick feeling in her stomach, she struck a pose she thought

was sexy.

The room service waiter loomed in the shadows, off to the left, watching her.

His stifled laughs didn’t make it any easier.

A series of movements resounded from behind the door, much too fast for Sky.

The door swung open.

“Room service?” she said and held up the bottle with a little shake.

Unmasked, shirtless, and shoeless, Cashmere was breathtaking. So much so, Sky nearly

dropped the wine.

She wasn’t the only one shocked.

Stunned, Cashmere’s mouth dropped into a round o before he recovered.

“So, what service, Caramel, are you providing?” he asked, his voice thick as a

terracotta robe. “And do I have to pay?”

“We’ll have to see,” she said coyly.

“Come in, please.”

Cashmere signed the slip for the room service waiter and shut the door at once. He

wore his trousers, but nothing else. Locking the door with the deadbolt, his naked and

muscular back to her, he took his time applying the chain.

Oh, no. He’s angry.

Sky stood by the closed bathroom door. Her heart beating so fast and so hard, she could

barely hear herself think, which, probably wasn’t a bad thing at all right now. Because she

wanted to run out of the room and back to everything that was familiar.

He turned around and leaned against the door, his head bowed, his hair falling like a

curtain on either side of his face. Shiny strands with emerging threads of gold and bronze,

shimmering in the mass of chestnut.

“What are you doing here, Caramel?” he asked, his voice low and uncertain.

“I—I brought your wine?” Sky said, feeling her stomach start to swirl.

“No, no,” he laughed, looking up at her. His green eyes were filled with caution and

restraint. “Why are you in my hotel room?”

“I, I,” she faltered. I’m here to sex you boy toy.

Did he really mean to have her speak it out loud? This wasn’t the best foreplay for sex.

Sure, he was young, but how inexperienced?

“Ah, again, I’ll go first,” he said, smirking, his arms behind his back as he leaned

against the closed door. “If this was reversed, and I was in your hotel room, I’ll tell you why I

would be there. It wouldn’t be for the wine, though that might be a start.”

“Then why?” Sky gasped, her throat closing, her clit pounding. Quaking inside with

fear at what he’d say, Sky struggled to settle her racing heart. She placed her hand over her

heart—as if to keep it from leaping free.

“I’d be in your hotel room because I want to make crazy love to you. No, no, I want to

fuck the hell out of you. I want to meet the wild woman that lies beneath your polished

persona. That’s why I’d be in your hotel room. Your turn.”

Sky’s breath caught as his voice and his words poured over her, like cold water,

dousing and washing away her fragile confidence. Did he believe those words or where they

merely tools he used to chisel away her resolve that kept him out of her private garden?

In a rush, he pushed off the door, and was in front of her, backing her up until her butt

bumped against the wall. He put one arm on either side of her face, leaning against her, but

keeping himself from plowing into her by using the wall for support.

He was suddenly so close. She could smell the rustic cologne mixed with sweat on his

skin. See the slope of his nose, see his thick, honey eyelashes and see the budding stubble

along his jaw line. The bobbing of his Adam’s apple that showed, despite his calmness, the

nervousness trapped in his throat.

But above all, she could see his eyes and they burrowed into hers, and the smoke heat

smoldering within spilled out and consumed every last one of her doubts about him.

“You want me?” he asked, voice like petals against her flesh. “Be honest with yourself,

with me, you want me to lick your pussy’s swollen lips, don’t you?”

If she gave into her pulsating clit’s pleading, then she would be truly lost—lost to her

lust and to this man’s insistent appetite. The words were harsh, naked, and incredibly rude,

but hearing them whispered against her ears made her feverish all over.

Being true to herself, Sky knew it, had known it the moment she sat beside him on the

bed at the freak party. The second he caught her eye. She wanted everything he said and

more.

“Say it,” he said, his elbows bent as he leaned in closer to her face.

Though the tension shot high and threatened to explode, she could see him restraining

himself. It showed in the tense muscles, the clutched jaw, and his intense stare.

God, yes, she did! At that moment, she wanted to be screaming his name and him hers

before day broke over the horizon. White guy or not, Cashmere was hot and she meant to

have him. All of him.

With boldness she didn’t know she had, her eyes locked onto his and she whispered.

“I, I, want you.”

Once she spoke those three words, Cashmere relaxed. He inched forward, his elbows

bending a bit more as he braced himself against the wall she had her back to.

With his lips a breath from hers, he said with husk and heat, “I mean to devour you.”

He kissed her, drowning her reply. Amazingly soft lips sealed over hers, drawing her

lips into his mouth, one at a time. And true to his word, his hands glided down her dress,

cupping her buttocks before massaging them, squeezing ripples of sensational desire

throughout the rest of her body.

Without his hands against the wall, the full weight of him fell into her, slamming her

backward and pinning her against him.

The kiss was gentle at first, but grew hungrier as he allowed himself to press against

her. His hands flat against the wall kept his whole body weight from falling on her. Brushing

her lips with his own, he pried her lips apart. His roving tongue explored her mouth as if there

was nothing else in the world he wanted to do.

Sky snatched his lower lip between her teeth, tugging slightly before releasing it, and

crushing her lips to his. A fire burned inside her and Cashmere was cool water ready to

quench her thirst and put out her flames. Exploring his mouth and snatching his hair into her

hands, she gave in to her urges.

Moaning, he embraced her, his strong arms circling her body.

Pressing against her, Cashmere served only to make it seem all the more real. Lean and

fit, not in a bodybuilder manner, but definitely athletic, Cashmere’s muscles flexed beneath

her touch. Sky dropped the wine bottle to the floor and the glasses along with it, and slid her

hands across his chest as he push himself away a bit to allow her room to touch where she

wanted. And she did. Her hand swept over silky curls planted across his torso, to the taut

peaks hidden in those patches. Erect nipples poked high, seeking her mouth.

He’s so fine, fit and… young.

“Mmm, I wanted to do that all night. God, do you know how fucking hot you are?” he

asked throatily. “I am yours, beautiful.”

As more of her inhibitions fell away, Sky forcefully kissed him back, firm and furious

her longing leading to impatience. His tongue glided over her lips as she took a breath. Sky

knew without doubt, he meant to take his time and little by little explore her.

A booty call this wasn’t.

*****

Cashmere couldn’t quite believe it. Even though her lips tasted like cinnamon, and her

body pressed urgently against his, he had difficulty making it quite real. His senses were

overloaded, but his brain was suspended in disbelief.

Caramel was in his hotel room.

“I want to see your face,” his whispered, drew back from yet another deep kiss.

Breathing heavily, he kept his body touching hers. His hands palmed the swell of ass, as he

groaned.

At last, this wonderful ass is in my hands. Sweet mercy.

She hesitated, her lower lip between her teeth. Those wonderful eyes failed to meet his.

So innocent, so shy, and yet so very sexy—Caramel was a sticky set of contradictions.

With a few nervous touches, Caramel’s eyes met his at last.

He didn’t find the raw carnal cravings that was there moments earlier, but something

else.

Hesitation.

“If it’s not cool with you, then, don’t,” he said, nibbling against her ear, licking and

inhaling her jasmine scent. God, she’s so incredible!

He pulled back and planted a soft, quick kiss on her mask. “It’s all right with me. The

mask is sexy too.”

His arms tightened around her once more. Her breasts were fuller, more luscious than

he’d ever thought from her conservative dress. Caressing the front of her dress, he relished the

stiff tips as his palm drifted across their peaks.

“You are overdressed,” he said huskily, his hands sliding up her dress, lifting the

material higher, above her sex. His fingers floated across her panties.

His impatient cock quivered and flexed in anxious yearning.

“Oh ho, satin.”

Not allowing her to talk, his mouth covered hers once more. It was if he was dying of

thirst and couldn’t quite get enough to soothe his throbbing cock. Now that he had her, he

wanted to touch everything, hear every moan and demand, taste all of her and see ecstasy on

her face.

With his eyes closed, his hands traveled to the dress’s zipper and lowered it, achingly

slow as to not tear the fabric, but also to tease her a bit. Though he didn’t know how long the

teasing would continue as his member was emerging awake and aroused, pulsating to push

into her wet puss.

She gasped as he yanked the dress down her body with all the expertise of someone

who’d had lots of practice. Opening his eyes, he broke off the kiss and shoved the garment

down to her feet. Offering his hand, he helped her step out of it.

Wearing only her pumps and surprisingly sexy underwear, Caramel shined. Smooth

flesh skimmed over full hips and a womanly stomach, round with the hallmarks of time.

Sloping breasts with chocolate tipped nipples as hard as chips poked the lacy bra. Cashmere

stepped back, feeling as if he’d been punched, without mercy, in the stomach. She wasn’t

beautiful in a movie star sense or a model starved look.

No, she was more—wow.

Caramel was all woman.

Simple as that. Strong legs, curvy hips, and breasts perfect for fitting neatly in his palm.

Dark cocoa skin stretched over each sensational curve made Caramel all the more luscious.

Her hair had been pulled up to reveal a long neck. He eyed the places he would bite and lick

and kiss and nip.

“Damn,” was the only word he could utter and it was horribly inaccurate to describe the

shivering blanket of raging ache covering his body forcing all manner of parts to stand up, to

harden.

Her eyes held his gaze and God, he wanted to be in her clutches.

“Come here, boy toy,” she breathed, “and let me teach you a thing or two.”

He did, diving into her mouth, tasting her again and feeling as if he’d never get enough

of her. A boy toy, he wasn’t but he was okay with letting her believe it—for now.

Drawing back from her kiss, he slowly slipped his finger beneath her bra strap and

glided it down her shoulder, planting kisses in its wake.

“Hmmm, yes,” she moaned.

Right then killer-loud knocks broke the hushed moans between them.

“Damn it, Cashmere. I know you’re in there!” Dante bellowed. “We’re not done.”

Not now, Dante, not now. Shit.

Caramel froze, her eyes searching his face.

Yeah. I’m pretty confused by her being here too.

“Now Cash. Open up!” Dante yelled.

At that rate she was going to wake up the entire floor.

“I’ve got to deal with this, wait one minute,” he said, giving her a smile. “Please, only a

couple of minutes.”

Caramel stepped back and covered her breasts with her forearm, while with her free

hand she snatched up her dress from the floor.

“Oh, no, baby, no,” he said, heading to the door. “I’m going to want to see all of your

gorgeous body. I’m going to love all over it, so the bra and panties, as sexy as they are, are

going to have to go. Just give me a minute.”

She wouldn’t meet his eyes. She disappeared into his bathroom without a single look

back. A black look had taken up residence in the very smoky passion-filled face a few

moments before.

Damn it. She’s got that pissed off look on her face.

He wrenched open the door just wide enough to put his head through and said, “What is

it?”

Dante’s face was screwed into a mash of fury.

“You owe me two hundred dollars. And a major fucking apology,” Dante quipped

shoving her hand between the door, trying to enter the room.

Cashmere blocked her path.

“Fine. I told you I’d pay on Friday,” he said stiffly, his anger burning up his desire. He

had to get her out of the way and return to the true object of his lust. “Okay?”

“I’m still pissed, but you can make it up for me, tonight,” she winked at him and blew

him a kiss. “You liked coming in my mouth, imagine doing it inside me, lover.”

Before he could answer and tell her to get over it, a rough cough from behind him

caught his attention.

Without waiting, he shoved the door close in Dante’s face and locked it. She banged on

it a few more times, and cursed repeatedly. He didn’t have time for her tantrum. He had other

problems.

“Lover? Hmmm, seems you’ve already had some play time, huh, boy toy?” Caramel

asked, her eyes narrowed in angry slits. “I bet you’re much too tired to handle both me and

her tonight.”

“No, it—it isn’t like what you’re thinking,” he said, trying to make himself calm down.

If he overreacted, Caramel would too.

She walked toward him, purse on her shoulder, her mouth drawn into a tight line. He

touched her chin, guiding her face up to his.

“Caramel, look at me.”

She did, but he realized it took amazing effort.

With a single yank, she pulled her face from his grasp.

“Don’t touch me,” she barked. “Don’t ever put your hands on me.”

“Listen to me,” he started, and then, plowed on. “I have not slept with Dante tonight.

I’m not her lover. I—I only want to be with you.”

“She said you came, such a crude term, for her tonight. You think I’m too old to know

what that means.”

“No, yes, uh, no,” Cashmere stammered, it all running out of control. “I did, uh, do

things with her tonight, but I didn’t sleep with her…”

He watched with baited breath as Caramel fought with herself, his words sinking in.

The mask hid the expressions, but her eyes told him everything. She wanted him, or else she

wouldn’t be standing in his hotel room.

But…

She wasn’t completely comfortable with it either. How could Dante ruin this for him

with such fluidity? Damn it. He had to make Caramel see that it was her he wanted.

Either way, it spelled no love for him tonight.

“I—I’m really sorry about this, Cashmere. I like you and I, I want to,” Caramel

stammered as she backed away from him. “As young as you are, I—I’m not sure you’d

understand. But a boy toy doesn’t quite turn me on. I like something a little more, mine.”

Too young? She wasn’t ancient or elderly. Mature. And he liked mature.

He stepped to her, to plead with her to believe him, to listen to him.

When she hit the wall, he quickly leapt away from her, allowing his hair to swing

forward, hiding his disappointment.

“No, I, I understand,” he said, working to shove it all down deep. “I didn’t sleep with

Dante, I assure you.”

When he looked back, her mask—was off!

“I wanted you to see what you missed tonight,” she said, her voice sharp as a dagger,

cold as ice. Her eyes had dried up and her posture had returned to its rigid position.

Despite her icy tone and apathetic expression, something else lingered around her eyes

and her face. Hurt.

“Fine,” Cashmere said, but inside his heart was telling him that he wouldn’t be all right

for awhile. Something about Caramel had punched a gaping hole in his heart, one which only

she could fix.

“Bye.”

She stepped over the wine bottle and the glasses, which turned out to be plastic.

Stunned, he picked them up as she unlocked the door. He sat down Indian fashion on the

floor, at the foot of the bed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her, a beauty in ebony as she turned the

handle.

He picked up the corkscrew to uncork the now warm red. He set the two glasses on the

floor and poured, carelessly into both. The liquid sloshed over the rims and onto the carpet.

The growing yearning in his body flooded his sense and it stung to lose her.

The best way to numb all of it to a dull ache was to drink.

With one long glance at him, Caramel disappeared through the door with a soft click,

taking his heart with her.

Chapter 4

“What’s the matter, Sky? You okay?” asked Lee, all giggling and laughing fell short,

and a grim gaze took up its spot.

“I, I. It’s nothing,” she said, whistling as she sighed.

“You all right?” Lee asked again, eyes peering at her over a raised paper cup of

steaming coffee. Both of her hands were wrapped around the cup, but her puffy, dark eyes

were glued to her.

Lee wasn’t buying her I’m tired act.

“Because if you need help, let me know.”

Already after nine, the morning had come way too soon for Sky. And from the looks of

it, too fast for Lee too. She hadn’t bothered to iron her collared shirt or her shorts. Rumpled

and ragged, Lee had simple grunted a ‘morning’ to her when she plopped down in the seat

across from her. On her third cup of coffee, Lee had sort of ascended to homosapien and

could form sentences and ask questions. Like the ones she posed to Sky.

“No, no,” Sky said, patting her chest after having swallowed the last mouthful of her

coffee. The hot liquid seared her throat, leaving a trail of burn down through her chest. She

fought not to break down into tears. “I’m fine. Really. I, I can’t eat is all.”

Lee’s face folded into a mean scowl. With her braids free, they were scattered across

her shoulders. Held back from her face by a blue scarf, her black hair held hints of blonde and

bronze highlights. She didn’t look either polished or bushy tailed.

But bright eyes, yes, Lee’s eyes were sparkling with suspicion.

“And why not?”

“We’re flying in about four hours. I’m a little skittish is all.”

A quick lie, but Sky didn’t want to unload her personal drama out here at the

conference’s morning breakfast rush. Around them scores of teachers ate the free breakfast

sponsored by the conference. School districts across America lacked funds, so Sky’s per diem

only covered lunch and part of her evening meals. $25 a day didn’t do much in Vegas.

She put her eyes on her notepad and began again to pretend to read.

Besides, someone might overhear her talking about a freak party. Sky didn’t want to

rehash it anyway. She’d spent most of what remained of the night, wrestling with her demons

and losing. So what exactly had he done with Dante and then he wanted a turn with her?

I can’t go for that. No can do. I’m not into sharing or passing around the biscuit for all

the chicks to get a bite.

“Uh, huh. You sure you don’t wanna talk?” she asked, voice elevated above the

surround tables’ chatter. “Sky? It’s me. We been friends for a minute now. I know when

something’s eating at you and well, you’re nearly ate up!”

How can I tell you that for the first time in years I felt alive, desired and hornier than a

hound dog in heat? Only to have it spoiled by the very boy toy I wanted to play with? I can’t.

Not here amongst all of our peers. I’m supposed to be too old to care about it and I can’t

figure out why I do.

All of these things flew around her mind, as she stared across to Lee.

But she couldn’t say any of them.

Instead she said, “Nope. I’m okay.”

She buried her head into her notes, reading over them with feigned interest. The words

blurred on the page, and she made herself re-read a lot of it because nothing was going

through. All she could think about was Cashmere and how he’d let her down. Up until Dante

arrived, he’d behaved like a man well older than his years. An old soul.

“I don’t know what happened to you last night,” Lee said, sternly in teacher mode. “But

you’re going to tell me. Right? Not now because it seems really raw, but eventually.”

Without looking up, Sky took in a breath to stem the rising tide of emotion in her

throat. Her eyes burned with the budding sting of embarrassing tears, but she battled them

back. It was foolish for her to be such an emotional mess.

But Cashmere had uncorked feelings she had bottled up for three solid years.

“Sure.”

“Okay. Now, my night was incredible,” Lee said, sipped, and then went on. “This guy,

his name tag said Wicked Warrior, but his real name is Bobby Burns. A fake name too right?

Nope saw his license, and he’s from Connecticut…”

Like the words smeared on the page, Lee’s rendition of her nighttime escapade

dissolved into a humming against Sky’s ear. She heard every third word, but nodded and said,

“uh huh,” every couple of minutes as if she was listening.

Occasionally, she would look up to meet Lee’s eyes and then turn back to her notes as

if she was actually reading them too. To be successful at multi-taking, one must first master

the art of appearing to do multiple things, while doing none.

“You ain’t listening,” Lee accused, putting her cup on the table.

Angry eyes and a deep frown told Sky Lee was pissed.

“Yes, I am.”

“No, you ain’t. I just said I fucked a donkey last night, and you said, uh, huh as if it

happens every day.”

“Oh, Lee,” Sky said with a sigh. “I’m so sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind. Start again.

I’m really listening this time.”

Lee held up her hand, silencing her.

“Say no more. I get it. And no, I didn’t really sleep with a donkey.”

With that, Lee collected their accumulated trash and took it over to the trash cans,

depositing it with one tray dump into the can. She tossed the hard, plastic tray onto the top of

the can and headed out of the conference room’s eating area.

“Lee, don’t go!”

Now I’ve made Lee mad, too. Great. At this rate I’ll have no friends left before I board

the plane.

Sky got up, packed her notes and conference schedule into her bag and headed out to

find Lee. She could use her cellular phone, but it didn’t seem right yet. If she hunted around

for her, it would score her time to think of a way to apologize to her best friend.

After scurrying around to the café, the restrooms, the conference dealers’ tables, and

out past registration, Sky found Lee outside the conference building with a fresh cigarette in

her lips. Streams of teachers and panelists floated by them. A handful of smokers lined the

sidewalk further down from Lee, in the cooler shade. None were talking to each other.

“Lee, come on,” Sky panted, adjusted the bag on her shoulder. “I’ll talk to you about it,

but I’m a bit befuddled is all.”

Lee nodded, but said nothing.

“All right,” she sighed, putting her bag down on the sidewalk. “Last night, I took your

advice and headed up to the room of one of the participants.”

Lee stopped fidgeting and with a broad, mischievous smirk on her face said, “Oooh.”

Sky couldn’t believe she was telling this to Lee, but she went on. What else were best

friends for, but to drop all the doubts you had and test them against the unsuspecting B.F.F? “I

was with him. Things got steamy and then the hostess showed up. Dante. Yes, I’m sure that’s

her name.”

Lee grinned, the smirk still on her face.

She blew out a stream of smoke and whispered, “I didn’t take you for a threesome girl.”

“I’m not,” Sky said coldly.

“Oh, right.”

“Anyway, she was there to finish their, their, you know, business,” Sky said, unable to

say more. “I—I left after he told her to get gone, but not before I heard her call him lover.”

“And?” Lee asked—eyebrows arched high above her eyes. Something Sky had

witnessed her doing to her students when they were in trouble.

“And it ruined my evening,” she said flatly. The emotions were too strong and mixed

up to describe why this bothered her so. When she explained it to Lee out loud it didn’t sound

so horrible. “You had to be there.”

“Let me ask you this,” Lee said, not looking at her and gazing out across the street to

the asphalt parking structure. “Did he ask you to leave when the girl showed up?”

“No.”

“Did he want you to leave?”

“No. I—I don’t think so.”

“Did he confess to sexing Dante?”

“Well, no, he said he didn’t have sex with her, but she, she talked about him, uh, you

know…”

Lee snorted as she rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.

“Damn, Sky. They had a little oral sex and you’re all possessive,” Lee snorted again

and glanced at her with humor threatening to erupt on her face. “They probably didn’t have

sex.”

Oral sex. They had oral sex with each other and I kissed those lips that were pinned on

the vaginal lips of that skank, Dante. Augh!

Sky listened to Lee go on with dread piling into her stomach.

“You are not helping,” Sky snapped. “He’s a—a, boy toy! A tool for each woman there

to, to use.”

“You are such a stick in the mud!” Lee accused, chuckling. “It’s a freak party for

crying out loud. People are going to mix it up. He didn’t lie to you, Sky. He had no reason. He

could’ve invited Dante in, kicked your tight ass to the curb, and got his cock wet if he wanted.

But he didn’t want her. He wanted you. And you left him with his nuts in a vice and blue balls

to boot. I can’t take you anywhere!”

“Whatever,” Sky brushed the strong argument Lee was making aside. Her ears ringing

with the chunks of logical sense Lee made.

Logic didn’t hold any sway this time. Nope. Her heart held all the cards and

Cashmere’s were coming up tainted.

All she could see was his chestnut hair fanned across Dante’s toned thighs, his nose and

his pink lips buried against her black wet mound. She could almost hear Dante’s screaming as

she writhed about on the bed, pumping against Cashmere’s handsome face.

It didn’t matter anyway. Today she would return home to her life of lesson plans and

grading. Perhaps by the time their rental car pulled into her driveway in Albuquerque, the

memory of Cashmere would be a long gone.

“Yeah, sure, suga,” Lee was saying, shaking her head at her. “Had it been me, I

would’ve screwed his brains out and been done.”

“Yes, but that’s the difference between me and you,” Sky snapped angrily and folded

her arms across her chest. “You’re not a romantic.”

Lee laughed.

“I’m a realist, and rarely does love turn out like your favorite romance novel, chica.”

All around thousands of teachers from all across the country moved to this room and

that panel talking, laughing, and zipping by. Held yearly at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, the

differentiated instruction conference brought so many to its embrace each year, that Sky

wondered why so many schools weren’t doing better in terms of meeting students’ needs.

“Come on, let’s go get some food,” Lee said, dropping her cigarette butt to the ground

and grinding it out. “That café had some good scones.”

Leaving the conference area, she and Lee passed the casino’s blackjack tables, and

although she’d done fairly well for herself the first night she arrived, she passed by them

without a second thought. Winning had made her happy for about thirty minutes, but nothing

more.

The false sense of happiness, temporary and unfulfilling, didn’t appease her. It was

merely a taste, a tiny flavor of joy. She wanted something lasting and loving, steeped in

respect and friendship, a meal. Sure, she wanted to have sex with Cashmere, to taste him like

an appetizer, a single serving, to appease her carnal hunger, but his personality, kind, smooth,

appealed to her too and spoke to something meatier beneath all that slick talk.

And she had to admit, it felt wonderful to be desired. His words echoed in her head all

night, and for the first time in four years, Sky masturbated to those wickedly whispered

words, and to a fantasy Cashmere created. In that fantasy, she was the one in control and it

was she who dazzled him. Brave and bold, like everyone in their fantasies, the fictional Sky

had multiple orgasms that rocked her very core.

All of that, of course, was imagined.

Last night she had the chance to make it reality, she freaked out when Dante showed

up. No way was she sharing with anyone. Besides, he was too damn young anyway.

Unsure, Sky didn’t know how she was going to rid herself of the monumental wedge of

yearning in her heart and her puss. He was someone who drank life from a full cup

overflowing with positive joy, erupting with vitality.

Exactly what she needed to recharge her life.

Scanning the throngs of people, Sky tried to force herself to think about something

other than him, and his disastrous mistake of trying to bed two birds last night. Maybe with

time, she might be successful with shrinking it to nothing more than a tiny blip on her

subconscious—maybe.

At least it was a plan.

Chapter 5

October

“Damn, Cash. What the hell you up to in here?” Marcus asked, pushing his bulky 6’ 3”

into Cashmere’s apartment. His irate voice boomed throughout the apartment. His afro

seemed to make him seem taller, if that was even possible. “I just got up.”

“Sorry, I was, uh, busy,” Cashmere said, as he yanked a light sweater over his head.

Barefoot in jeans and a tan sweater, he closed the door with a soft click.

San Diego didn’t really get cold like other spots in the U.S., but October delivered

cooler temperatures. His apartment, right off Caramel Mountain Road, one of the many exits

off of I-15 heading north, didn’t allow him many large furniture pieces. Much of his place had

a minimalist look-- out of necessity, not desire.

Marcus nodded in the direction of Cashmere’s bedroom.

“You got somebody special up in there? Cute little college honey?”

Nah, Marcus. I’m hoping to snare a cougar.

Marcus’s tone implied he’d like to stay and watch or hell, participate, but Cashmere

didn’t like sharing—something Marcus should already know. After all, Marcus and Cashmere

had once shared a girl, Angela, unbeknownst to both of them. Once Angela’s two-timing was

discovered, they ditched her and formed a friendship of their own. Marcus invited him to his

first freak party and Cashmere had been going ever since—a whopping six months.

Before the Vegas one. He hadn’t been to any since Vegas.

“No, just me,” Cashmere said, opening the door to his bedroom and stepping back to

allow Marcus a look inside at the messy bed and stark walls. “Been in a bit of dry spell.”

Marcus sighed, and then turned to him, shaking his head in disappointment.

“What’s up with you? Ever since you came back from the Vegas party you been acting

strange. Passin’ on three freak parties in Pacific Beach and Chula Vista. Yo, talk to me. I’m

your boy and I don’t like going to these on my own, you know.”

Cashmere hesitated. He isn’t serious. I’m not talking to him about this. We’re friends,

but this mess with Caramel, ahh, it hurts to even think her name.

“You’re a grown man, Marcus. You always score at the parties anyway. You don’t

need me to hold your hand.”

Marcus put his hand on Cashmere’s shoulder. Concern made his smooth ebony skin

wrinkle around his eyes and his forehead to crease, making him ten years older.

“True, true, but I’m trying to hook you up. Tell me. You get burned at that party? Tell

me and I’ll call Dante and tell her to take the bitch off the list. Blacklist her. Cause if she

infected you, you probably got somebody else, too.”

Cashmere smiled. Oh, so that’s what you think happened?

“I didn’t get a disease from anyone. I don’t wade into the water without a life vest.

Anyway, the only play I got was from Dante. Struck out like a rookie ball player. Not that

Dante doesn’t have her, uh, attributes.”

The concern washed out of Marcus’s face and his trademark grin was back in place. A

playboy and ex-football player rolled into one.

“Dante?”

“Yeah,” Cashmere said, shrugging it off, not wanting to talk about the Vegas party.

“Ah, I get it. Your confidence is shaken. I got just the thing to help elevate your little

gloom cloud.” Marcus reached into his jean pockets and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

He unfolded it and extended the lime green postcard with big bold lettering. “I wanted to drop

this off. This one’s in Vegas.”

Cashmere stared at the card.

Could she be at this one? Back in Vegas again? Maybe another conference?

“Take it. I got another one,” Marcus said, thrusting it toward him.

Cashmere took it with his adrenaline budding. Was it possible? How unlikely was it she

would be there after what happened in July?

When he looked up, Marcus was staring at him, his grin fluctuating between

disappearing and maintaining its current wattage.

“What’s eating you, man?”

Cashmere shrugged as he went into the little kitchen to start a pot of coffee. A four cup

coffeemaker, he would drain all of it with two mugs. Already noon on Saturday, he’d missed

all chances to get to the beach before they became home to kids, teens, and tourists. Fall’s

frosty breezes didn’t keep people from the beach—this was San Diego. Everyone went to the

beach. Period.

“Don’t avoid me, man. I can see it, Cash.” Marcus sat down on one of the two barstools

in front of the kitchen’s island. “This ain’t you. I miss the old Cashmere. The funny man, the

cool cucumber, the one smooth talker, the one and only white lightning, striking lust in hearts

of black chicks all over San Diego.”

Cashmere snorted as he put his back to Marcus.

Was that what Marcus saw in him? Thought of him? Is that what Caramel had seen or

thought when she first saw him at the freak party? A white guy who preyed on black women

because he saw them as inferior, as prey? Jesus!

He turned back around to Marcus.

Marcus’s hazel eyes watched Cashmere move about the kitchen, and they didn’t let go.

The grin had vanished too.

Marcus was serious.

“Is that what you think of me?” Cashmere asked, meeting Marcus’s eyes at last, his ego

smarting. “A white guy with a black girl fetish?”

Marcus dropped his eyes to the counter. He took in a breath and let it out with

deliberate patience. His shoulders rose and fell in a half-hearted shrug.

When he raised his eyes to meet Cashmere’s again, the playboy was totally gone.

Seated in front of him was another side of Marcus, perhaps the real Marcus, but one

Cashmere had never seen before.

“When we met, through Angela, I thought you had a black chick fetish. I figured you

were just into our women. So, yeah, when we went to freak parties, you were hooking up with

all the ladies.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him, but Cashmere could see that this

confession wasn’t the end of it.

“And?”

“And I figured you for that type of guy. Black chicks were good enough to screw, but

not good enough to take home to your lily white momma.”

Cashmere rolled his eyes and turned his back to Marcus, again.

He released a breath, his lips trembling.

Is that what every one of those women thought? He’s good for tonight, but not forever.

Did they, like Marcus, believe he wouldn’t take them home to his mother and father? Talk

about assumptions…

“Hey man, you asked,” Marcus said, an edge on each word—a warning. “We’re still

cool. I wasn’t judging you, but—but you asked what I thought. If the women were okay with

getting down with you and freaking the hell outta you, what business was it of mine?”

Cashmere didn’t respond. He poured his coffee into his mug, added sugar, and creamer.

“Would it interest you to know that my parents split up when I was ten? My dad

remarried a woman, Wanda, who not only served as a better mother than my own, but taught

me a great deal about how to treat women and be a real man. How to love women and that

being strong didn’t mean being tough, but kind.”

He turned back to Marcus who had propped his head up on his elbow.

“What’s that got to do with anything? Oh, wait, is this where you tell me you grew up

with black friends, and so that made you feel like one of us?”

Cashmere shook his head. “No, there’s no way I can ever feel black. Sympathize with

injustice and racism, yes, but actually claim to be or feel black. I can’t. No, the point of that

little personal history is that Wanda was black. And I loved her as my mother. I remember

thinking to myself that I wanted a woman just like her when I grew up. Not based on her race,

but her character.”

That sobered Marcus fairly quick. He sat up.

“For real?”

Cashmere sipped his hot liquid and nodded.

“I’ve been looking ever since,” he said. “I’ve dated all kinds of women, for the record.”

What he didn’t say to Marcus was that most of the women were more than ten years

older than him. Angela had been one of a small handful of women he’d dated within his age

range.

Marcus’s leer flashed onto his face. “And you think you’d find her at freak parties?”

“No, no,” Cashmere laughed. “Angela took me for a spin, and I was venting, trying to

get my heart back together. I wasn’t thinking, only feeling, diving head first, no pun intended,

into the warmth of a sexy girl’s body, and the lust she allowed me to spend. Nothing more.

You know.”

Marcus nodded, because he did know. Angela had ripped his heart to shreds too. The

mutual pain inflicted on them had led to a wild life of freaking as many women as they could.

Marcus was still stuck in the mode, but he wasn’t. Not after Caramel.

“So, what the hell happened in Vegas?”

Cashmere took a brave drink of his coffee, the searing java burning his throat, before

he sighed.

Why does he want to know this? Is he working on a psychology degree I don’t know

about?

“Nothing.”

Marcus wagged a finger at him, doing his best impersonation of an angry woman.

“Oh, no you didn’t just lie to me.”

Cashmere laughed, nearly spilling his coffee.

“All right, but you aren’t going to like what you hear. It’s only going to ruin the image

you already have of me. You’ll probably think a lot of it is bullshit anyway.”

Marcus shrugged his massive shoulders and said, “Just spill it.”

So he did. Cashmere told him about Caramel and how he felt about her. How, in his

hotel room he made the decision to set her free rather than continue to force his way upon her.

How furious she had been beneath her stony mask, but what surprised him was her hurt. The

incident with Dante had wounded her, a stranger to him, he to her, but she had expected

more—maybe even imagined more from him.

And how, after two months, the only thing on his mind was her.

Marcus shook his head, arms crossed over his wide chest, a smirk on his face.

“You’re kidding me?”

“No. Every woman I’ve met can’t compare to her maturity and class.”

“You didn’t even get her real name? And you’re sure? She’s way older than you. Like

forty years old?”

“Her age doesn’t matter, Marcus. After Angela and few other girls my age, I can’t

tolerate the head games, the loops into my pockets for money, and the stupid high school

attitude. I want someone secure in themselves already. Caramel had that and more.”

“Forty?”

“Dunno. But I didn’t get her name,” Cashmere said, moving over to the sink and

putting his now empty mug into the clean space. He almost always ate at home, but most of it

was take out. “It is the furthest thing from joking I can get.”

“You serious? You haven’t even had sex with her and you lettin’ her ruin all the other

opportunities comin’ your way? You are super crazy, white boy.”

Yeah. That’s about the sum of what Cashmere had been thinking too the last couple of

months. He’d lost his mind—over a woman whose fake name was all he knew.

“Why didn’t you ask Dante for her name? She’s got a list of everybody’s real

information, names, telephone numbers, and email addresses”

Was Marcus serious?

“I thought she deleted that after the party? That’s what the literature says when you

sign up.”

Besides Dante isn’t talking to me, not after the harsh riot act I read her in Vegas. She

ruined my chance with Caramel and made me seem like a boy toy for real.

Marcus shook his head again, afro stiff and unmoved.

“Nah, she keeps it in case something hits the fan and she got to call the cops. She can’t

just tell the cops someone named Massively Hung raped a woman or stole a car.”

Cashmere stared at him, eyes wide, fighting back his urge to laugh.

“How do you know?” Cashmere asked, peering at Marcus because this wouldn’t be the

first practical joke he’d played. His lips trembled to stay calm and not to chuckle.

Marcus stood up, tugging his shirt down over his rock hard abs.

Marcus sported a six and Cashmere had a four.

“Because Dante’s my girlfriend,” he said, meeting Cashmere’s eyes with stiff

stubbornness. He didn’t look off and the raw stare caused Cashmere to move backward.

Apparently Cashmere wasn’t the only one who had bombs to drop today.

And I confessed to being with her. Ugh.

“Steady?” Cashmere said, swallowing his shock down into his searing belly. Nauseous,

he put the bile of worry back down there too.

He had to ask because Marcus had multiple definitions for girlfriend.

“Like a ship on a calm sea,” Marcus said, grinning outright. “Though we do invite

guests into our, uh, space. She still throws the parties. The money’s too good to stop. I go to

‘em, you know, taste a little this, and try a little that.”

“And if Dante sees someone she likes,” Cashmere asked, remembering her spur of the

moment oral back in Vegas.

“…If we see someone we like, we invite.”

“Even men? That’s new for you.”

Cashmere leaned back against the kitchen sink, smirking.

Marcus shrugged. “I’m as straight as an arrow, Cash, you know that. But if she wants to

be pleasured by someone she sees, well, I’m all for sharing. Swinging it goes both ways. If I

see some cute little honey I want to try, she’s all in. The sex is just that, sex. It isn’t love or

even infringing on what Dante and I have.”

Which would be what?

Cashmere coughed out his doubt. “That’s new. Sharing.”

“I ain’t like I’m sharing her with you,” Marcus said, not smiling, brown eyes

glowering. “Though I know she had a lot of heat for you. I know that. Don’t think I don’t.”

Cashmere paused, waiting. Marcus’s words were edgy and tough. Beneath the talk,

Cashmere realized Marcus didn’t like sharing Dante with everyone. But he and Marcus had a

history with a girl they both shared, unbeknownst to either of them, and it might still be a sore

spot for him.

“Not even on my playlist,” Cashmere said at last, feeling a boulder fall from his

shoulders. The last thing he wanted was Marcus being suspicious of his relationship, well,

lack of one, with Dante. She’d gotten him in enough trouble with Caramel.

“Good. Anyway, you haven’t seen how hot she looks when she’s enjoying herself—I

mean really enjoying herself. It’s worth the occasional third or fourth wheel. That doesn’t

happen too much, only once in the last month.”

“Bully for you,” Cashmere said, not conveying what he really thought of the idea. He

remembered how all he could see were red patches when he saw Caramel talking to

Mandingo.

“Dunno if everybody can change, but I did. Call her and ask her. She’ll track down

your girl and then, well, then, the rest is up to you.”

Cashmere’s stomach whirled. This is a disaster waiting to happen.

For one, there were too many loose ends.

Even if he found Caramel, would she want him? Would she be willing to try again?

What if she was secretly married? Had a lover already?

It was too much to take or think about.

For two, she thought him a boy toy, a young brat seeking to fulfill as many of his

appetites as possible. He heard from Mandingo, aka Gerald, that Caramel found him,

Cashmere, to be that very thing.

It turned his insides to cold jelly when he thought she actually believed it.

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

Marcus frowned at him. “After what you just told me, you’re not going to take this

chance to find her? Damn man, do something. At this rate, you’ll never get laid again, if you

keep letting her ruin your vibe. This way you’ll know what she thinks of you, and then you

can move on with your life.”

“She’s probably got a lover by now, a husband or something,” Cashmere said, trying

hard to make his voice seem light and apathetic. “Knowing my luck.”

“Yeah. But you won’t ever know ‘till you try,” Marcus said, heading toward the door.

“I’ll tell Dante to be lookin’ for your call.”

“Could you, uh, do me the favor?” he asked, his voice hoarse as his throat grew drier.

He didn’t know what else to do. Dante would choke the life out of him if he came

within fifteen feet of her. Yep, she was still furious the last time he saw her at Marcus’s

cookout two weeks ago.

Before he could get an answer, Marcus was through the door and gone.

For such a large man, he moved with amazing smoothness and finesse.

Perhaps that’s what made Dante commit.

Dante.

After their last meeting, Cashmere didn’t know if she’d help him or not, especially once

she found out the woman he sought was the same one whose name he called out during their,

uh, get together. Jealousy could sometimes last as long as love—perhaps longer.

He had to try. Even Marcus had said as much, and coming from the biggest player he

knew, that meant a lot. And if someone as tough as Marcus could learn to share his woman, if

for no other reason than to make her happy, then Cashmere could give this a try.

What’s the worst that could happen?

Chapter 6

“One more time, class,” Sky said, using her pen as a pointer against the transparency.

The overhead stood at the front of her small classroom and on the dry erase board, sentences

containing blanks were certain parts of speech should’ve been. “What word should go in the

blank after was?”

A murmur drifted across the classroom.

“I know the weather outside is making you restless, and I know this is the last hour of

the day. But I need you to focus, please. We’ve only got four more.”

I did ask for a classroom with windows. This is my punishment for complaining about

not having any.

After her stern plea, a few hands went into the air.

“Yes, Jesus?”

Thank goodness you’re interested Jesus or else I’d be up here teaching myself.

“Listening,” Jesus said smugly. “It’s the only action verb in the list.”

“Thank you! Next, Susan,” Sky asked, feeling the chance for getting volunteers had

passed. She started calling on random students.

The remainder of the class hour dwindled away like molasses in the frozen snow. Not

unlike her students, anxiousness set Sky’s nerves on end and she was more than ready for

school to end. Tomorrow was Saturday and the weekend loomed ahead, tempting and

teasingly. Sky was looking forward to reading and napping at her home a breath outside of

Albuquerque.

Adding to the layer of restlessness was the influx of dark clouds carrying a seventy

percent chance of snow. The temperatures plummeted once the sun went down in the high

New Mexican desert, and when the stars aligned and moisture found its way from the coast to

the arid valley, it was a big deal indeed.

This snow would be the first of fall.

The bell beeped announcing the school day had ended. Streams of students left the

room, threatening to trample each other.

Sky breathed a sigh of relief as she put away the overhead projector, her markers and

the transparencies. The calm after the storm of students held a certain peace.

No sooner had her room been vacated did Lee slip in, wearing her ‘teacher best’ and

shuddering against the icy wind. Big hoop earrings, dark, burgundy lips, and lime green pants,

slick coal-black square heeled boots and matching sweater looked pleasant on Lee. A stark

contrast to Sky’s somber gray pants, ivory blouse, and raven leather pumps. Sky tugged her

jet cardigan closer, feeling the brief gust of cold air from Lee’s entrance slither inside.

“Whoo! Done. Two free days until being enslaved again,” Lee declared, hopping up

onto one of Sky’s student tables. Crossing her legs at the ankles, Lee continued, “Going to get

my grove on with Bobby. He’s in from Connecticut. I think we’re going up to Santa Fe,

maybe Angelfire, to do some skiing.”

Lee’s rattling on didn’t surprise Sky at all. Her go get ‘em attitude was why they were

friends. Lee’s hot to Sky’s cold. Her daring to Sky’s caution.

“You?” Lee asked lightly, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.

Sky could almost feel the tension roll into the room like a rush of heat. Ever since

Vegas, she and Lee had been tiptoeing around each other when talking about anything

pertaining to Sky’s love life or personal time.

Sky shrugged, while at the same time shoving papers into her teacher bag. Avoiding

Lee’s eyes, she plopped down into her chair, and scooted closer to the desk. With fake

interest, she scrolled through the document currently on the screen—next week’s lesson plans.

“Uh, well, going to get caught up on a few things around the house, attend the fair, and

shop the sales.”

Naughty, naughty. I intend to do none of those things, except maybe the fair—maybe.

Going places alone totally sucks.

“Fair, uh? Yeah that screams boring. What’s up with you lately?”

Lee swung her legs back and forth, her hands gripping the table’s ledge. With her eyes

pinned to Sky, she kept her mouth closed, waiting.

Although Sky wasn’t looking at her, she could see out of the corner of her eye Lee’s

lime green pants moving in and out. Familiarity filled in the rest.

“Work.”

When in doubt, blame the job.

Sky mentally raised her emotional shield, so to speak. She trusted Lee, but, she wasn’t

quite ready to talk about the freak party or, or what happened afterward again. Lee’s position

had been clear. Sky had overreacted with Cashmere and Dante.

Just go, Lee. Leave me alone. Stop trying to pry open my closed heart. Poking around

in those tender spots might make me go nuts or melt into a puddle of emotional distress.

Neither of which are ways to start my weekend.

She knew that speaking those words would only make Lee dig and push harder instead

of leaving. Lee could be quite stubborn when it suited her.

“You’ve been acting funny since we got back from that conference in Vegas,” Lee

accused, leaping off the table. “You ain’t been yourself. Now, I’ve left you alone to that, but

damn, Sky. It’s been months. What’s eating you? What’s wrong?”

It was a good thing Lee was a math teacher. The usage of ain’t drove Sky crazy.

However, the word paled in comparison to Lee’s stubbornness.

“I’m fine. Overworked and underpaid. The same old story as every other teacher in this

area,” Sky said, keeping her eyes on the screen, feeling, more than seeing Lee’s displeasure.

“No,” Lee said, voice bordering on anger. “You ain’t fine. I haven’t seen you smile in

months, laugh in weeks, unless it’s forced and I can tell the difference. You might be fooling

everybody, even yourself, but not me.”

Sky sighed. Instead of easing Lee’s departure from her classroom, she’d managed to

piss her off, which meant she would stay until she’d said her piece.

Rolling gently back from the computer’s monitor, Sky sucked in a breath and prepared

to do battle with her best friend. Again. They’d had these little blow-outs before. And it was

all out of concern. Lee wouldn’t understand how words wounded her so. After all, they were

only words.

“You’re not my mother, Lee. Besides, I am fine. Just because I’m not doing what you

would do, doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me! I’m fine and fabulous even when

I’m not shaking my ass or lying down with everybody who looks good!”

Whoa, where did that come from?

Lee flinched and grew very still, her hands pressed together in front of her mouth as if

trying to contain the words straining for release. Narrow, ebony lined eyes met Sky’s, but

were filled with something Sky couldn’t quite place or understand.

God, I didn’t mean for it to sound, so, so… mean. Bitchy.

“Lee, I didn’t mean it the way it sounded… Sorry, I—I didn’t mean to…”

“Got an email about two days ago,” Lee said dangerously calm, totally out of character

for such a loud, bubbly woman.

It gave Sky pause. Her throat went dry and she wondered if Lee was going to break in a

minute and hit her. Or worse, storm out and end their friendship. Hitting would be something

Lee would do, but not talking to her any more- that would wound Sky the most.

Startled and more than a little confused by the change in topic, Sky balked, but waited

to hear Lee out.

Where are you going with this?

“So?” Sky said, drawing out the “o” sound, leaning forward in her chair. She was

worried—really. Lee never sounded so calm before.

“It was from Dante. Remember the tiny little woman in the red lace teddy in Vegas?”

Lee asked, now leaning against Sky’s desk, her hip pushing into its ledge. Her body facing

Sky, her face smooth and surprisingly serene, didn’t give any information about what she was

talking about.

Dante. Yes, that was her name. Feeling her stomach prickle, Sky swallowed several

times, her throat aching with emotional strain. She tried to find the words to answer, and at

the same time banish the memories Dante’s name resurrected.

Cashmere.

“You might not remember her,” Lee said, smiling broadly in a way that said she knew

Sky remembered her very well. The cold grin only widened as she watched Sky’s face.

Oh, I’ll never forget her. The look she gave me still gives me the willies. And the fact

that she had tasted my Cashmere before I did still burns a hole in my heart.

Listen to me, my Cashmere. Hell that boy belonged to anyone there, the highest bidder

and the freakiest fruitcake.

“Here I am thinking it’s an invite to another freak party, and I’m super excited to shake

my ass and find someone else to lay with…”

“I didn’t mean that.”

Lee wagged her finger stern and firm at Sky.

“Yeah, you did. I know it. You know it.”

Sky sighed.

“Anyway, the contents of Dante’s email caught me by surprise, because the damn thing

was about you.”

“Me?”

Surprised, Sky’s voice had squeaked.

“Funny that,” Lee continued, fully amused at Sky’s reaction. “Seems she was more

than a little curious about you. Whole thing was a damn questionnaire about my non-sexpot

guest.”

“B—but why?”

Sky slowly got out of her chair. Her heartbeats grew to a slow gallop as she tried to

puzzle out what the hell was going on. Her ears rang and the room whirled once she got to her

feet. Gripping the desk, she shook her head to clear it. Blinking to end the relentless spinning,

she took in a deep steadying breath.

“What did she want?” she asked with a puff of anxiety-filled sigh.

Cashmere had been more interested in her youthful sex than me.

Lee shrugged. “She said someone was looking for you. A man you met had been

seeking out his little, what’s the name she called you? Oh, oh, yeah. Caramel.”

Sky’s mouth dropped and she blushed.

Damn it. I can’t believe Lee went there.

“Well, I’m sure it was tamer than the handle you used,” Sky retorted, rolling her

shoulders back and standing straight as if her feathers weren’t ruffled.

Lee laughed, snorting a bit.

“God, if you could only see the look on your face.”

Having her fill of Lee for the next couple of days, Sky reached down, opened her desk,

and removed her purse. Lifting it with the teacher bag onto her shoulder, Sky actively shut

down her computer, not listening to Lee’s half-hearted pleas for forgiveness. With her keys

clutched in her hand, Sky headed to door.

“Oh, oh, God. Whew! Sorry, sorry,” Lee said at last, wiping her eyes, and holding her

sides. “No, seriously, Sky. This guy, Cashmere, wanted your last name, where you lived, and

all that juicy information.”

“Cashmere?”

No, he wouldn’t. What man in his right mind would still be interested in a woman who

gave him blue balls and teased him to the point of torture?

Surely some young thang would be more than ready to erase her from his memory.

Take his attention, his heart, and his love. Wasn’t Dante available?

“Yeah,” Lee frowned a bit. “I asked Dante about him, because if he wanted your

address, she had to give up some information on him. For starters, his real name- Dante

laughed and said that was his real name.”

“Liberal parents,” Sky said without thinking, her mind remembering him, his smooth

style, his handsome face, and his killer body—one worthy of being toyed around with.

“Riiiight,” Lee said, meeting Sky at the door.

“Where are you going?” Sky asked, pulling her attention back to the classroom and

away from the disaster in Cashmere’s room.

“You’re all packed up to go, so I figure I ought to leave, too.”

“Oh, no you don’t, Lee!” Sky said, turning her teacher voice on. “Get back here and tell

me the rest!”

Unlike her students, Lee only laughed as she skipped through the classroom door.

“I’ll leave you with this, chica,” Lee said, sobering up as the cold gusts of wind slipped

into the stuffy room. “There’s a thin line between coincidence and Fate, girlfriend.”

And she was gone.

Running down the ramp and making a beeline for the parking lot.

Leaving Sky frustrated and unsure.

Could that be how Cashmere felt?

What difference does it make now? He’s moved on with his life.

Her inner voice, one buried deep within and often spoke the painful truth retorted, Then

why did he ask Dante about me?

Maybe he wants to send me a wedding invitation.

“Sure, that’s what I want,” Sky said with a sullen sigh, exiting her classroom door and

locking it tight. “A cute, polished reminder of what I missed out on. A wedding invitation.”

It wasn’t like she didn’t know what delicious games Cashmere would’ve played with

her had she but stayed. If he didn’t want Dante to join, that is.

Shuddering, Sky fought to repress the picture.

She’d replayed that night with Cashmere a gazillion times without Dante, and each time

she decided she’d do it differently. No longer inhibited, scared, or ruled by her ideals, the Sky

in her fantasies engaged him without hesitation or care about him being with Dante or anyone

else.

Nope. If she had it to do again, she’d allow herself to fall into Cashmere’s arms and to

not think until the boiling sweat on their bodies was drying in the hotel room’s hushed air

conditioning. To leave her jealousy and insecurities at the door’s entranceway. He didn’t

belong to her.

Perhaps that was the biggest hurdle to leap over. He didn’t belong to her. No, he didn’t

belong to her and he was a kid. At the least he was nineteen years younger.

And yet, her thoughts reflected back to his nude back, his muscles rippling as he moved

about the hotel room, picking up the wine bottle so that she didn’t see the disappointment in

his eyes. Oh, she knew it.

Too bad life doesn’t allow a quick rewind.

Mirroring her mood, icy cold gloomy gusts of wind continued to crowd the heavens.

Sky made her way to her compact car, noticing how many of her colleagues had already

deserted the school for a weekend of winter fun with their families and friends.

Knock it off, girl. Two days of Sky time is coming up, and you need to enjoy it, not sulk

in an ominous daze and a pond of self loathing.

Pushing through the cheerless thoughts, Sky started her car and made a left onto Coors

Boulevard, toward home in west Albuquerque.

Maybe she would go to the fair after all.

Chapter 7

Throughout the ride home, Sky kept thinking. What had been his intentions in asking

Dante about her? What had he hoped to do with the information if Lee had given it to Dante

and she passed it on to him? Write to her?

And say what?

He was too young to be above being vindictive. But why wait all these months? The

nagging question was why now? Why, after months of silence, had Cashmere, if Dante could

be trusted, want to contact her? She thought while she nestled on the couch with the book

she’d been looking forward to reading.

Hard knocks announced a visitor. Sky placed her novel down beside her on the sofa and

placed Moby onto the floor. He meowed at her with fury before darting off to the bedroom.

Sky hesitated. Who could it be? Nearly five o’clock and overcast, she wasn’t expecting

anyone. Her weekends belonged to her. Many of her friends were married with families with

the exception of Lee, who was now sliding down the slopes at Angelfire with her hunky

chunk of masculinity.

“Who’s there?” she called, stepping over the cat toys littering the hardwood floor. She

stopped at the door and listened.

“Aztec Florists. Delivery,” a male called.

She unlocked the door, confused despite the declaration.

Why would a florist be at her house? Probably looking for 814 instead of 812. The

homes all resembled each other so it was easy to get them confused. The joys of modern tract

housing.

“Delivery for Miss Sky Parker,” the young man said, grim and grouchy.

“That’s me.”

Once she opened the screen door, he thrust the big bouquet into her hands, the vase

nearly slipping from her grasp, and was nearly down the walkway before she even fished out

the card. The floral arrangement was immaculate; filled with brightly colored tulips, daisies,

and a few scattered roses. It smelled heavenly and she closed the door with a full blown smile

on her face.

“How nice,” she said, locking the door with her free hand. “Someone sent us flowers.”

She walked into the kitchen and placed the ivory glass vase down on the island. With a

shaky hand, she lifted the card from its tiny white envelope. Her stomach prickled with

nervousness.

“Thinking of you all day, all night, and wishing to kiss your lips once more…C.”

“C,” she scoffed and glanced at Moby. “Who the heck is C?”

But even as she posed the question, her heart spoke up at once.

Cashmere.

“Ridiculous,” she laughed, but stop abruptly.

He wouldn’t dare. Would he?

Lee said Dante had contacted her seeking information about her. Dante knew Cashmere

as her little tantrum at his hotel room proved. Was she looking for him? Why would his lover

help him find another woman? It didn’t make any sense.

“It’s all a bunch of nonsense. Some cruel joke that childish bitch Dante’s playing,” she

said, harshly snatching the pretty flowers’ vase and without another word, dropped it into the

trash can.

She stalked back into the living room, took up her seat at the sofa’s end and dove into

her novel in earnest. Serves Dante right. Playing around with her emotions.

But why would she after two months? Dante didn’t seem to be the kind of person who

languished and longed for one guy. Had she lost Cashmere, she would’ve moved on to

someone else carrying a fat cock and a nice line.

“So, why would she bother sending me flowers?” Sky asked, Moby who meowed in

earnest. “Unless she didn’t.”

After she read the same lines several times in her novel, Sky gave up and picked up her

telephone from the end table. She didn’t get Lee, and she hadn’t really expected to, but she

left a message.

“Lee, it’s me, Sky. Listen, can you give me a call when you get a chance; about the

whole Dante thing. Thanks.”

*****

Yet Saturday bled into Sunday and as day broke on Monday morning, Lee hadn’t

returned her call. Strange as it was, Lee’s pattern for returning calls fell under “law.” Her

B.F.F never missed returning calls. Period.

There’s a first time for everything.

During her prep, Sky tracked down Lee in the teachers’ lounge.

Lee reclined in one of the chairs, chewing on doughnuts and cookies in an alternate

fashion. The high sugar intake meant Lee had been out way too late the night before.

When she saw Sky, she swallowed the mouthful of sweets and coughed out, “Oh hey!”

“Any reason you didn’t return my call?” Sky asked, sitting down without pausing as

she slipped into the chair across from her. “I’m sure you were busy. But don’t mind me. I’ll

be sitting by the telephone all weekend…”

“Listen, I got your message,” she said with a shrug. “But after your little comments

Friday, I figured you could stew a bit.”

Sky felt her cheeks grow warm. Yep. She so deserved that.

“I got flowers delivered to me Friday afternoon,” she said, letting her anger at being

snubbed go. “From someone labeled as “C”. Any idea who that could be, Leah? How would

anyone get my home address?”

“Oh, ho, we’re using my real name,” Lee said snickering. “Conjuring my momma, are

we? You must be very serious.”

“I’m serious, Lee. We don’t know these people. They could be thieves, murderers, or

God knows what.”

“True,” Lee said. “That why the flowers came to my house first, and I forwarded them

on to you once I cleared them of bombs, booby traps, and worms.”

“You what?” Sky scoffed, bolting upright in seat.

Lee shuffled in her chair uncomfortably, and avoided Sky’s eyes.

“I didn’t think you’d appreciate me giving out your address and personal info. But I

didn’t want you to miss out on something good, so I gave her my addy to see if it was

legitimate. It seems Cashmere is hung up on you something fierce.”

“Cashmere?”

“Yeah, according to Dante, you gave the youngster a head full of lust for you,” Lee said

soberly, finally meeting Sky’s eyes. “He’s been searching you out, Caramel, and he won’t be

told no.”

“You’ve talked to him?” Sky asked, peering at Lee with mounting horror.

“Only through email and a few online chats,” she held up her hand to stop Sky’s

questions before they started. “And before you chew out me, he knew I wasn’t you.”

Thank goodness, she didn’t pretend to be me.

That was only one relief. This news from Lee wrought a bunch more.

“W—what did he say?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper slipping through her

rapidly closing throat.

Lee can’t be serious. I mean, Cashmere sent me those flowers currently deodorizing my

garbage can. Why? It’s been months. She’s been talking to him via email and online chatting?

What gives?

“Well, he said he’s been looking for you. I told him to bug off as I heard he had his

hands filled with lovers since he was a regular at freak parties.”

Lee shrugged with the roll of her eyes.

“He argued that he hadn’t been to a freak party since that one in Vegas. Naturally I

didn’t buy it and asked Dante. She confirmed.”

None since the one in Vegas.

“…because of you. He said he wanted you, needed you, and had quite the crush on you.

Crush is my word, not his.”

“And you bought his line of crap?” Sky scoffed.

“I didn’t believe him either, but the more I read, the more I realized something,” Lee

said, her normally smiling face falling into calm, serious peace. “He is crazy about you. I have

no earthly clue why, but you should talk to him, Sky.”

“I’ll do no such thing,” she snapped before she could even think about it. The thought

of him with Dante came rushing to her mind, flooding all logic and possible arguments to the

contrary. His head buried between her thighs, those same kissable lips pressing against

Dante’s glistening puss, made her stomach churn in disgust.

“I kissed him, Lee. Those same thin lips that were on Dante!”

“Don’t be a prude,” Lee laughed. “If that’s your only hang up, maybe you should talk

to Cashmere about what happened between him and Dante first. And when you do, remember

something. It was a freak party.”

“That doesn’t excuse his behavior,” Sky argued, feeling foolish at the expression on

Lee’s face. Her cheeks felt flushed and suddenly hot, Sky fanned herself with her hand.

“It doesn’t?” Lee scooted up in her seat and leaned onto the table. “You’re not making

any sense. He wasn’t your boyfriend, or anyone’s until you met him. And from what I hear,

you left him, riding off on your high horse, tossing back accusations about him having a black

woman fetish.”

Sky gasped as if Lee had smacked her. The wave of truth unyielding as it collided with

her staunch pride.

“So why the hang up on him and Dante?”

Sky heard Lee’s argument and knew her friend spoke the truth.

It was a logically sound argument. She slumped back into her chair and thought about

why it bothered her so much. Dante had tasted Cashmere and vice versa. He hadn’t been

anyone of importance to her, until, until she decided to go to his hotel room. At that moment,

she had claimed him as hers, as ridiculous as that unconscious move was. She knew he’d done

something with Dante because they left the party together. Sky had witnessed Cashmere

calling her name as she exited the freak party, and still when it was shoved in her face,

hearing Dante call him lover and discuss his being with her unnerved her.

The answer lay directly beneath her blouse, riding along the surface of her still

damaged heart. Ted was the hammer that shattered her heart. Some men use their fists to beat

a woman into submission. Ted used his mouth. His tongue lashings were so severe, Sky had

lost four dress sizes in two months from not eating. Her mother had intervened and got her to

leave him at last, solely by showing Sky pictures of her failing health. She didn’t even realize

it at the time, so strong was Ted’s power over her view of herself.

Fat bitch. Save some food for the rest of us. God, why would I want to touch your fat

lard ass? Ted taunted in her head. He slept with dozens of women, she discovered over the

years, all young things, pretty, thin, and well, more than ten years younger.

Yes, Ted had scarred her greatly, telling her for the last two years about how

unattractive she was; fat and lumpy like the doughboy. So often in fact Sky had stopped

eating. Even now, eating was difficult for her, but Lee kept her on track. Especially when they

were at school in the teacher’s lounge. Currently at a decent weight, some three years after her

official divorce, Sky knew it was this that bothered her most about Cashmere and Dante.

That night, naked before someone as attractive as Cashmere, she panicked when she

heard Dante, a young woman, was going to take something she had. Though she knew

Cashmere wasn’t Ted, the terror struck her like a knife the moment she heard Dante call him

lover.

Lover. Her boy toy was someone else’s lover.

The single, solitary word forced her to the point of tears of frustration. Here she was

again, being shunted to the side for a younger, more attractive woman.

And the panic made her freeze all thoughts about him.

Now, in the heated light of a new day, regret haunted her. The fact was plain. She’d let

memories of Ted into her new life, violating her sense of person, and allowed him to

dismantle her self esteem. She thought she was beyond his reach, beyond his terrorizing

methods, but now, she wasn’t so sure.

“You think I’m an idiot,” she said to Lee.

“I think you’re overly cautious sometimes,” Lee said in a hushed tone. She patted Sky’s

arm. “I say talk to him, get to know him, and see for yourself if he ain’t just some damn boy

toy, or something more. But I’ll tell you this, boy toys don’t seek out one person. They’re

available for everyone. Commitment ain’t their cup of tea.”

Sky swallowed the emotional lump in her throat. Take away the toy, fine, but he’s still a

boy.

“Give me the email address,” she said to Lee, her voice like her hands, trembling with

emotions.

Chapter 8

A month later, November

Nestled against her sofa, playfully stroking her cat, Moby, Sky watched through her

windows as the first flakes of snow from the predicted blizzard fell to the ground. With her

blinds opened and a small fire flickering in the corner fireplace, the living room seemed as if

she had been transplanted to someplace else. A ski lodge in Aspen, or Lake Tahoe, anywhere

but where she actually was—high desert New Mexico. Lying beneath her Lobos blanket,

Moby cuddled beside her, meowing in complete contentment which Sky envied.

“Moby, they’re predicting four to six inches for the valley.” The purrs grew louder as if

glad for the precipitation. “For us, six to eight inches.”

Dozing against the shadowy warmth created within the room, Sky’s mind wandered to

Cashmere. Ever since she came back, all she’d been able to think about was him. She’d

caught herself doodling his name across her notes at faculty meetings. At night she’d even

woken herself up screaming for him in ecstasy. And the shower and baths all centered on him.

Her dildo had a new name—Cash because the payoff orgasm was based on him. She’d given

up even trying to think about or meet anyone else.

Lying there, cozy and warm, with the vibrations from Moby’s excessive purring

humming through her, Sky closed her eyes and at once Cashmere appeared. His inky hair and

charismatic smile that said everything would be given to him—in time. Her body, her soul,

her heart, yes, he’d win them all.

“Smug bastard,” she said aloud, making Moby stretch in annoyance. “If he hadn’t been

so smug, so freakin’ all about tasting the berry, things might’ve been different, Moby.”

Moby meowed in chorus and hopped off with his tail high in the air as if saying

“Whatever.”

Three solid knocks roused her from the sofa.

Who the heck is out in this mess?

Lee, her mind plugged in the blank, answering her question. She had few other friends.

Her correspondence with Cashmere had gone to nowhere because although she took the email

address, she couldn’t write him. Each time she sat at her laptop with the email address typed

in, her mind went blank. What was she supposed to say?

Hey, I masturbate thinking about you every night. Write back, okay?

Yes, that would’ve gone over well.

“Oh, Lee, it’s a mess out there,” Sky said, tossing the blanket to the end of the sofa.

“Coming!”

Outside the darkening sky showed only cold, steel gray clouds. Sky slowed. Why

would Lee be here? She was heading to Durango for skiing. She left right after work, no

doubt, for that was at least five hours away. Being Veteran’s Day weekend, they had four

days of vacation time, so why would Lee be outside her door on her front porch?

Nervous, Sky inched closer to the door, her socked feet falling silently on hardwood

floors. Crackling and licking the air, the fire glowed against adobe walls casting long shadows

with careless abandon. She shuddered.

To open or not to open.

“That is the question,” she said to herself aloud. Right. When she’s started talking to

herself, then she knew her sanity was next.

Even Moby didn’t want to hang around. He’d vanished back into the rear bedroom with

a shrill “meow”.

“Thanks, you coward,” Sky whispered.

Three more knocks in rapid session made her jump.

“Who—who is it?” she called, hearing the tremble in her voice, she deepened it and

said, “I’m not alone in here.”

“Me.”

The one word shot directly through to her heart.

Me.

Cashmere.

Ripping the locks off as swiftly as she could, Sky couldn’t believe her ears. Was it

possible he’d come to see her? In this terrible storm? Lee had hinted, but Sky hadn’t dared to

believe it.

Before she knew it, the door was flung open and standing on her porch in a slick, ebony

trench coat with the collar pulled up against the wind, matching hat and leather gloves,

Cashmere grinned at her.

“You trying to make me into an icicle or what?” he asked.

“No, no,” Sky unlatched the screen door and pushed it opened. “Come inside, please,

get out of this storm.”

Stepping out of his path, Sky couldn’t believe it was him even though as he passed, she

smelled his scent, not his cologne, but him. The masculine aroma of MAN made goose bumps

sprout and her clit pulsed at once.

He stopped short in the foyer, looking around the living room, and nervously wringing

his hands.

She took her time shutting the doors, using the moments to try to come up with

something to say. If she couldn’t think of anything to say via email, what the hell was she

going to say with him in her living room?

At the same time, she pondered how she was going to kill Lee for passing on her

information to a complete stranger.

When at last she turned to finally take a look at him, Sky sucked in her breath. He’d

removed his hat and his hair was tousled and wild, as he shook it for rogue snowflakes. One

hand held both his leather gloves, while his free hand ruffled his hair, shaking icy chips to the

floor. Feeling her eyes on him he stopped, his cheeks pink with cold.

“This is New Mexico?”

She smiled.

“Yes, actually, it is. We get all four seasons this far north, just like everyone else. This

is Albuquerque, not Phoenix,” she said, coming closer to him, but not daring to touch him.

Cashmere began unbuttoning his coat, taking his eyes off her.

“Yeah, I had to buy this here. San Diego never gets this cold. Ever,” he said, voice flat,

the cheeriness gone. “Look good?”

“Yes,” she said, her voice squeaking out of the thickness of her rapidly closing throat.

God he looked more than good, he looked delicious, delectable and she wanted to unwrap him

from that coat like a piece of smooth, creamy candy.

Stunned she couldn’t quite get over the fact that Cashmere was in her home, standing in

her living room. A man she never thought she’d ever see again.

“What are you doing here?” she croaked, hugging herself. “How is it that you’re here?”

Cashmere caught himself mumbling about snow and winters in Montana.

His eyes moved up to meet her at last. The smooth, cool grin he gave her the first time

he saw her was on his face. Disarming her fear, Cashmere’s smile was infectious, but it didn’t

erase her question, or her eagerness to have it answered.

“I’m here to see how you are,” he said defeated. “I’ve been worried and wondering

about you for months, I’ll be honest. I didn’t like how you left in Vegas. It’s nagged at me

something fierce.”

Struck temporarily mute, Sky grappled mentally for words.

No way. He didn’t come here to see if I was okay. All this way? The expense alone

wouldn’t be worth it.

“I know it’s hard to believe, and I know this is awkward as hell, but I needed to see

you. Your friend, Lee, she didn’t give me your address. I hired a private investigator to track

you down. So, don’t be angry with her.”

Sky couldn’t believe it. She stalked over to her sofa and plopped down.

A private investigator. The boy toy had done all of this, flowers for weeks on end, a

P.I., and now a flight from San Diego here. Why?

“If I didn’t find you, Sky, I would be locked in a mental ward, homeless or both. I was

losing myself to nothing but thoughts of you,” Cashmere said as if he had heard her mental

questions loud and clear.

He hung his coat on the coat rack and stuffed his gloves and hat into the pockets before

turning around to the sofa and Sky.

“Me?” she managed to gasp, heart full out galloping.

“Yeah,” he said, hands on his hips, a heat erupting in his eyes, the quick lust making

them shiny, bright. “Is there anyone here with you?”

“That’s an odd question.”

Feeling a fluttering in her chest, Sky shifted uneasily. He came here not knowing if she

was married or living with someone. How crazy was he?

Young. Impulsive. Spontaneous.

“I—I’m sorry Cashmere. This is all coming way too fast for me,” she said, sitting

straight up. “There’s no one here, but Moby, my cat.”

“Oh,” he said, his entire body relaxing.

“What do you want?”

He laughed, turning to her direction, walking over to her, but stopping short of invading

her personal space or touching her. Standing before her, he didn’t sit, or even ask to sit. As if

knowing she was alone had somehow reinforced his hope, he grinned more and his body

language loosened up.

“I’ve come from San Diego to do what I said I would do four months ago. What I want,

right now, more than anything is you, Sky.”

“Stop!” she said firmly. She hugged herself as flashes of him with Dante came spiraling

to the forefront. “It—it isn’t that easy, boy toy.”

His eyebrow rose.

“Ah, boy toy,” he said, shaking his head as if he knew this was coming.

“It never really mattered that you were older than me. All that really mattered was that I

liked you and you liked me. Haven’t you gotten my flowers?”

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak any more.

“Then you know how I feel about you, about our age difference. I don’t give a damn. I

can do whatever men your age can do. Let me show you.”

“Dante,” she whispered. “You and she were lovers.”

A harsh sigh as if this was ridiculous rushed out him.

“Dante and I weren’t lovers the night you were in my hotel room,” he said gravely. “I

told you that then and it’s still true now.”

“I saw you leave with her,” Sky accused, not understanding why it should matter, but it

did. She had to know, or else this stumbling block wouldn’t ever be removed. Call her old

fashioned.

“You did. If you want the full story, I’ll tell you,” he said with a weariness infiltrating

his voice. “She—she gave me a blowjob.”

Sky waited.

Cashmere didn’t go on.

“Get out! You’re lying.”

What’s the matter with me?

Startled, but recovering quickly, Cashmere frowned, his eyes glittering out from the fall

of dark hair. “I’m not. You can ask her.”

He pulled his cellular phone from his hip and thrust it in her direction. “I even called

her you while she was going at it.”

“What?”

He nodded that it was true. “It took a lot of dinners at Anthony’s to get her to forgive

me and if she wasn’t dating my best friend she wouldn’t have helped me find you.”

He… that was it? No, I made a mistake.

“You didn’t, uh, return her favor?” Sky asked, feeling her cheeks grow warmer still and

she could even envision a little dunce cap on her head.

“No,” he said firmly and with so much conviction, Sky believed him.

“I told you. I’m here for you. I wanted you that night in Vegas too, but you didn’t want

to hear it. But believe it. Listen to my voice, my words, look at my face. Do I look like I’m

lying?”

“No,” she pulled her knees up into the chair. “You’re so young and then the Dante

thing...”

Frustrated, embarrassed, overwhelmed, Sky sighed, feeling her head throb as if it

wanted to explode. Pressing her hands to either side of her temples, she squeezed her eyes

shut.

Do I believe him? He’s a boy toy, a youngster with a massive hard on…this isn’t real.

“Don’t,” Cashmere said softly, crouching down beside her.

She opened her eyes to gaze upon him.

“Please, Sky. I’m in love with you. Believe this. Allow your heart to live again. I—I

don’t know who hurt you so much, but I’m not him. Trust me.”

Trust him?

“I don’t even know your last name,” she whispered through trembling lips. She forced

herself to look at him. To take in the lust smoldering in those eyes.

Cashmere’s green eyes met hers and he brushed his hand across her cheeks, gently

kissing the trails left in its wake with his thumbs.

“Martin,” he said softly. “My name is Cashmere Lionel Martin.”

She smiled, a small one.

“You know my name,” he said, getting to a standing position. “Now, what’s yours?”

“P—Parker.”

“It’s very lovely to meet you Ms. Parker,” he said and stuck out his hand. “I’d like to

take you to that sofa and fuck your brains out. May I?”

She sucked in her breath as if he’d hit her. The response was so out of the blue she

reeled back and every button on her body burst to ON.

“What?”

“You heard me,” he said, pulling his gray sweater over his head. Underneath was a

white tee-shirt. He smelled so nice, of soap and some spicy cologne.

God, the boy is nuts for real.

Thinking about what he had said moments earlier, and her own strong longing to do it

right if she had it ever to do again, Sky got up. Watching Cashmere’s clothes descend to the

floor in a heap, she couldn’t turn her eyes away from the lean, muscular body in front of her.

He caught her staring at him and grinned, his hair spilling around his shoulders. His cock

hidden in the thatch of dark brunette brush, he posed with both hands on his narrow hips.

“You like this, don’t you? Come on and touch me. I know you want to or else you

wouldn’t have ever come to my hotel room.”

Blushing, Sky turned her head away. When he put it in her face like that, it embarrassed

her—turned her own, yes, her clit was already beating at a feverish pace threatening to

explode the moment he touched her.

He offered his hand and pulled her into his embrace.

“You—you could get laid anywhere,” she said, voice a mere smidgen above whisper.

“Why me? I’m an old bag. You’re new shoes. We don’t match.”

He sighed. “Because, beautiful creature, I’m in love with you. Didn’t get the memo?

Okay, I’ll say it again, this time louder so that your heart can hear it too.”

And then, he screamed as loud as he could, “I LOVE YOU!”

When he fell silent again, he was smiling.

“I like old shoes. They’re comfortable, loved. So, get over here and leave that

emotional shit over there,” he said. “I’m Cashmere Martin. Not some asshole who made you

believe you weren’t fucking hot. Look, no Sky, look at me. This is for you, because of you.”

He ran his hand over his growing phallus. “I want you. Believe that. I’m not here for

the weather or the sights, except the ones tattooed on your curvy, completely lovable body.”

Does he mean all of this?

Does it even matter? Does this young boy love me? He thinks he does, but it doesn’t

matter. Nothing matters except having his lips on mine.

She stood in front of the sofa, her fuzzy orange slippers and white gown still on. In that

moment, she let go of everything.

Cashmere twisted her around and he sat down on the sofa. He beckoned her down to sit

between his spread eagle legs. She sat down between his outstretched legs. Curious as to why

he chose this position.

With each one of his legs on either side of her, he scooted up until his crotch was

positioned between her buttocks. Sky could feel his hardness against her ass, but didn’t run.

No, she was done running for tonight.

Maybe forever.

Sweeping her hair over her shoulder so that it fell against her face, Cashmere planted a

soft kiss on her neck, just behind her ear. Drawing her back into him, his tongue drifted up to

her earlobe and he nibbled on it, taking it between his teeth and rolling it across his tongue.

“I am so in love with you,” he breathed into her ear, sending shivers across her body.

“Me and you forever. Do you hear me?”

“Yes,” she hissed as his hands roamed over her gown, brushing her nipples and

bellybutton. “God, yes.”

Yanking on the gown, Cashmere pulled it up and over her head, leaving her naked at

last in his presence. She tensed and with him behind her she didn’t know what he was

thinking or seeing. The love handles? The rippled back. She wasn’t a spring chicken anymore.

To her surprise, instead of his laughter or worse, his erection inflate, Sky felt his cock

grow taller against her. In minutes his fingers were on her back, tracing invisible shapes and

his lips dropped kisses here and there. He rubbed his face against her shoulder blades,

moaning as he did so.

“You are just so delicious, Sky. So soft, so supple,” he said, his voice rough and raw

with unleashed lust. His lips brushed along her side, up to her underarms and down again as

far as he could go. “Mmmm, I’ve dreamed of holding you, like this.”

Dreams of me?

Unable to reach the parts of her he wanted, Cashmere said, “Turn toward me.”

Sky got up and with great effort turned to face him.

Instead of a face filled with disgust at her sloping breasts and round tummy,

Cashmere’s sucked in a deep breath and let it out with a rush of “damn, you are so hot.”

He pulled back, and looked across to her. Seated on his lap they were eye level with

each other. What she found in that gaze, behind the steamy lust spilling out of them was

adoration.

Quite possibly love.

Slipping his hands away from her breasts, he cupped her head and brought her closer to

him, to his lips. He kissed her, light and softly at first, but as she thrust her tongue into his

mouth, the kiss became more enthralled, more sexual.

Like a tiny cock moving around my mouth. Give it to me, loverboy.

Cashmere ravaged her lips in a hard, possessive kiss after kiss, his hands rubbing her

hair, before sliding down her back and snatching her ass. Before she could speak, he parted

her buttocks, one cheek in each hand.

“Do you know how incredible you are?” he asked smoky, his eyes mere slits in his

face. From behind, one of his hands let go of her buttock. Slipping his fingers between her

legs, Cashmere caressed the soft mound there, feeling her wetness, and teasing her swollen,

throbbing clit. “Do you know?”

“No,” she whispered, turned on by how stimulated Cashmere was by her presence.

Tickling it some more, Cashmere was far from laughing. He meant business. Arching

her breasts up and twisting her nipples between her thumb and forefinger, she gasped. He

leaned toward her, clasping his hot mouth over her nipple, sucking on her breast as if his life

depended on it. Biting and squeezing her orbs, Cashmere rubbed the other one with his

thumb, making her gush all at once. Burying her hands in his silken strands, Sky pulled him

closer, and he sucked in more of her tingling nipple. Stony pointed nipples grew under the

caress of his mouth, making her clit swell and her pussy twitch.

“Oh, God, do it again.”

His tongue, a maverick against her nipples, twirled across the peak pinning her against

him mouth in pure pleasure. Cupping the other breast, Cashmere bit it harder than before and

she gasped, giving a little yelp. His other hand twisted its twin sending her in a flurry of bliss.

Sky readjusted her position and straddled him, feeling his now rigid rod brush her clit.

Liking the lightning jolt, she rubbed her clit over the head of his cock again, making him

moan and squeeze her breast hard.

“Tease,” he growled against her breasts.

“You think so?” she purred back and did it again.

“My turn,” he whispered hoarsely.

His hand went to her wet opening and gently glided over her labia, feeling their moist

swollen surface. She at once arched and thrust her pelvis toward him, eagerly seeking his

finger into her vacant tunnel.

But he didn’t give in to her body’s pleas. He traced invisible figures across her

throbbing lips with occasional side trips up to her clit, which he pinched before dipping down.

Quivering, Sky said, “No fair. Tease!”

“What do you want?” he whispered roughly, his voice heavy with lust, and triumph in

his smile.

“You inside me,” she said, her nails digging into his back. “Now!”

Without another word, he slipped one of his fingers into her hot warmth and she

shuddered around the digit.

“So wet, damn, baby, is that all for me?” he asked.

She could feel him smile against her bellybutton as he worked his finger in and out of

her puss.

“More,” she breathed.

He added another finger and then one more and threw back her head in pleasure as his

fingers glided in and out, but they weren’t what she truly wanted. He watched her as he finger

fucked her, giving her more when she asked, but he seemed more interested in reading the

pleasure on her face.

“Oh, Sky, you’re so wet. Ready and wet for me, aren’t you?” Cashmere panted

caressing Sky’s hooded button more and more. “Don’t you know how sexy you are?”

“No,” she whispered, licking her lips and feeling the craving pile into her stomach, the

twitching increasing. She knew he wanted her, but he wanted her to say it aloud.

“Let me show you.”

He removed his hand, and with that, he speared her with his cock, slamming her onto

him as he shot upward. Buried in her piquant, wet tunnel, Cashmere shuddered and began a

slow dance, guiding Sky, his hands on her waist, gripping the very love handles of which she

had been ashamed.

“Ah, ah,” he moaned. “Sky.”

He latched his lips onto her nipple and licked, kissed, teased as she rode him. Up and

down, grinding him deeper, she couldn’t believe how incredibly thick he was. Their fitting

was so snug, Sky thought she’d burst if he pushed any more, but she didn’t.

As they galloped together toward an explosive end, Sky grabbed Cashmere’s shoulders,

bracing herself for him, feeling her muscles tighten around him like a thousand tiny hands,

pulling and yanking his delicious member.

A blur, Sky bounced and bounced, driving him deeper, making her sigh and yelp.

“Yes! Oh, yes!” she heard herself screaming and at once a boom went off in her head,

she tensed and stars dotted her vision. Spasms shot through her, and she shuddered

uncontrollably.

A breath afterward, with her pussy twitching from the orgasm’s aftershock, Cashmere

screamed, “Sky! Ah, yeah, Sky!” before pumping her once or twice more, she lost count. He

held her there as his body locked in one massive spasm shot upward into her, unmoving

except for the jerking and occasional shudder.

When he collapsed back onto the sofa, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight,

his shrinking member still inside her, where Sky realized she always wanted him to be.

Chapter 9-Epilogue

Christmas Day

The salty sea breeze whipped about the air, carelessly tousling Sky’s loosely curled hair

and infiltrating Cashmere’s nostrils, stirring his senses, making him cough, and ever more

aware of the sweet scent wafting up from the woman at his side. With the burnt orange throw

wrapped casually about her smooth shoulders, Sky glanced out at the gray and choppy Pacific

Ocean. He watched her eyes twinkle at the amazing view Coronado Island presented. At this

hour, on this day, the beach remained empty at noon, surprising as it was such a picturesque

place. The overcast sky drifted across in a leisurely manner having chased most beach-goers

away with threatened rain.

“It’s so beautiful out here, Cash,” she said, turning to him and smiling.

Each time she gave him that small gift, her joy, it winded him, and made his heart a

buoy in his chest, surfing the sea of change and joy. He loved how she’d used his nickname as

casually as if she’d known him his entire life. At times like this, he believed he had fallen

quite in love with her, their souls having met long before being placed in their bodies.

“Yes, it is,” he said softly, fingering the lump in his pocket, making his adrenaline rise.

Though the present was for Sky, he was nearly giddy with the idea of giving it to her. His

heart swelled tight against his chest.

She blushed, feeling the hot lust in his eyes reach out and stroke her. Still grinning, she

laid her hand against his chest, winding herself into his embrace. They stopped, and stared at

the great sea.

The tiny ring box in his pocket pressed against his thigh as if demanding to be freed. It

symbolized everything the past month had brought him—and her.

I’m ready for this—been ready. The first moment I saw her, there wasn’t ever going to

be anyone else. But I’ll take it slow. Let her be ready to take it slow with me.

What will I do if she isn’t?

Can’t think about that now.

Shoving all doubts deep inside, he guided her to stand in front of him, a puzzled

expression on her face.

“Cash…”

Before she could ask, he placed his index finger to his lips and shushed her. He allowed

himself the one kiss across her pillow soft lips before he took the plunge. With her hands

firmly planted on her delicious hips, he inched the box out of his jeans and took a deep breath.

He kept one arm draped around her to steady himself as much as her.

Quivering beneath his embrace, Sky kept her eyes on his face, uncertainty making her

scowl. “What is going on with you?”

Who has done this to you? Has hurt you to the point where even now you can’t trust

me. You’re so sweet. How could someone have harmed you and made you scared about

something as small as a token of love? You shouldn’t feel guilty for living and enjoying life. I

won’t allow you to feel that way any longer.

He wanted to strangle the bastard with his own hands, and he wasn’t a violent man.

The past was gone and what lay ahead proved his only concern.

She’d tell him in time—in her time.

“Sky,” he said, feeling the buzzing nervousness spread out from his stomach and into

his throat, “a very different name, baby, but one I want linked to mine.”

“Ha! Is it any stranger than Cashmere?” she asked, the spark of her personality lighting

up as the wind blew through her hair scattering the strands across her face as if it too wanted

to touch her.

“Oh, no. It’s a wonderful name. Unique, like you.”

He drew her closer to him. Her softness meld against him.

She went very still—waiting.

“Sky, the last month has been incredible, and even that isn’t quite adequate. Words

can’t express it, nor can my hands, though I have tried to show you, to tell you how much you

mean to me…”

He let go of her hand and dug around in his pocket for the gift. Once he freed it from

his jacket’s pocket, he said, “For us baby.”

Silently, he took her hand in his, turned it over palm up and lifted it higher. He placed

the ring box in her hand.

She blushed.

“Y—you can’t be serious, Cashmere…”

“I am very serious about our commitment to each other,” he said, laughing but inside

his stomach felt like he’d swallowed a bucket of cold worms. “Open it.”

Please don’t tell me she only wanted a short term thing. God, I can’t take that right

now.

She bit her lip. “Cash, this is so soon…”

“Will you just open it?”

She sighed and removed the purple bow. With her eyes watering, she cracked open the

box, allowing at last, the tears to spill over and race down her cheeks.

“Don’t cry baby,” he cooed and kissed the droplets away. “I want you to be happy.”

“I am.”

“Good.”

The silver ring with its princess cut sapphire with pearls along each side seemed to light

up her face.

“No, Cashmere, this isn’t an engagement ring...”

“No, but will you be my girlfriend?”

“What?” she balked and slapped him on the shoulder. “Your girlfriend!”

“Yeah. I figured it was time to make sure you knew and I knew that we were a steady,

serious thing,” he said smiling. “Boy toys are for playing around. My love for you is nothing

short of eternal, and baby, I plan to make you my wife, but today, right now, I want you to

commit to us.”

She glared at him, the ring box hovering in her hand at shoulder level as if she meant to

throw it.

“Commit to us? Yes! I want nothing else, but you, wrapped in my arms.”

She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his mouth.

He laughed and returned her kiss, falling deeper and crushing her against him as he

meant to merge with her, their two becoming one.

Perhaps not now, but one day soon…

THE END