Kissed by a Carrington. Linda Hudson-Smith

      Inside his beautifully appointed lakefront home, decorated by one of the finest interior design firms in the greater Houston area, Houston headed straight for the huge, delightful kitchen, which featured dark cherry-wood cabinets and every modern piece of stainless-steel appliance and complementary equipment available for purchase. The high table with high-back bar stools was large enough to seat eight. Above the center island hung a built-in rack holding a variety of copper pots, pans and other cooking utensils.

      Opening the door of the two-sided stainless-steel refrigerator, Houston pulled out a bottle of water. Twisting off the cap, he tossed it in the garbage can and then walked through the spacious one-story home, which had a formal living room, a more open casual great room, a family room, a dining room, built-in bookshelves lining the rooms and halls and several fireplaces.

      Once Houston reached his massive master suite, decorated in gray, red and navy blue, he plopped down on the humongous mattress, which had been custom-made to accommodate his size. A ceiling fan/lighting fixture hung directly over the center of the bed. Two more fans hung from the ceiling in the attached retreat.

      Works of Black and Asian art graced every single wall, along with a variety of shiny wall sconces holding appropriately sized candles. The majority of the bedroom featured recessed lighting, with the exception of several brass lamps positioned around the room. His home was equipped with the finest in office equipment and the latest state-of-the-art audio and visual components. Several glass bookcases were filled with books in a host of genres. CDs and DVDs were stored in a built-in cabinet.

      Deciding to take a shower before lying down, Houston rushed into the bathroom and opened the glass door leading to the largest stall architectural plans would allow for. The shower was equipped with four separate showerheads, two fixed and two handheld. Each head adjusted to the user’s desired water temperature.

      Houston hastily tore himself out of his clothing and stood under the jet stream of steamy water. The moment the hot liquid hit his body, he felt his muscles relax. His mind then went straight to Kelly.

       Chapter 3

      Freshly showered and naked as a jaybird, Houston slid under the blue, gray and red comforter and lodged two king-size down pillows under his head. As his thoughts of Kelly continued, he recalled the icy tone of voice she’d used earlier. Some guys might’ve called her frigid because of it. He had to laugh at that.

      The layers of heat he imagined on the surface and beneath the tiers of Kelly’s soft but firm flesh belied such. His body had sizzled at the slightest touch from her. Her skin had to be silky soft and pliable because it looked that way. The idea of caressing Kelly everywhere on her shapely body caused his manhood to respond.

      Since turning off his wondrous thoughts was impossible, Houston phoned Dallas. Once he got his brother on the line, he dialed Austin’s number. This situation called for a three-way.

      Austin answered the phone, sounding drowsy. “You sound out of it,” Houston remarked. “Dallas is on the phone, too. I initiated the call, but we can do this later.”

      “No, man, it’s cool,” Austin assured his brother. “I’ve been awake a few minutes. What’s happening in your world, Houston? What’re you up to?”

      “Up to my neck in thoughts of Kelly Charleston! You won’t believe this…” Houston said.

      “What?” Dallas asked, yawning.

      “The beautiful lady is under contract with the Cyclones,” Houston revealed.

      Austin whistled. “Signed on in what capacity?”

      “A sports medicine physician. When Max announced it just before we met her, I nearly fell out of my seat. Did you know she was a doctor, Austin?”

      “Not a clue. Sounds like you’re cornered, my brother.” Austin chuckled under his breath.

      “That’s not the half of it. I asked her out on a date, after I hurt her feelings.”

      Dallas gave a disgruntled snort. “What did you do or say to offend her?”

      Houston told his brothers about the offensive remark he’d made about fulfilling his lunch date obligation for Haven House.

      “Ouch,” Austin exclaimed. “That’s my fault. I guess you know by now I lied to you about why you had to accept the date.”

      “It’s a little too late for regret now, don’t you think? I told her I’d been lied to, but not by whom. She took serious offense to my comment.”

      “Houston, you’re way too sensitive to do something like that,” said Dallas. “This girl is already getting to you.”

      “I agree,” Austin seconded. “Asking her out on an official date, especially after putting up such a fuss about the lunch, is also very telling.”

      “A classic sign of falling hard,” Dallas remarked. “I suggest you go with your feelings.”

      “Who said anything about feelings or falling hard?” Houston shouted.

      “You just did,” Dallas responded loud and clear. “There are definitely some feelings happening here, whether you want to admit it or not. I can’t recall the last time you had a follow-up date with any sister. Maybe you did in high school or college but certainly not lately.”

      “I like her, Houston,” Austin confessed. “She seems like a nice person. She’s real, man.”

      “Very real,” Houston said, blowing out a breath of frustration. “I mentioned taking her to our family dinners.”

      “Make it happen soon,” Austin recommended. “Is she under contract to travel with the team?”

      “No.” Houston was quick to respond. “I can’t say I’m sorry about that. Things could get complicated under that scenario. I don’t want my teammates getting wind of this. If they do, they’ll ride me like a bucking bronco.”

      “The guys will definitely find out if this relationship progresses into something serious,” Dallas advised. “You know how our teammates sniff out any hint of rumor or innuendo.”

      Houston sighed hard. “There you guys go again, always jumping to conclusions. We haven’t had a next date, but you’re both talking like we’re already deep into something.”

      “I hate to let you in on this, bro, but you are in deep,” Austin cautioned Houston. “You just won’t let go of the tight control on your silly commitment notions. Let yourself feel this woman. But we won’t harass you. Just don’t take too much time to make up your mind.”

      “Yeah, man, we’re with you,” Dallas assured, knowing they’d harass Houston at every turn, more so if he decided to keep Kelly at arm’s length. “Make sure you know what you’re doing. You don’t want to hurt her. Maybe it’s time to let loose the Doberman inside you, the one guarding your heart. No one ever knows the beginning from the end, but finding out what’s in between can be a beautiful experience.”

      “Dallas is right, Houston. Now that I have you two guys on the phone,” Austin said, “there’s something important we need to discuss.”

      Seated in the cavernous kitchen inside Austin’s ranch-style home, Houston looked tired. He had gotten up earlier this Saturday morning than he’d intended. It had been hard to get out of bed. After talking with his brothers about Kelly last night, he’d lain awake until the wee hours of the morning thinking of the lady doctor.

      The conversation had ended with Austin calling a meeting to discuss plans for Angelica’s birthday. The brothers wanted to do something extraordinary for their mother, their biggest supporter. It was a daunting task since they showered her with special gifts all year long.

      “Dining in a fancy restaurant is old hat,” Houston drawled lazily. “We do it all the time.”

      Dallas’s