Chapter 1

      On a lovely day in early June, wild screams, overzealous whistling and hand clapping thundered through the cavernous restaurant. There didn’t appear to be a single woman—young, middle-aged or elderly—who didn’t find handsome, toffee-complexioned Houston Carrington sinfully sexy. The NBA’s Texas Cyclones’ power forward, a confirmed bachelor, couldn’t help but smile at the wild reactions as he made his way to a reserved table inside the popular restaurant All About Appetites, an upscale eatery in downtown Houston, Texas. He was used to this.

      The ladies’ instant recognition of the hometown sports hero made Houston feel good. He was a man who enjoyed women of all types, shapes and sizes.

      The moment the hostess seated Houston, a male waiter approached him with caution and obvious reverence. “Good afternoon, Mr. Carrington. Welcome back to All About Appetites. It’s a pleasure to serve you. Interested in starting with a drink, sir?”

      Recognizing the waiter’s nervousness, Houston extended his hand to the young guy while reading his name tag. “Thanks, Alex. Please bring me a bottle of mineral water. I’m expecting another party, so we’ll order appetizers and meals once my companion arrives.”

      “Right away, Mr. Carrington,” Alex said, quickly backing away from the table.

      Houston drummed his fingers on the table, looking back and forth between his watch and the entryway. His date wasn’t late; he was early by fifteen minutes.

      A bad case of nerves could knock a man off his normal course, he thought.

      As Houston thought about his beautiful luncheon companion and how the date had come about, his drop-dead-gorgeous smile came easy. The first time he’d met her was nothing more than a brief introduction by a friend at a Christmas party six months ago. The second time he saw her was at a charity auction to raise money for Haven House, a foster-care home. Both sightings had remained crystal clear in his mind.

      Looking like she belonged on the front cover of a fashion magazine, a stunning female, with rich, dark sienna skin, had stood to make a bid. Thick, glossy, reddish-brown hair swept her shoulders. She was clearly intent on winning the auction entry when she’d lifted her hand as high as her bid of twenty-five hundred dollars.

      The fabulous-looking male being auctioned off for a celebrity lunch date was Houston’s brother Austin, who was the Texas Wranglers’ quarterback. The toffee-complexioned dead ringers were only two members of the Carrington triplets, who played different professional sports in front of their hometown Houston fans. The other brother, Dallas, played shortstop for the National Baseball League’s Texas Hurricanes.

      Houston recalled the audible gasps that had swept through the room over the amount bid. The smug look on Austin’s ex-fiancée’s face had quickly changed to an expression matching her evil, hateful ways. Clearly, Sabrina Beaudreaux was not a happy participant. Determined to win, Sabrina had tried topping the last bid by another five hundred dollars, but to no avail. Kelly Charleston, the stunning beauty, was not to be denied.

      For the next few minutes, Sabrina and the model-type, five-foot-seven Kelly held a private bidding war. The numbers had gotten so high no else dared to bid on Austin, though the ladies thought he was priceless. Since other gorgeous bachelors were to be showcased on the auction block, some women figured they’d save their bids for then.

      The next time Houston saw Kelly after the auction was at a Karamu feast held at Haven House on the last day of Kwanzaa. Each encounter was crystal clear in his mind.

      Houston glanced at the entry again. With no Kelly in sight, he sat back and recalled how this luncheon had been arranged. The details were ingrained in his mind.

      Austin had approached Houston. “I need a big favor.”

      Houston had been skeptical. “What’s on your mind?”

      Austin grinned. “I need you to swap places with me for the celebrity luncheon date. I don’t want to hurt Ashleigh. Sabrina knew I wasn’t among the celebrity auction participants when she pulled this fast one.”

      Houston wasn’t too thrilled. “And you went along with it because the cause is too important. Haven House needs all the money we can raise, right?”

      “What would you say if I told you the lady requested the swap? She says she met you at a Christmas party.”

      Houston nodded. “We were merely introduced. No conversation occurred between us. As for us swapping places, we haven’t done that since high school.”

      “The beautiful lady bid on me but I think she’d like lunch with you, Houston. Please accept it. I don’t want to risk losing the funds. It’s all for Haven House.”

      Houston had agreed to take the date in his brother’s stead. He could hear Austin’s plea as though it was happening right now. Due to home games and the hectic away schedule, this was the first chance he’d gotten to make good on his promise.

      Houston turned his thoughts from the past to the present. It was now Kelly time.

      Lovely Kelly Charleston slid out of her sand-colored Porsche sportscar and handed over her keys to the valet parking attendant. She had the top up even though the June day was warm and pleasant. She didn’t want to mess up her just-been-to-the-salon waves and curls. Dressed in a hip-hugging heather-gray dress, showing off all her eye-catching curves, she was a delightful and marvelous vision. The shiny gray-and-black patent stilettos added a couple inches more to her already graceful height. She was vivacious, beautiful and sexy—a total knockout.

      Kelly didn’t want to be late for her date with Houston Carrington, the sexy power forward for the NBA’s Texas Cyclones. A pretty hostess immediately escorted Kelly to the table where Houston awaited her arrival. His breath caught, causing him to swallow hard. She looked sensational. The kind of reaction he had to her wasn’t so unusual, but remaining his normal cool and aloof self in her presence might be difficult. It was the first time any woman impacted him so profoundly, and they’d only known each other a short time. Wrenching his eyes from her sexy figure wasn’t easy. Ladies didn’t come any more beautiful than this one.

      As Kelly arrived, Houston practically leaped to his feet. Lifting her hand, he gently kissed the back of it. “We have to stop meeting like this,” he teased. “You look stunning!” Pulling out a chair, he waited for her to sit before reclaiming his chair.

      “Thanks for the compliment. You’re quite handsome yourself,” she said flirtily. Kelly wasn’t worried about coming off as too forward. She smiled, revealing sparkling white teeth. “Hope I haven’t kept you waiting long.” Her voice was soft and smooth as silk, yet the rich, slightly husky intonation sounded seductive to him.

      Houston glanced at his watch. “You’re actually on time. I was a bit early.”

      Kelly nodded. “I like punctuality. It’s a great quality to possess.”

      He liked her candor and self-confidence. “I agree. I’m also a stickler for punctuality. Yet I hang around with a group of guys who habitually run late.”

      “Good friends of yours?” Kelly asked, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

      “My teammates. I can’t tell you how often our travel plans are delayed because of tardiness. Good thing we travel on the franchise’s private jet.”

      “Most professional sports teams do travel that way,” Kelly asserted. “My friend is an air traffic controller. He only handles corporate jets and privately owned aircraft.”

      “Interesting gig,” Houston remarked, wondering if Kelly was romantically involved with the