 
Blurb

Cannon Arrington has pushed aside a social life to dedicate his time to medical school, extracurricular activities, and helping others... that is, until he lays his eyes on the angelic face of Yasmine Dubose. For Cannon, meeting her was a breath of fresh air. Something about the bubbly, sexy teacher makes him realize he needs to stop and smell the roses.

Yasmine has had a crush on Cannon since high school, but he'd never noticed the nerdy freshman. Now she's blossomed into a woman who's full of life. She knows Cannon's drive for success is important to him, but she fears he'll become even more of a workaholic than her father, who died when she was a child.

Will Cannon settle down and learn how to balance his career and love life, or will he lose the simply amazing woman who has stolen his heart?

*****

Simply Amazing is a short prequel to the third book in the Arrington Family series, Only One for Me. I wanted to share a sneak peek into the life of the oldest Arrington sibling, Cannon and the love of his life, Yasmine. The prequel takes place 12 years before the actual book which will be released in 2013.

Happy reading!

CS
Simply Amazing

by

Candace Shaw

Copyright by Candace Shaw, December 2012

Cover Art by Shaw Press, December 2012

Edited by Melissa M. Ringsted

Shaw Press

Atlanta, Georgia

Smashwords Edition

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from Shaw Press.

Smashwords License Statement

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

A big thank you to reader, Sherika Williams, who won the opportunity for me to create a character using her name for Simply Amazing. Sherika has a special place in my heart. She is the very first person to contact me about my book, The Game of Seduction, before I was a published author after she'd read an excerpt I posted on my blog. It definitely put a smile on my face and gave me hope that someone besides my husband and my critique partners would enjoy my books. Thank you so much for your continued support, Sherika!

Chapter One

Cannon Arrington raced along the interstate in his white Mustang, shifting gears and weaving in and out of traffic. He'd overslept, as usual, and was running late to the Read-a-Thon at Garrett A. Morgan Elementary School. A second-year medical student at Meharry Medical College, he'd stayed up until three in the morning working on a presentation he had to give at noon. He'd hit the snooze button on the alarm clock a few times before realizing he had overslept.

Glancing at the time on the dash, he had twenty minutes to be seated in a first grade teacher's rocking chair to read a book. He'd volunteered with the graduate chapter of his fraternity, which adopted the school as a partner in education in order to show a more visible presence of positive African-American men as role models. His best friend and fraternity brother, Doug Winters, presided over the program and had persuaded Cannon to participate, which only added more to his already overflowing plate of activities outside of medical school.

He pulled into a parking space, popped the trunk, and grabbed the crate of books before he dashed into the front door of the school. Since it was the beginning of October, he decided he would read Stellaluna by Janell Cannon. It was one of his favorite books about a fruit bat that was raised by birds. He'd brought enough copies for each student in the class to have.

"What up, frat?"

Cannon turned his attention to the left to find Doug, who was dressed in a pair of khaki's, a black polo shirt with their fraternity crest, and holding a clipboard. Cannon had on the same attire. They met each other halfway.

"Good morning, Doug. Great minds think alike." They shook hands while doing their secret handshake, which went unnoticed by people walking by.

"Yes, except when it comes to setting the alarm clock. I had to switch you and Tony. You're now reading in Ms. Dubose's classroom. I'll walk with you."

"Dubose? My favorite teacher from high school was Ms. Dubose."

"Well, I doubt it's her. She's Sherika's best friend. They're from Memphis, like you, and teach across the hall from each other."

Cannon glanced sideways at his friend. "Oh, so that's why you chose this school," he said with a smirk. "Because your new girlfriend teaches here."

"She's not my girlfriend." They turned down a bright yellow hallway with colorful bulletin boards displaying student's work. "We're just hanging and getting to know each other." The gentlemen stopped in front of a door displaying cut-out autumn leaves falling from a tree. "Here's Ms. Dubose's classroom. I'll be across the hall reading," Doug said with a grin and a wink.

Cannon chuckled. "I'm sure you will be."

He turned toward the classroom door, shifted the crate of books on his left hip, and pushed open the already ajar door.

Approximately twenty students sat on an oversized carpet of the United States in front of a bulletin board with a calendar, student work, and a dry erase board. The students were listening intently as their teacher sat in a rocking chair, reading a book to them in the sweetest voice he'd ever heard.

"Ms. Dubose, we have company," a little boy stated in a loud tone.

She lifted her head, wearing a breathtaking smile on her angelic face, and his heart skipped a few beats. Her smile grew even wider and even more amazing as she tilted her head to the left with a look of recognition on her face. She handed the book to a little girl sitting in front of her. The teacher stood and proceeded toward him at the back of the classroom while the little girl continued reading the book to the class. He watched as the young teacher moved gracefully in a pair of gray dress slacks and a black, short-sleeved sweater, which complimented her small frame. Her sandy brown, layered bob framed her soft face, but he couldn't take his eyes off her smile. It warmed his heart.

She stopped a few feet in front of him and held out her hand. He set the crate of books on a desk and took her small hand into his.

"Hello. I'm Ms. Dubose. Welcome to my classroom."

"Thank you, Ms. Dubose. I'm Cannon Arrington."

She glanced at the students, who were sitting nicely on the carpet while their classmate read to them. "You probably don't remember me, but my mother is Emma Dubose at Frederick Douglass High in Memphis."

"She was my favorite teacher, and I do remember you." He paused and lowered his voice so the students wouldn't hear. "Yasmine. You would do your homework after school in your mother's classroom during our science club meetings. Surprised to see you in Nashville."

Yasmine flashed her beautiful smile again, and he had to hold in a sigh. She was so breathtaking. She had definitely grown up from the geeky, little freshman he remembered sitting shyly in her mother's classroom with her nose in a book. She was all woman now, and a fine one at that.

"I attended TSU. I just graduated in May and was offered a job here. And you?"

"I'm a student over at Meharry."

"Cool. Small world." She looked in the direction of her students as the little girl finished reading. The children had begun to speak quietly. "I'm so surprised to see you. I thought someone else was coming to read."

"Doug switched us. Well, I guess I better go read." He grabbed his autographed copy of Stellaluna and followed her toward the front of the classroom. He tried to keep his eyes straight ahead; however, they kept glancing at the cutest butt he'd ever seen.

The children's voices silenced when they saw their teacher approach. She stood next to the rocking chair and displayed that damn smile again. Cannon cleared his throat and tried to stay focused. He was there to read not lust over the teacher, but if she kept flashing that smile and shining her pretty brown, doe-like eyes on him, he wouldn't be able to concentrate.

"All right class. Let's welcome Mr. Arrington, a student at Meharry Medical College." Yasmine motioned for him to sit in her rocking chair. "What do we say, boys and girls?"

"Good morning, Mr. Arrington," all of the students said at once.

"Good morning, students," he said in an upbeat tone as he sat down. He glanced at Yasmine, who gave him an encouraging nod. She walked to her desk and perched on top of it. The sexy, bubbly teacher with the simply amazing smile was doing a number on him. He cleared his throat, opened the book, and prayed he could keep focused on reading and not Yasmine.

*****

Yasmine stared at Cannon as he read one of her favorite books to her class. She couldn't believe when she looked up and saw Cannon Arrington, her high school crush, standing in the back of her classroom. She'd almost fallen out of her rocking chair, but instead, quickly handed the book she was reading to one of her brightest students.

Of course, he never really spoke to her in high school; just an occasional hello or nod if he saw her in the hallway, but only because her mother was his mentor. He probably did so out of obligation considering he was a senior, and she was only a freshman. A nerdy, gawky-looking freshman with braces and whose mother was a science teacher at the school. Boys didn't even notice her until her junior year, when she somewhat blossomed, but were scared to ask her out because of her mother.

When she was fourteen, she thought he was the most handsome boy she'd ever laid her eyes on. Now at twenty-two, he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Her gaze casually roamed his chiseled face with the strong jaw line, butterscotch kissed skin and low-cut wavy hair. His deep, baritone voice—that sounded like a baby bird at the moment—sent electric shocks through every cell in her body. His over-powering presence seemed to take over the classroom. Around six feet one with a medium-build frame, he was way too big for her rocking chair.

She grabbed her camera to take a few pictures of Cannon and her students for the Read-a-Thon bulletin board and for her personal photo album, of course. She was disappointed when Cannon was done with his question and answer period. When she saw him glance at his watch, making a slight grimace, she knew it was time to wrap up.

"Thank you, boys and girls. I brought each of you a copy of Stellaluna.

The students cheered and clapped. Yasmine slipped from her desk and walked over to stand next to the rocking chair. His masculine, woodsy scent tantalized her nostrils, causing her to go weak for a second, but she quickly shifted gears and put on her teacher's hat.

"What do we say, class?"

"Thank you, Mr. Arrington," the students exclaimed in unison.

"You're very welcome. It was my pleasure." Cannon stood, and Yasmine's heart sunk a little. He was leaving.

"Can you come back next Friday?" a little boy asked, and the rest of the class began to beg in their cute little six-year old voices. Yasmine silently begged in her head. Pretty please? With a cherry on top?

Cannon smiled sincerely at them. "I'll set something up with your teacher, but it may not be next Friday."

After the students gave him a group hug and high-fives, Cannon waited by the door while Yasmine dismissed the students to their desks and instructed them to begin working on the grammar questions on the board. She pressed play on the CD player and the sounds of Mozart filled the room. Once they were settled, she met Cannon at the back of the classroom.

"Thank you so much for reading to my class today. You did very well with them."

"Thank you. I'm going to be a pediatrician one day, so I hope children will like me. I meant what I said about coming back. I'm always available to give a helping hand." He reached into his wallet and handed her a card with his phone number and email address. "Just call me."

His voice was smooth and casual with a hint of seduction, which flustered her to no end. She ran her hand through her hair and hoped when she spoke her tongue wouldn't be tied in knots. "Thank... you," she stammered. "The fall festival is coming up, and I'm sure the PTA will need extra help."

"Whatever you need," he said with a sexy half grin. "Well... I hate to read and run, but I have a study group meeting in an hour. Plus, I have to go back home to pick up my sister, Raven, whose car is acting up. She's also in her second year at Meharry."

"I remember your twin sister. Wow, you're both in medical school? Your parents must be very proud."

He chuckled, displaying his gorgeous smile and a cute dimple on his left cheek. "They are, but they're both doctors. They've been training us since birth to be doctors as well. My brother, Sean, is at Morehouse and should be coming to Meharry in a few years if he can keep his mind on his books and not on the girls at Spelman."

Yasmine laughed, even though deep down she was disappointed he had to leave.

"Well, I gotta go." He stepped toward her, as if he was about to hug her, but then glanced at the students. Instead, they shook hands and a spark of static electricity shocked them both. Her temperature rose, and she had a feeling her cheeks were flushed pink, as they always were when she was embarrassed.

He winked and a charismatic grin flashed across his handsome face.

"It was really, really good to see you again, Yasmine," he said in a low, deep voice and squeezed her hand with a tender caress before letting it go.

After he left, she tried to put her focus on her class for the rest of the morning, but her thoughts kept racing back to Cannon.

Even though it had been almost eight years since she'd seen him, he still had the same captivating intellect and sexy charm that had attracted her to him in the first place. But now he was a grown man. Now she wanted him more than ever.
Chapter Two

"Girl, guess what?" Yasmine squealed as she sat down with her lunch at the group center table to join her best friend, and first-grade teacher, Sherika Williams. As first year teachers, they opted to eat their lunch in the classroom instead of the teacher's lounge to avoid all of the gossip.

Sherika finished chewing her homemade lasagna and a wicked smile crossed her face. "Did you hear some more rumors about the principal and Ms. Woods? Spill the tea!"

"No, better. Cannon Arrington read to my class this morning."

"Really?" She paused, with her fork almost to her lips. "You didn't faint did you?"

"Almost. He's even dreamier than he was in high school. I was so nervous."

"Did he remember you?"

"Yes, but only after I mentioned my mother."

"Well... "

"Well, what?" Yasmine asked before taking a bite of her chicken salad sandwich.

"Are you going to stay in contact with him?" She pushed her shoulder length hair behind her ear to avoid marina sauce on it.

"He gave me his phone number if I want him to volunteer or something, but he didn't ask for mine." She shrugged. "So... I don't I know. Probably not."

"Why is he in Nashville?"

"Medical school. I guess he knows your man since they're fraternity brothers."

"Doug is not my man. Besides, he accepted the job offer in New York. He starts in two weeks." Sherika shrugged it off, but Yasmine could tell her friend was disappointed.

"Well, maybe you can date long-distance."

"Naw... it wasn't serious. But we agreed to stay in contact, which means we won't." Sherika pushed her food around with her fork. "Plus, he was so wishy-washy sometimes, and I don't have time for that."

"Well, at least you've had someone to date. I haven't had a decent date since... who knows," Yasmine said, with a delicate lift of her shoulder.

"You went out with that guy a few weeks ago."

"I said a decent date. He talked about himself the entire time and was rude to the waitress."

Buzz.

The timer sounded on Yasmine's desk, letting them know that they had five more minutes before it was time to pick up their classes from the cafeteria.

"Lunch goes by so fast," Sherika said. "At least it's Friday. What are you doing for the rest of the afternoon?" She stood and grabbed her blue suit jacket from the chair, placing her container back into her small cooler.

"Thank you cards after their math test. Cannon gave each student a copy of the book he read, and since we've been discussing how to write a friendly letter this past week, it will be another way for the students to practice."

"Neat. I'm stealing your idea. See you later."

During the afternoon, Yasmine's class worked on their thank you cards and drew pictures of scenes from the book. She tried to stay focused, but nerves overtook her as she thought about whether or not to contact Cannon to give him the cards. She'd promised her students she would make sure he received them, and if he ever came to visit again, she knew that would be the first question they would ask.

That evening, Yasmine sat on the couch with her laptop and all of the thank you cards stacked up on the coffee table. She decided she was going to email Cannon and ask him for his address so she could mail the cards in one big envelope, along with the pictures of him reading to the students.

Muffled hip-hop music began to reverberate through the ceiling, quickly followed by a loud crash interrupting her contemplative mood. She sighed and stared up in the apartment she'd lived in since her senior year of college. Apparently, the new tenants above her were having a party, as usual. At the time, it made sense to rent an apartment a few miles from campus, but now she was ready to move.

Trying to tune the music out, she read over the email, deleted it for the fifth time, and began to type out another one.

"Dear Cannon... no wait... that's too formal." She deleted it. "Hey, Cannon. No wait. Hey is for a horse, at least that's what my mother says. Let's see. Hi, Cannon. Yep. That's better."

Hi, Cannon!

Thank you so much for reading to my class today. My students enjoyed it very much. To show their appreciation, they made you thank you cards, and I would like to mail them to you. If you could send me your address when you have a chance that would be great, or call me at 555-0819.

Sincerely,

Yasmine Dubose

"Perfect. That sounds better."

She read it ten times, deleted it, walked away from the computer, typed it again, deleted it, took a shower, retyped it without her phone number, and then added it back in.

Okay, this is ridiculous. You aren't the shy little girl you were in high school. It shouldn't take two hours to send an email. You're a strong, independent woman who simply needs a handsome man's address to honor the request of her students.

Yasmine pressed send and closed her laptop before she changed her mind.

*****

Chime.

Cannon glanced at his laptop when his email account notified him he had a new message. He was reading over a ten page paper he received back that afternoon and wasn't interested in anything outside of it.

Sheesh.

He received a B+ because he had a few typos. He hated anything less than an A, unless it was a hard B, but he was too intelligent and too much of a perfectionist to even accept that. The professor had written a note in red on the cover page:

Excellent A paper, but you need to get a proofreader for the next one because I may not be so lenient next time.

Cannon read through the paper, taking note of all of his careless mistakes. He was surprised at his errors, but Raven blamed it on his lack of sleep and taking on too many outside projects. She was the more focused twin who concentrated only on her classes and elected not to have any extracurricular activities outside of medical school.

Chime.

Cannon tossed the paper on his desk and proceeded to his bed, where the laptop sat. He had two emails waiting. One was from his sister, Bria, and one from Yasmine Dubose. Baby sister could wait. He clicked on Yasmine's name and read the short message, imagining her bubbly voice in his head.

He read it again and smiled. He'd been thinking about her off and on during the day and kicking himself for not getting her phone number, but he thought it would be inappropriate to ask for it in her classroom. Instead, he'd planned on asking Doug to set something up with Sherika and Yasmine to see her again, but now he didn't have to. Her number was staring back at him on the screen.

He quickly checked his sister's email. At seventeen, Bria was into boys, shopping, and sports. Captain of her soccer team, she wanted him to know that they'd won the game thanks to her winning kick and that their youngest sibling, Shelbi, had been elected to sophomore class president. He emailed Bria back with congratulations to both sisters.

His stomach grumbled, reminding him of something he'd meant to do since two o'clock. Eat. He glanced at his watch. It was nine at night.

He proceeded to the kitchen as he dialed Yasmine's number and opened the refrigerator. The left over pizza was gone. Thanks, Raven. Everything else was breakfast food. He grabbed the eggs, cheese, an onion, a bell pepper, and ham to make an omelet.

"Hello?"

His heart smiled at the sound of her beautiful voice in his ear.

"Hi, Yasmine. This is Cannon Arrington. Are you busy?"

"Nope. Just grading papers."

"Working on a Friday night? I'm surprised a woman as adorable as you isn't out on a date."

"Thanks for the compliment, but I needed a break. The last few dates I've been on were horrible. One guy just rambled on about himself the entire time."

"He was probably nervous being around you. Some men become big blabbermouths when in the presence of a lovely woman."

She giggled. "Thank you."

"Just speaking the truth."

Silence.

He cleared his throat. "So how's your mother?"

"She's fine. Still teaching AP biology and chemistry. She only has a few more years before retirement, but I have a feeling she'll work beyond that."

"Your mother is a wonderful teacher. I learned so much from her."

"Thank you. I'll let her know you asked about her. I wanted to get your address so I can send you the thank you cards."

"Of course." He whisked the eggs into a bowl. "Let me know when you're ready to jot it down."

After he gave her his address, they caught up on their lives since high school, her funny stories about teaching so far, and her noisy neighbors. He let her do most of the talking because he wanted to know everything about her; plus, he enjoyed listening to her bubbly, sweet voice. She wasn't the nerdy, shy teenager he remembered. She was full of life and had blossomed into a delightful, intelligent woman.

Before he realized it, it was after two o'clock in the morning. He'd retreated to his bedroom after eating his omelet and had stretched out on top of the comforter.

"Yasmine, I didn't realize what time it was..." His sentence trailed off into a yawn. "It's 2:15 in the morning."

She yawned. "Yeah... it sure is," she replied in a sleepy tone and yawned again. "Cannon, stop yawning. You're making me yawn. I have to be up at six in the morning for a breast cancer walk."

"I'll let you go to bed."

"I'm already in bed," she moaned. "Nice and snug."

Her moan wasn't supposed to be sexual, but the thought of her nice and snug in bed had his mind in the gutter. It was definitely time to let her go, even though he didn't want to. Instead, he'd rather listen to her sleepy moans in his ear until the sun came up.

"It was really nice talking with you."

Silence.

"Yasmine?"

"Huh... mmmm... Cannon?"

I see a cold shower in my future if she keeps moaning and saying my name like that.

"I'm going to let you go to sleep now," he said reluctantly. "Have fun at the walk."

"Mmmm... okay. You too."

He chuckled. She was definitely drifting off to sleep. "Go ahead and hang up."

"Good night, Cannon." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and he loved the way she said his name as if she'd been saying it for years. As if she was the only woman meant to say it like that. It stirred in him a fervor that he couldn't explain.

"Sweet dreams, Yasmine."
Chapter Three

The ringing of her phone interrupted Yasmine's peaceful moment in a warm bubble bath to relax her muscles. Even though she worked out all of the time, her body was sore from walking and jogging five miles that morning at the breast cancer walk. She reached for the phone on the side of the tub and glanced at the name on the screen. "C. Arrington."

"Oh my goodness it's him!" In her excitement, the cordless phone slipped from her fingers and into the tub of bubbles. She fished around for it, but the phone had drowned, even though she could hear the other cordless ringing from her adjoining bedroom. She stepped out of the tub, grabbed the towel from the bar, and ran soaking wet to the still ringing phone. She knew it would stop soon. She'd set it to ring twelve times before going to voicemail.

"Hello?" she said in cheery, breathless voice.

"Hey. It's Cannon."

She knew he'd spoken, but because she was in such shock that he'd called her, she wasn't sure what he'd said, and it took her a moment to process it. Yasmine never thought she was the type of woman to be flustered over a man and not able to control herself, but Cannon Arrington was causing her imagination to run rampant.

"Hi. How are you?" she finally managed to say.

"I'm doing great. How was the breast cancer walk?"

"It went really well. I was sleepy most of the day because somebody kept me up all night." She finished drying off and laid across the bed.

"I've been known to do that before and no one has ever complained," he said in a sexy, cocky tone.

Heated sensations flowed through her body from his unexpected flirtatious answer. She cleared her throat. "How was your day?"

"Busy, as usual. Frat meeting this morning, study group this afternoon, and now I'm taking a break from writing a paper that's due in a few weeks. Plus, I need to fill out a grant application for a medical study I hope to do the summer after I graduate."

"You're a busy guy. Do you ever relax? Take a break?" She turned over on her back and stared up at the ceiling fan. She thought about her father, who had been a workaholic. He never stopped to smell the roses and died from his second heart attack when Yasmine was ten.

"My head isn't always in a book. I go out to clubs or listen to live music when I have a chance. So... when can I see you again? Maybe you can help me relax."

Her heart stopped, and there was a quiver in the pit of her stomach. Was he asking her out on a date? "Well... I don't know. When will you have some free time?"

"Tonight, if you're available."

"Tonight?" She sat all the way up and looked at her clock. It was six on the dot.

"Yes. While I do enjoy hearing your voice in my ear, I'd much rather see your adorable face."

Her heart thumped so loud in her chest, she was sure he could hear it through the phone. "Okay, and I can bring the thank you cards since I haven't mailed them yet."

"Bring them along with your sweet smile and cute little giggle."

She giggled.

"Yep, that's the one."

His voice was deep and seductive, and it was making her hot.

"Are you flirting with me?" Not that she minded.

"Yes, and it must be working since you've agreed to go on a date with me."

"Date? I just need to give you the cards my students made for you," she teased.

"It's a date because I said it's a date."

"Okay, then I guess it is." It took everything she had not to jump up and down on her bed, but she remained calm. I'll call Sherika and squeal in her ear. "Have you eaten dinner yet? There's this new hot spot not far from downtown that has the best barbeque and live music on Saturday nights. Reminds me of Beale Street in Memphis."

"Sounds good to me."

"Cool. I can meet you there." She rushed to the closet to see what on earth she was going to wear. It was the beginning of October, therefore it was cooler at night, but she wanted to wear something flirty and sexy that showed off her toned legs.

"I don't mind picking you up," he said casually.

She stopped tossing dresses onto her bed. She'd established dating rules when she moved off campus and into her apartment. One of the rules was: Don't let a man know where you live until after the third date.

But this was Cannon Arrington. It wasn't as if she didn't know him. He was a nice guy, he was in medical school, and her mother liked him.

"All right," she said walking toward the bathroom. "Is eight okay?

"Absolutely."

*****

At exactly eight 'o' clock, Cannon rang Yasmine's doorbell. A few seconds later, he was graced with her breathtaking presence and a face so beautiful it could launch a thousand ships.

"Hi," she said with a smile.

"Wow," he sighed. "You look simply amazing." He perused her short, colorful sundress stopping just above her knees. The dress showed off her feminine curves and enhanced her caramel-coated smooth skin---especially her toned legs. He tried to shake off the image of her legs being wrapped around his waist, as he continued his journey down to hot pink, wedged sandals where her dainty toes with coral-colored toenails peeked out. His eyes settled back on her face, which was flushed after the exploration he gave her body. He couldn't help it; the woman was beautiful inside and out.

Thirty minutes later they were seated at the restaurant and looking over their menus. Well, she was looking at hers. Cannon was focused on her, as were the other males in the restaurant; from the waiters, customers, busboys, and even the musicians in the band setting up their equipment. They were all stealing glances just like him. Who could blame them? Yasmine had the type of natural beauty that didn't require long hours in the mirror. Cannon felt his male ego get bigger. She was his date for the evening.

"This is a really nice restaurant," he said, closing his menu after deciding what he would order. "I'd heard about it, but haven't had a chance to check it out. I'm always on the go."

"You need to get out and relax sometimes. Enjoy life."

"I know, but a brother's got things to do," he jokingly replied.

She laughed, sharing her smile again with him.

"So, are you ready for Christmas vacation?" he asked after the waiter took their order.

"I'm definitely looking forward to those two weeks off."

"I bet. Are you going home to Memphis to visit your mother?"

"No, my mom and her two best friends from Atlanta are going on a girl's cruise during that time."

"What are you going to do for Christmas?" he questioned, his voice filled with concern.

"My mother and I stopped celebrating it after my father died on Christmas Eve when I was ten. Christmas hasn't felt the same since." She shrugged her shoulders. A wistful expression loomed over her face, and Cannon reached over to caress her hand. She gave a weak smile.

"I had no idea." He squeezed her hand.

"He had a heart attack. It was his second one. My father didn't know how to slow down and just relax. He loved his career as a financial analyst. He was always busy, never home... when he was home, he was locked in his office on the phone discussing business."

They were interrupted by the waiter bringing their appetizer of spinach dip with pita bread.

"You don't want to go with your mother on the cruise?" he asked after they began to eat.

"No. It's for people her age. You know, the grown and sexy crowd. Some of her teacher friends who are divorced or widowed as well are going. I'll be fine. I'm thinking about finding a holiday job, like wrapping gifts at a department store. I'm saving for a house."

"Have you started looking at houses?"

"No, but I want to begin saving so I can have a down payment and money left over to decorate it. I'm paying rent for an apartment when I could pay slightly more for a mortgage and actually own my own home."

"I'm impressed. That's a very good investment. My sister and I live in the house my parents bought when they got married and began their residencies after graduating from Meharry. They decided to keep it as rental property when they moved back to Memphis, and I'm grateful that they did."

The DJ turned off the music and announced the blues band. Yasmine and Cannon halted their conversation as they ate dinner and listened to the band play, while glancing and smiling at each other the entire time.

Cannon's eyes couldn't stray from her. Stealing glances at her side profile, since she turned to see the band, he felt his breathing waver before starting again. His gaze inched down to where he could see her small, yet perky, breasts outlined on her dress. He wasn't a man concerned with the size of a woman's breasts. They were all kissable, lickable, nibbleable and delicious. His manhood tightened at the thought of tasting hers and anywhere else she wanted him to. He straightened in his chair as she placed her eyes on him and smiled with her succulent lips before turning her attention back on the band.

Those damn mouthwatering lips of hers were downright sexy. They were painted with a light shade of pink which shimmered on her tempting pouty mouth, forcing his gaze to linger there. There was something about her lips encasing her smile which sent ripples of need shooting through to his groin. He cleared his throat and tried to focus on the blues band, but it took all of his strength not to reach out and pull her on his lap and shower her with kisses.

*****

"Well, I had a really nice time," Yasmine said as Cannon pulled into her apartment complex and parked. She was contemplating whether or not to invite him in to watch a movie. She didn't want the night to end.

"Me, too." He turned off the ignition but didn't move. Instead, he drew in a long breath and exhaled slowly. His stare was intense, and the knot in her stomach tightened.

She could feel her pulse race through her veins as she stared straight ahead to avoid his hot gaze, which she could feel more than she could see. She reached for the door handle, but felt a warm hand on her left one. She turned to look at Cannon as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Her body quivered at his touch, and the urge to kiss him burned on her lips. His free hand caressed her cheek and he pulled her chin closer to him as he leaned in and kissed her lips, as a breathless moan erupted from her throat.

The tender touch of his lips on hers stimulated a pool of heat to elicit from her center. His kiss deepened with every second that passed, sinking her more into an oblivion of desire and passion she'd never felt before. She held on tighter to him, as if he was rescuing her from the drowning abyss she was in. Yasmine met his fervent kisses with strokes of her tongue intertwined with his in a seductive dance that was in perfect sync.

Cannon pulled away from her lips and trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone, breaking such an intense sigh from her that she didn't recognize her own voice.

His mouth possessed hers once more, except this time his kisses were a sweet caress across her lips.

"Cannon... " she whispered.

"I love to hear you say my name. I don't think anyone has ever said it quite the way you do."

She giggled, and he placed a tender kiss to her forehead before pulling away from her. She looked around the parking lot and realized two of the cars that had been there when they arrived had left.

"Maybe we should go inside," she said, grabbing her purse.

"Good idea. I think we just gave some of your neighbors a show."
Chapter Four

In silence, they walked hand in hand to her door. Yasmine was on cloud nine as she used her other hand to rumble around in her purse for her keys. However, she stopped in her tracks as they walked up the sidewalk to her apartment.

"Wait." She put her hand in front of him but kept her eyes on the door of her apartment.

"Yasmine, I promise I'm not going to try anything. I respect you too much."

She shook her head. "No. I always leave on the lamp in the living room if I know I'm returning home after dark."

"Maybe you forgot."

"No, I never forget." She took a step backwards and looked around the apartment complex. "It was on when we left." Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my goodness! My door is slightly ajar." She felt faint and leaned on Cannon.

He directed her toward his car in a fast walk as he took out his keys and popped the trunk and then unlocked the car. "Get in, lock the door, and call the police." He spoke calmly as he opened the passenger door, handed her his cell phone, and then shut the door. A few seconds later, he slammed the trunk and rushed up the sidewalk with a crow bar as she nervously dialed the police.

Her heart raced as she waited for Cannon to come out of her apartment. Ten minutes later, she saw the light flick on in her living room and Cannon in the doorway, crow bar still in his hand, with a grip on the shoulder of a struggling teenaged-aged boy.

Yasmine stepped out of the car as Cannon walked down the sidewalk with an intense expression of anger pasted on his face.

"Let me go, you son of a bitch," the teenager yelled at Cannon.

"I'll let you go soon as the police get here."

Yasmine looked closer at the teenager and realized she knew him. He lived in the next building over. A police car with sirens blaring pulled into the parking lot and two police officers stepped out and walked briskly toward them. Some of her neighbors began to assemble outside of their apartments as well.

"Ricky, why did you break into my apartment?" Yasmine's heart was saddened to know he'd tried to steal from her. She was always so nice to him and his baby sister.

"I didn't," he snapped in anger.

Cannon tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder as the boy tried to yank away when the police arrived.

"You didn't? Well explain to me why you were rummaging through Ms. Dubose's jewelry box, and I found this watch in your pocket?" Cannon held up a men's watch that belong to her father.

"I ain't got to tell you nothing." He jerked away, and Cannon let him go. The boy tried to run, but one of the officers grabbed him while the other placed the handcuffs on him.

"No, but you do have to tell us," the police officer said as he locked the cuffs on Ricky's wrists.

"And me," a woman yelled as she walked between Cannon and Yasmine and stood in front of Ricky.

"Mom!"

"How dare you break into Ms. Dubose's home," she snapped as he hung his head in shame. "Is this the first time or are you a part of the group of robbers everyone has been complaining about for the past few months, and you finally got caught?" She jerked his head up. "Look at me when I'm talking to you. Why, Ricky? Why?" She placed her hands on either side of her son's face with tears rolling down hers.

Yasmine's heart broke for her. True, Yasmine was upset that her apartment was broken into, but she knew how hard Ricky's mom worked to provide for him and his sister.

"Do you want to go back to juvy, because that's where they're taking you?" She looked at the police officer that was holding him. "Get him out of my sight." She turned away with a look of disgust.

"Let's go, kid," the officer said, taking Ricky toward the squad car. His mother apologized to Yasmine before walking toward her apartment with a group of women trying to comfort her.

The other officer questioned them about what had happened, as well as a few neighbors who thought there might be some other boys involved. Thirty minutes later, she sat in Cannon's lap on her couch. His warm embrace made her feel more protected and secure than the new locks that the on-call maintenance guy had just changed. She rested her head on Cannon's chest as he rubbed her back.

"Thank you for being here with me," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Shhh... just relax. It's over now."

She sat up to look at him. "You took a risk coming in here to look for the burglar. What if he'd had a gun?"

"I wasn't thinking about that. I just wanted to beat the crap out of whoever had the audacity to break into my girl's place."

My girl? She smiled at his words. She'd wanted to be his girl since her freshman year of high school. They'd only been on one date and experienced a surreal kiss, so she was sure he didn't mean it like that, but at least he wanted to protect her.

"Now you see why I'm ready to move?" She slid off of his lap onto the couch.

"When is your lease up?"

"Next summer."

"A frat brother of mine is an attorney. I'll call him in the morning and see what he can do. I'll need to send him a copy of your lease. You shouldn't have to stay in an unsafe environment. You've got noisy college students and now a group of teenagers who think it's okay to break into people's home in the same area where they live."

"But I still need to find another apartment to live in if I'm even able to get out of my lease without having to pay the fee."

"You know what? Doug is moving to New York soon and wants to rent out his townhome instead of selling it. It's really nice. Three story, two car garage, three bedrooms, and two and a half baths. Close to downtown and not far from where you work. I can see what he's renting it for if you're interested. Maybe we can swing by there tomorrow."

"Cannon, that's very sweet of you, but so much has happened tonight. I can't think right now." She closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the couch.

"I understand. I'll handle it. In the meantime, you can't stay here. Pack a bag. You're coming home with me tonight."

Her eyes shot open and settled on his serious face. "Cannon, I can't do that."

"Yes, you can... and you will. I'd be worried sick knowing you're here alone."

"But he was arrested."

"I know, but he lives in this complex, and he isn't the only one. He's just the only one that got caught."

"Cannon... I just want to get some rest."

"And you will. Raven is at her boyfriend's place this weekend, so you'll have some peace and quiet. She took her yappy Pomeranian with her, and you can sleep in my room. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Cannon... " her voice trailed off. She knew he wasn't budging on his decision.

"Grab your things and pack enough for the next few days. I'm not leaving you here. You can follow me in your car."

Realizing he was serious, she leaned over and kissed him on his cheek. "Thank you."

An hour later, he was showing her his bedroom in the ranch-styled home. She had to chuckle inside at the thought she was sleeping in Cannon's bed on the first date. Of course, he would be on the couch, but she'd broken another dating rule: Never go home with the guy on the first date.

After she took a shower in the adjoining bathroom, she put on the blue pajama shirt Cannon had laid on the bed. In her haste to pack, she'd forgotten to throw a nightgown into her suitcase. Wearing his shirt made her feel secure and protected, even if it was three sizes too big for her. She climbed into bed and sipped on the tea Cannon had kindly left on the nightstand. She let its warmth soothe her, even though a glass of wine would've been even better.

A light knock sounded on the door.

"Come in."

When Cannon entered, he was wearing the pajama bottoms that matched the shirt she was wearing along with a white Meharry t-shirt.

"Do you need anything?" he asked, standing in the doorway.

"No, I'm fine. You've been the perfect host."

"Thank you. I'm going to let you get some rest." He turned to go.

"Cannon?"

"Yes."

"I'm still pretty shaken up. Is it possible you can sleep in here instead of on the couch? It's a king-sized bed, so there's plenty of room."

He hesitated for a moment, as if he was going to say no, and she regretted asking him.

"Of course. I'm going to make sure the house is secure and turn off my laptop. I'll be right back."

Yasmine drank the rest of her tea and then slid underneath the fluffy covers. The last thing she remembered before drifting off into a deep slumber, was a tender kiss to her forehead and Cannon whispering, "Good night, Angelface." Then he gathered her in his warm embrace.

*****

During the next three weeks, Cannon's attorney friend was able to get Yasmine out of her apartment lease without having to pay the cancellation fee. She was also able to move into Doug's townhouse, for not much more than what she was paying for her apartment. Yasmine was excited about her new home because she was doing a lease with the possible intention to buy after a year. She was even more excited about spending time with Cannon. After work, she would rush home and cook dinner in her new gourmet kitchen. Then she would wait for Cannon, who would come over after his last class.

Today, she'd stopped by a furniture store with Sherika to browse for bedroom sets. Yasmine was going to move hers into the guestroom and purchase a new one for the master bedroom. Cannon was supposed to meet her for dinner at their favorite spot followed by a movie at six. She was quite surprised at all of the time he was spending with her when she thought he should be studying with his classmates and not at her kitchen table. She couldn't think of the last time he'd mentioned having a study group unless it was during the day.

"This is a nice bed," Yasmine said as they stopped in front of a walnut, four-poster, queen-sized bed.

"Yep. Big enough for you and Cannon when he spends the night," Sherika said, running her hand along a post.

"He doesn't really spend the night. Well... he does sort of, but he doesn't sleep. I think he's a night owl or has insomnia. When I go to bed, he stays up and studies in the kitchen. When I wake up in the morning, he's gone—at least on the weeknights. On the weekends, he'll crawl into the bed around one, and in the morning, he makes me breakfast or we make it together."

"Awww... how sweet. But you still haven't—"

"No. That topic hasn't come up. We kiss all the time, we cuddle. He's so affectionate and thoughtful, but he hasn't tried to have sex with me. However, I know he wants to because sometimes when he's hugging me from behind, I can feel a slight erection. And girl, don't get me started on the spot on the back of my neck I never knew existed."

"Oh really?"

"Girl, I don't know what he does with his tongue and lips back there, but I have a mini orgasm from whatever he's doing. It's so freaking erotic."

"Well, since you're buying a new bed, you should test it out," Sherika teased, sitting on the edge of the bed and pouncing up and down on it. "The mattress is quite comfy and has just enough spring action."

The ladies laughed.

"Girl, you're a mess. I do like this one, but it's out of my price range. I'm going to get the sleigh bed with the matching dresser and end table."

"Good decision." Sherika hopped off the bed. "Let's go find that cute salesman that spoke to us when we walked in."

"You just want his phone number."

"If I'm lucky." Sherika winked.

*****

Cannon sat across from Yasmine at her kitchen table while she graded papers. They'd been dating for over a month now, and he'd never felt so relaxed with a woman in such a short time frame. She'd made him take breaks and just have fun. He'd lived in Nashville for almost two years and had never ventured out much as far as site seeing because he was there for medical school. Thanks to her spontaneous nature, they'd been to the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, the Nashville Zoo, and the Opryland Museum. She'd suggested a country music concert just for the fun of it, but instead they went to a traveling carnival where he felt like a kid again eating corn dogs and funnel cakes as well as riding roller coasters and Ferris wheels.

He was supposed to be studying for an upcoming test on Monday about anatomy, but he was more concerned about her anatomy. His eyes kept straying to her face, and inhaling her perfume that smelled like a mixture of apples and pears. When she'd returned downstairs from her shower earlier, he'd been mesmerized by her mint-green nightgown, which was why he could no longer concentrate. It wasn't sexy lingerie, but it was hot on her with spaghetti straps that kept falling off of her soft shoulders and little pink ribbons around the hem that stopped mid thigh. Before she sat back down, she'd dropped her red pen and bent over to pick it up, exposing pink boy shorts that fit her cute butt like a glove and toned thighs he needed to get in between.

"Shouldn't you be studying?" Yasmine asked with her reading glasses pulled down on her nose.

"I am. I could study you all day and all night and never get tired."

"I can believe that since you never sleep." She closed her folder of graded papers and took off her glasses.

"I know. I guess when I start my residency in a few years, I'll be able to stay up all night. Maybe even pull a double."

She smiled and said softly, "I'm glad you're here." She rose from the table. "I'm still trying to get used to this townhouse. Do you want some more coffee?"

He wanted something all right, and it damn sure wasn't coffee. He wanted her on the kitchen table, on the island, against the wall, on the chair. Wherever she would let him have her so he could hear her soft moans when he was slow and gentle and her passionate screams when he was fast and rough.

No, I can't. Not yet. Too soon. Right? Everything with her felt right and grounded, but he didn't want to rush things.

Before he could consult his conscience any further, she placed her gaze on him and gave him a smile so amazing that any other questions he may have had for himself were thrown out the window. He needed her with a hunger so fierce it shook him.

Driven on a steadfast urge, he went to her and crushed her to him so fast, she let out a startled moan that he quickly muffled with his lips.

He kissed her hard, taunting her lips with his; her mouth succulent and soft. He was in control of their kiss, overpowering her warm, willing mouth as she sighed against his lips and reached for his head to pull him further into her. The moment their lips touched, all the reasons why he shouldn't proceed escaped him. Instead, all of the explanations why he should make love to her overtook him and blazed within him so deep, it created a surge that rippled through his being and into her.

She responded to his kiss as if she'd been waiting for this moment to happen as well. He loved how perfect she felt in his embrace, her soft hands caressing his face and neck. He deepened the kiss even more, and she shuddered, letting out a muffled moan while her mouth vibrated against his. Heat flared in his gut, and he let out a profound groan while an intense flood of aching desire completely consumed him. He was finding it impossible to stop.

Cannon had never known a woman like this. He'd never been so infatuated with a woman's scent, her lips, her warmth, or the way she moaned his name while he feasted on her. He hadn't meant to kiss her so wild, but she was consuming his mind and heart with a need and passion so strong he had to show her what she was doing to him. Her sensual moans escalated his arousal, which was pressed against her stomach, desperate to get inside of her.

"I want you, Yasmine," he whispered in between roaming his tongue around hers.

"Perfect, because I want you, too."
Chapter Five

Yasmine was lost, falling into an unconsciousness of emotions and passion that charged through her body so hard she could barely stand as he held her against the door of her bedroom. She'd wanted him, too; longer than he'd realized. She had so much pent up desire for him, she didn't know how she would control herself. He wasn't her first, but this was the first time she'd ever felt this needed by a man, and she was going to show him just how much he was needed as well.

His tongue continued a wicked performance with hers, urging her lips further apart while he caressed his hands along her body. Cannon knew exactly what he was doing, as if he owned her body, taking her higher with raw pleasure. She wished he could kiss her forever, but she wanted more than just mind blowing kisses.

"You taste so sweet," he whispered into her mouth. He bent and kissed the top of her shoulder as he eased the strap of her nightgown off, followed by the other strap. The flimsy material fell to the floor, followed by her panties.

"Not fair. You still have on clothes."

"Well then," he began, as he moved her hand down to the top of his jeans and locked his eyes on hers, "take them off."

She obliged, unfastening the button and then unzipping the jeans over a very hard erection. He pulled his t-shirt over his head to expose his smooth, rippled chest and abs. She ran a hand along his chest as he stepped out of his jeans, followed by his boxer shorts. And then that's when she saw what had been rubbing against her through his jeans. She knew it would be big, but damn, she wasn't prepared for all of that. She gulped. His first name was definitely appropriate.

"Better?" he asked.

"Mmmm... much."

"And you'll be fine," he said with a cocky grin as he glanced down at his erection and then back to her face.

In one swoop, he picked her up and carried her to the bed while he continued to lavish kisses on her. His mouth devoured hers, which sent shivers of anticipation through her for what was to come next. Lying beside her, he trailed his tongue along her neck while his hand wandered down her body and stopped at her waiting center. His gaze fell on her face when he entered her with one finger, causing her to whimper an unfamiliar sound and suck in her breath. He kissed her lightly on the lips as he stroked in and out of her slowly.

His eyes darkened as he continued pleasuring her with his fingers, while his other hand gripped her hip. He didn't say anything or move, just stared at her with an expression so intense she was almost scared. She placed a hand on the chiseled perfection of his handsome face, and he bent down to kiss her as she felt her first orgasm burn through her body. An inferno was blazing on her skin, and he caused it.

"Please, Cannon. I'm so ready for you."

"I know you are, Angelface."

She smiled when he called her by her nickname and reached up to kiss him, pulling him fully on top of her.

"Wait, Yasmine," he said, lifting off of her. She watched as he retreated to the drawer of her dresser that he used when he spent the night. Cannon lit the two candles sitting on her dresser, pulled out a small box, and brought it back to the bed. He set it on the nightstand and turned off the lamp, letting the candles set a romantic mood.

He began trailing kisses from her neck down to her breasts. He sucked one taut nipple between his lips, swirling his tongue around it before taking it deep into his mouth once more. Yasmine held onto his head as pleasure-filled moans escaped her while he assaulted her breasts back and forth. His hand roamed down her body, and she parted her thighs as his hand palmed her center that was growing impatient with having to wait for the real thing. The passion building inside of her was ready to explode all over him, and she jerked his hand down to her slick opening as he entered a finger into her. His lips left her breasts and continued a trail down to her belly button and then to the soft nestle of curls. His tongue replaced his finger, and she gripped his shoulders hard when he buried his face into her, licking and kissing her other lips senseless. She tried to hold back an orgasm because his tongue felt so damn good, but she couldn't control the sensations racing through her veins, and she shuddered hard as his tongue darted faster in and out of her.

"Cannon, I don't think I have any more left in me."

He rolled off of the bed and opened the box on the nightstand. "Yes, you do. That was only a teaser."

After he placed on a condom, he rejoined her on the bed and pulled her underneath him. His hands tightened on her hips, sinking her into the bed, and raising her legs around him. She gasped as inch by inch of hardened heat entered into her. She met his gaze, dark with desire and tried to move, but he held her still.

Sliding her hands down his chest, and over muscles tight with tension, she finally circled around to his back. He began to move slowly, as he still worked a few more inches inside of her, and she wiggled to adjust to him. His hands tightened on her butt, pulling her closer to him; she moved her body up to his, wanting him deeper and deeper, where she could feel him all the way. She clutched his head, tangling her fingers into his soft curls. Her eyes fluttered shut as more fervent passion swept through her with each deepened thrust. Her words were incoherent as her pleadings escaped her, crying out as her body trembled under his. The pleasure he caused invaded her mind and spirit, and although she tried to fight it, it was no use. So she gave up and let the tidal wave of ecstasy slam through her body and senses.

*****

Cannon held her tightly against him as she had another orgasm. He was trying his best not to do the same, but she was making him dizzy with her moans of pleasure and feminine scent radiating in the air. He wanted to savor his first time with her with what little control he did have left, and it wasn't much. Something had possessed his body, heart and mind, and he found himself sinking further into her soul with an intensity that he couldn't explain.

There was something about her that set him off balance as her femininity enveloped him, her inner muscles tightening with each thrust. Her hands clenched his shoulders and her legs gripped his waist as she let go of another powerful scream. He couldn't take it anymore. He felt himself exploding, his pace faster and uncontrollable, as he unleashed into her, pounding her into the mattress. He let out a roar and a few curse words before he fell exhausted, but satisfied, on top of her.

A while after Yasmine had fallen asleep, he lay there holding her to his chest with their legs intertwined. They'd made love two more times, each time more intense than the one before. Poor thing, she nearly crawled to the bathroom, laughing the entire way, after the second time. After the third, she barely kissed him before crashing onto his chest where she was now resting peacefully. And for the first time in a long while, he was resting peacefully as well.

His mother had always called him a busy bee. He was one to never be idle for long, always finding something to get into; whether it was school work, community service projects, or helping out a friend in need. Sure, he was focused and goal-oriented. An intellect, according to his family and friends, even though he never saw it that way. He just liked to learn about new things and tended to express himself differently from others. Activities outside of academics never caused a problem with his study habits. Even though lately, he found himself not wanting to study. Instead, he found himself wanting to be with the woman who had made him realize it was okay to appreciate life. He'd had girlfriends, and friends-with-benefits, in high school and in his undergrad years at Morehouse, but nothing serious because his focus was getting into medical school. But with Yasmine, he knew this time it was different.

She stirred and lifted her head.

"Are you going to blow out the candles?" she asked sleepily.

He kissed the top of her forehead. "In a minute. I just want to stare at you. I told you I could look at you all day and night."

She giggled and kissed his chest. "I know, but it's three in the morning. I prefer you get some rest."

"I am. Just holding you is relaxing. Thank you, Yasmine."

"For what?"

"For making me realize I need to slow down."

"Well... I wish my father had. I think that's why I'm so adamant about you taking some time for yourself. I'm not saying cut something out of your schedule or your life, but its okay to stop and smell the roses every once in awhile."

He sniffed her neck and exhaled. "I smell one right now." Laughing, he patted her butt.

Yasmine rubbed the scar on the left side of his chest, circling it with her fingernail.

"How did you get this scar?"

"I had stitches there years ago."

"What happened?"

"I was about twelve, riding my bike and trying to race Raven down the street. I lost my balance, fell over and crashed hard into the sidewalk and falling on the handle bar. Raven rushed home to get my father. Luckily, he's a doctor so he knew what to do. My mom's a doctor, too, but she was too busy crying. Dad said if the gash had been a few inches deeper, it would've pierced my heart, and I could've bled to death."

Yasmine sat up and looked at him with wistful eyes. She kissed his forehead, his nose, his lips, and then the scar.

"I'm glad you didn't. That would've been the most horrible thing in the world not to have known you."

"You're too sweet. What would I do without you?"

"Well, for one thing, you wouldn't be resting and relaxing right now. You'd probably be wide awake trying to figure out how to save the world."

He chuckled. "Oh, speaking of which—"

"—what brainstorm is going on up there now?" she asked, tapping his head with her finger.

"I spoke to the officer that arrested Ricky, and he referred me to his social worker. When Ricky gets out of juvenile detention in a few weeks, I want to start mentoring him as a part of my fraternity's big brother program. I spoke to his mother a few days ago about it."

She smiled and kissed him on his scar. "You are the epitome of a good man."

"Thank you." He pulled her on top of him. "Are you ready for round four?"

*****

"All right, boys and girls, you did an excellent job in dress rehearsal today, so I know you'll be awesome tonight." Yasmine stood with her students in the hallway, giving them a last minute pep talk before they were to go inside of the cafeteria for the Holiday Extravaganza. Her students, who were dressed as reindeers and snowflakes, were lined up and anxious to perform. Yasmine kept looking around. Cannon had promised to come, but he was running late. She wasn't surprised at his lateness, but she was surprised he hadn't called. Lately, he seemed on edge about something, but whenever she asked, he said everything was fine.

Yasmine was definitely seeing some of the same signs her father displayed when he was working overtime and stressed. She'd promised herself she would never date a workaholic; unfortunately, not only was she dating one, Cannon was also a perfectionist. Her cell phone vibrating in her Mrs. Clause apron interrupted her thoughts. It was Cannon.

"Hey, baby," she whispered into the phone. "Where are you?"

"I'm not going to be able to make the play, Angelface."

She sighed, looked to her left, and motioned for Sherika to watch her class. Yasmine walked out of the side door that led to the back parking lot.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No. I just have some things to do."

"Oh something came up all of a sudden? Because you said this morning you were available."

"I just can't come, so drop it," he fussed.

"Excuse me. Who are you snapping at?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I just have some things on my mind right now."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, beautiful. I'm sorry again for snapping. I just need to take care of something."

"Will I see you later on?"

"Probably not. I gotta go, Yaz."

"Me, too. The kiddies go on stage in a few."

She hung up before he could say anything else. She wasn't sure what could possibly be bothering him. She could tell something was wrong the other day when he came over, barely said a word, and stayed in the kitchen until four in the morning, going over a study guide for an exam. And when she'd asked what he got on his midterm paper, he'd grunted and said everything was fine. Yasmine wasn't up to dealing with his sudden mood swings. However, she decided she would give him some space, and if he wanted to talk about whatever the heck was bothering him, she'd listen.
Chapter Six

Yasmine looked at the clock. Cannon had promised to be at her home at five so they could go bowling. It was now six, and he hadn't called to say he was running late. For the past several days, since the Holiday Extravaganza, he'd seemed distant and preoccupied. But whenever she asked, he said he was fine. He'd even broken two dates, which she didn't mind because she knew finals were coming up for him, but he broke them hours past the designated time as she sat waiting. She had a feeling tonight would be the same since he was an hour late.

At eight, she put on her pajamas, climbed into bed, and tried to watch an Elizabeth Taylor movie she'd seen a dozen times. When the phone rang, she thought surely it was Cannon, but it was a teacher on her grade level calling for some advice on a student.

Fed up, she dialed Cannon's cell number once she hung up with her colleague. He picked up on the sixth ring.

"Hello?" he said in a rushed, whispered tone.

"Hey."

"Um... hey Yasmine."

"Busy?" She tried to take the attitude out of her tone.

"I'm in a seminar on campus. I just stepped out to take your call."

"I see. Did you forget we had plans tonight?"

"Oh. I completely forgot. Sorry, baby. It's been a long day, and then I found out one of the doctors over the pediatric residents at John Hopkins would be here doing a seminar, and I just had to meet him. John Hopkins is my first choice to do my residency, but I promise to come see you tonight. I have to stop by the food bank on my way to help pack boxes of food for Christmas. What's it been, two days since I've seen my Angelface?"

"Five days. I feel like you're avoiding me, Cannon."

"I'm not avoiding you, but I do have to go. I'll call you before I come. Promise."

*****

Cannon walked into his home after midnight, slammed the door, and threw his book bag down. Then he screamed, "Move," at Raven's dog, Smokey, who barked at Cannon's mean tone.

"Shut the hell up!" Cannon snapped as the dog continued to follow him through the foyer and into the family room, where Raven sat studying and sipping something warm out of her big mug.

"I know you didn't just tell my dog to shut the hell up." She closed her book and looked at Cannon as he crashed next to her on the couch. "What's eating you?"

"Nothing," he said through clenched teeth as Smokey jumped up and sat on his lap. "Sorry, boy." He rubbed the dog's back before he jumped down and ran.

"Oh it's something for you to come home, slam the door, and then curse at my dog."

He shrugged. "I always curse at your dog, you're just usually not home." He laughed as Raven playfully punched him on the shoulder.

"Seriously, Cannon. What's the problem? You've been moody lately, and I'm surprised you're not over at Yasmine's."

"I was supposed to go over there, but when I called, she didn't answer the phone. I believe she's mad at me because I broke our date tonight. I forgot. I've been busy, and she has to understand that."

"And what else? You being busy hasn't been a problem before."

Cannon hesitated. "My grades have fallen since I've been dating Yasmine."

"How bad?"

"I got my first C a few weeks ago on the midterm paper that I rushed through for Dr. Clayton's class. He took off for grammar and errors. My content was fine."

"Not good, Cannon. Not good at all. That paper counted as thirty percent of our grade."

"I know. I have to make an A on the final paper in order to get a B in the class."

"You need to get your priorities straight. Something has to go. Medical school should be your only focus."

"I don't want to break up with Yasmine. She's very special to me."

"I wasn't saying break up with her, silly. Tone down on some of your extracurricular activities, but also explain to her you're in med school. Where did you go after the seminar? I was looking for you to see if you wanted to go to the library to study. Finals are next week."

"I went to the food bank to help make the Christmas boxes."

"Exactly. When you should've been doing research for your last paper or studying for finals."

"I like to help people when I can, Raven. Don't you remember when we were growing up? Mom and Dad always told us to give back. Dad is always doing something for the community, such as his scholarship programs or mentoring to boys without fathers."

"Cannon, you remind me so much of Dad, it's scary. However, he's finished med school and is a heart surgeon... you aren't. You think he'd be happy to know about your C?"

"I hear you, baby sis by five minutes." He added in the five minute part because she hated being called baby sis. She felt as if she was the oldest sibling as well since they were twins.

He knew Raven was right. He kissed his sister on the cheek and took out his cell phone to call Yasmine, hoping she would pick up this time. He retreated to his room as he listened to the rings.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. He could tell she'd been crying, and he hated that.

"We need to talk."

"I'm listening."

"In person. Can I come over?"

*****

Yasmine sat on her couch as she waited for Cannon to speak. She was so mad she didn't want to say the wrong thing. Instead, she decided to wait to see what he was going to say first. However, he just sat there staring at her, and it was driving her mad. One, she was mad he'd broken their past few dates and was snappy and moody. But two, it had been a week since they'd made love, and she was turned on by his presence.

"Yasmine, first of all I need to apologize to you for my behavior lately. It doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Okay, what's wrong?" She was terrified to ask a man a question like that after he'd just told her it doesn't have anything to do with you. The last man who said that statement was breaking up with her and dating someone else. She sighed and braced herself for his answer.

"I've been in a foul mood lately because I got a C on my midterm paper; I didn't take my time with it. I rushed through it because I was trying to stop and smell the roses. A few of my other grades have slipped a tad, but I still have A's in those classes. I'm just worried about the final in the class that I made the C."

She stood and placed her hands on her hips. "I know you aren't blaming me for your grades slipping. Maybe you should get your priorities straight and stop taking on extra projects."

He spoke calmly. "Baby, I'm not blaming you for anything. When you asked me what my grade was a few weeks ago, I didn't want to talk about it because I knew in my head I needed to get my act together. You and my sister are right. I've taken on way too many responsibilities, and in the process, I met you and it was like a breath of fresh air. You've taught me how to settle down and relax, and I did just that. Now, I need to focus on medical school."

"Why didn't you just tell me? You've been avoiding me, and when you did talk to me, you were moody and snappy. I don't appreciate you treating me like that."

"Yasmine, I sincerely apologize. I'm used to keeping things to myself, especially negative things. I'm a—"

"—perfectionist," she finished for him.

"Something like that." He grinned. "But, you can't get upset, be mad at me, or think I'm avoiding you. There are times when I'll be busy with studying, assignments, and labs. Next year, I'll be a third-year medical student which means no more classes. I start my rotations at the hospital, which entails long hours. I may not see you every day, but none of that will change the fact that I love you and want to be with you. It just means it's a part of the journey I have to take to be a doctor."

"Cannon, while I understand, it still doesn't give you any excuse to snap at me, ignore me or forget we had plans. Trust me. There are plenty of men wanting to take your place and get at all of this." She motioned her hand in the air from her head to her feet and back up. She stopped as she replayed what he said in her head. "Wait. Did you say you love me?"

He pulled her back down to the couch and onto his lap. "Yes, Yasmine. Very, very much."

Tears welled in her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks. He wiped them away, but a few more came. "I love you, too. Cannon, I promise I always will."

"I would love to show you right now just how much."

Afterwards, they lay intertwined together as the candle light illuminated her bedroom. She drew circles around his scar. She'd become increasingly obsessed with it every time she saw it.

"Why did you make a C on your paper?"

He sighed. "Errors like typos and grammar, things that I do know. I just rushed through and didn't take my time to thoroughly proofread it In fact, I'm working on a final paper now, which is why I haven't been around much lately. It's pretty much done. Just need to read through it line by line."

"Well, I don't know much about medical content, but I used to work in the Language Arts tutorial lab in college. I can read over your papers for you if you would like."

"I really appreciate that. Thank you." He kissed the top of her forehead.

"That's what girlfriends are for."

"I've missed you, Angelface. I'm sorry for not communicating with you. I know me being a workaholic is upsetting to you, because of your father, and I promise to not take on so many extra things. My main focus is medical school, you, and hopefully getting accepted to John Hopkins for my residency. I'm not saying I'm getting rid of my community service projects, but I just won't sign up for so many around crunch time. Plus, once I start my rotations, I won't have time.

"Are you busy now?"

"Nope. What did you have in mind?" He kissed her softly on the lips.

"I was going to read your paper for you."

"Too bad. I was going to make love to you, again."

"Or we could do that."
Epilogue

Two years later.

"Yasmine?" Cannon called out at the bottom of her staircase. He'd just left the hospital and stopped by his house to pick up some clothes and a few things. He was off for the next two days and had promised to spend them with Yasmine. It was Christmas Eve, and though she still didn't celebrate Christmas anymore, she had allowed him to put up a few decorations including two stockings over the fireplace. He placed a small box into her stocking.

"Coming, Cannon," she called out, as she descended the staircase in a red sweater and jeans with snowflake socks on her feet. She'd let her hair grow longer, and it bounced around her shoulders. She ran to him and jumped up into his arms, placing kisses all over his face.

"You missed me, baby?" He carried her over to the fireplace where she'd set out a blanket with their dinner and wine. He loved their indoor picnics during the winter and had asked her earlier to set one up for them.

"Of course."

"I have some very important news to share with you, Yaz."

Her eyes lit up at his words, and he could tell she was anxious to know. He pulled out an envelope from his back pocket and handed it to her, as her eyes perused the address.

"John Hopkins?" She looked at him, and back at the envelope, as she took out the letter he'd already read a dozen times. She read it silently in her head, but her face didn't light up as he expected. When she did look up, he saw her eyes welled with tears. "You got accepted to John... Hopkins for your residency program way in Baltimore. Congrats, babe."

She smiled, but it wasn't the beautiful smile he was used to, and he knew why.

"Thank you. I couldn't believe it when I saw the letter in the mailbox yesterday. I was in shock for the longest and then on complete cloud nine today at the hospital, but you're the first person I've told."

"Really? What about your Dad? I know he would definitely want to know."

"I'll tell the family when we go to Memphis for New Year's."

"So you're definitely going to John Hopkins."

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"I just thought you were considering Meharry Hospital."

"I've considered a lot of things in the past few days, but no matter where I decide to do my residency—whether it's here, Hopkins, or Purdue, you'll be with me. That is, if you want to go."

"Wait. What?"

He stood, took the box out her stocking, and knelt in front of her.

"Oh my goodness." Tears ran down her cheeks as he opened the small black velvet box.

"Yasmine Dubose, I love you. I want to spend my life with you, waking up every morning to your angelic face and beautiful smile. Please say you'll give me the honor of being my wife, Angelface." He slipped the one carat, princess-cut diamond on her left ring finger and then wiped away her tears.

"Yes, Cannon. I would love to be your wife, and I'll go anywhere you want me to just as long as we're together."

What was supposed to be a kiss turned into more as they made love in front of the fireplace. Afterwards, she laid on top him, twirling her finger around his scar as always.

"When do you want to get married?" he asked.

"How about this summer before we move to Baltimore? We can get married in Memphis since that's where most of our family is located."

"This summer it is. Whatever you want, Yasmine. I won't be able to help much with the planning."

"No problem. You just leave everything to me. I'm sure my mom and Sherika will be happy to help me. All I need you to do is show up."

"There's no place I'd rather be than with you." He kissed her lightly and turned her over on her back as she giggled and gave him her simply amazing smile.

The End
About the Author

Candace Shaw is the author of fun, flirty and sexy contemporary romance novels. She is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

When Candace is not writing or researching information for a book, she's reading, window shopping, gardening, listening to music or spending time with her loving husband and their loyal, over-protective weimaraner. She is currently working on the next novel in the Arrington Family Series.

Feel free to drop her line at Candace.Shaw@aol.com or visit her website at http://CandaceShaw.net

Books by Candace Shaw

Arrington Family Series

*Cooking Up Love: May 2012

*The Game of Seduction: August 2012

Simply Amazing: December 2012 (short story)

Only One for Me: TBA

Prescription for Desire: TBA

Fabulous Life Series

Perfect Candidate for Love: Summer 2013

*Check out the blurb and chapter one for Cooking Up Love and The Game of Seduction on the following pages.
Blurb for Cooking Up Love

What happens when a suave, handsome chef meets a cute, sassy food critic?

When Shelbi Arrington accepts a position as a food critic in the hopes of burying her medical career and foregoing her residency, the last thing she's searching for is love. However, that's just what the doctor ordered especially when she lays eyes on the handsome chef, Justin Richardson. While sorting out her secret conflict of continuing her medical career, she falls for his mouth-watering charm, leaving her hungry for anything he has to offer.

Justin is leery of doctors because a doctor's negligence caused his mother's death when he was twelve. He has put his focus and energy into his restaurant, which had been a dream he and his mother shared. Justin is immediately smitten by the cute, sassy food critic that has him cooking up different ways to please her appetite. But when things start to heat up, Shelbi learns of a shocking revelation that could extinguish the flame of their relationship. Will Justin be able to forget his pain and commit to the woman who has stolen his heart?

Cooking Up Love is the first book in the Arrington Family Series and is available with most major ebook retailers and in print with Createspace and Amazon.

Chapter One

"This is so delicious. Do you think they'll let me have another one?" Shelbi Arrington asked the waitress at Chow Bella's Italian Restaurant after she took the last bite of the tiramisu, savoring every sweet, sinful taste of the delectable dessert her hips needed to stay away from.

The waitress gave a sneaky look around the restaurant, then leaned over and whispered to Shelbi, "I'll see what I can do." She winked and hurried to the kitchen.

Satisfied with the response, Shelbi placed the to-go bag, which held the rest of her uneaten lunch, on the chair next to her purse. She had a habit of leaving her doggie bags and made an effort to remember this one. Her uneaten portion would serve as lunch tomorrow. She took out her iPhone and typed a few notes before tossing it back into her purse.

Shelbi rested her elbows on the checkered red-and-white tablecloth, making mental notes of the patrons and the decor. A few wrinkled their noses, one couple called a waiter over in disgust, and a group of businessmen checked their watches as they waited for the check. A party of eight in the corner booth was being serenaded with "Happy Birthday" by the waiters. Her favorite scene was of a small boy talking louder than anyone else, yet his parents still conversed and neglected to quiet him. The customers seated near gave the couple frosty stares, but they never noticed.

The waitress returned with a small bag, which she set on the table along with the check. She winked, and Shelbi winked back. She eased the smaller bag into the larger plastic one and tied the handles into a tight knot.

"Ms. Arrington, here's the check. Your lunch is on the house, but the manager thought you may want it in case you need the information for your article."

"Thank you very much, Lizzie." Shelbi took the slip of paper from the black leather receipt holder.

"You're quite welcome, Ms. Arrington. I feel honored to have served a famous food critic," Lizzie said before leaving to serve another customer.

Shelbi laughed. As a contributing food critic for Food for Thought with The Memphis Tribune, she was nowhere near famous. Some of her articles were featured in the newspaper and on their website. Plus, she had a large number of followers on her personal blog, Food Passions, which she started during her undergrad years at Spelman, but she wasn't famous.

She pulled her last five-dollar bill from her wallet, as well as all of the quarters at the bottom, and placed the money on the table.

Checking her watch, she had five minutes to dash to the next trolley that would take her home to her loft apartment at Central Station. There, she could kick off her heels, sip a latte, and eat the other tiramisu—sure to go straight to her hips—and type the article on the Italian restaurant and the other one from a few days ago.

Once at the trolley stop, Shelbi realized she had given all of her quarters to Lizzie. She dug around her purse for some loose change or a dollar, but all she found were eight pennies, her checkbook, and a half-eaten bag of Skittles. It was a fifteen-block walk from the trolley stop to her loft. She'd made the trip several times in tennis shoes with her jogging partner, but never in her sister's Christian Louboutins and a dress.

The red trolley stopped in front of her, and the door slid open. Unfortunately, it wasn't the trolley driver who had a crush on her and gave her free rides whether she had money or not. She hoped the driver would have pity on her.

"Good afternoon...um..."—she glanced at his nametag—"Mike. It seems I have given all of my change as a tip to the waitress a few minutes ago. All I have are these few..." She stopped to hold out her hand. "Pennies."

The driver tilted his head to the side and looked down at her hand. "All you gave the waitress was some change?" he asked in a harsh tone.

Stunned at his remark, as well as embarrassed at the line of people behind her groaning impatiently, Shelbi didn't know what to say or do. She checked her wallet, hoping she had a dollar hidden somewhere.

"Move it, lady!" a man behind her shouted.

"Hurry up!" a lady with a crying baby screamed.

"I have a slice of tiramisu you can have," Shelbi whispered. "Never mind." She turned to go before she said something rude, or worse, cried from embarrassment.

"I'll take care of it," a deep, concerned voice to her left said. A whiff of intoxicating cologne floated by as the considerate stranger dropped a one-dollar bill into the trolley's money slot.

"Thank you." Shelbi looked up to see a chiseled, handsome face and a sexy smile that caused her breathing to stop. When their eyes met, an immediate rush of sensual excitement washed over her skin. She glanced at his hand that had just placed the money in the slot. No wedding ring, but it didn't mean he was single. A man as chivalrous as him probably had women chasing him all over Memphis.

"No problem." He placed his hand at the small of her back. "Let's go sit down." The warmth in his voice and his kind gesture made Shelbi forget about her embarrassing moment.

While on their walk, Shelbi assessed his at least six-foot-one muscular frame, curly yet wild black hair, and a fair complexion with a slight tan as if he had just come from the beach. He wore jeans with a rust-colored corduroy jacket and a cream T-shirt, perfect for the first day of fall.

Shelbi was used to the take-charge kind of guy thanks to her dad and her two overprotective brothers. However, the way the stranger glanced down at her, giving her a comforting smile, made her heart skip a beat or two and was anything but brotherly.

Once settled in their seats, Shelbi turned toward him and once again was blown away by his strikingly handsome face. Her breathing unsteady, she tried to concentrate on the woman holding a baby the next seat over. Instead, her eyes were drawn to the good-looking stranger with dark, thick eyebrows and a neatly trimmed mustache with a slight beard growing in. He was sinfully delicious. If he were dessert, she would've devoured him right then and there.

"Thank you so much for paying my fare. Where are you getting off? I can pay you back."

He chuckled. "Baby, its only one dollar, but did I hear you say you have a slice of tiramisu?" He pointed toward the to-go bag in her lap.

"Why yes, I do, and you're more than welcome to have it."

"I'm teasing, but it's nice to know you were willing to give it to me."

Their eyes locked on his last four words. A heat wave rushed over her at the thought of giving it to him. Shocked at her thoughts about a stranger, she tried to stay focused.

"Well, you saved me from walking fifteen blocks in five-inch heels." Laughing, she stretched one leg for him to see the heels on her shoes—well, her sister's shoes.

"Hmmm...very nice...um, shoes," the gentleman said followed by a wink and a slight biting of his bottom lip.

Shelbi raised her eyebrow as she caught his curious eyes perusing her toned legs before they settled on her face.

"So what's your name?"

"Shelbi Arrington. And yours?

"Justin Richardson."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Richardson."

She froze when their legs brushed as the trolley turned a corner, unleashing goose bumps all over her skin. She pretended to look out the window to hide the heat she felt rising in her face. She'd experienced these types of emotions before, but never within a five-minute time frame. In a few more moments, she would be at home, even though she really wanted to ride the trolley all afternoon with the handsome Mr. Richardson.

"I haven't seen you on the trolley before. Are you new to the area?" he asked, studying her face carefully.

"I just moved downtown about four months ago. Before then, I lived in Nashville."

"What brings you to Memphis?"

"I accepted a job at The Memphis Tribune as one of the food critics for Food for Thought."

His thick, dark eyebrows rose slightly. "You're a food critic? Critique any good restaurants lately?"

"As a matter of fact, I have. I went to Chow Bella's for lunch today, and a few days ago, Lillian's for dinner."

He nodded. "So, did you like Lillian's?"

"I can't answer your question. You'll have to buy a newspaper or go online to read my article on next Thursday," she said, smiling at him.

"Witty and beautiful. I like that. But I'm sure there's something you did or didn't like about Lillian's."

Shelbi hesitated for a moment. She really didn't want to tell a complete stranger, even though he did just rescue her from embarrassment and sore feet.

"Well, I was quite impressed with the atmosphere, and the food was delicious overall."

"Overall? What was wrong?"

"Nothing really. A few things could've been better. The barbecue sauce tasted a little bland, even though it's supposed to be the chef's special recipe. It seemed store-bought, and they don't serve pork, but this is Memphis, for crying out loud. Where's the pig?"

"Um...well, maybe the chef wants to try a healthier angle. Pork isn't good for your system. It isn't easy for the body to digest."

"I'll remember your tip the next time I cook bacon."

"So..." He stopped midsentence as Shelbi stood.

"This is my stop," she said disappointedly.

"Too bad. I really enjoyed talking to you."

"Me too. Thank you so much again for paying my fare." She stepped off the trolley and hesitantly glanced over her shoulder to see the fine-looking man one more time.

*****

Justin watched Shelbi saunter toward Central Station, a historic apartment building through which the Amtrak train ran. He strained his neck as far as possible as the trolley pulled away to steal a last glimpse of her lethal honey-coated body. Her red wrap-around dress revealed curvy hips, a plump bottom, and a small waist he wanted to wrap his hands around. She seemed refined, yet down-to-earth, with a naturally sexy air. He wanted to know more about the food critic whose sweet perfume still lingered in the atmosphere, making him high. A grin crossed his face as he remembered her flirty smile and the way she moved her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ear, making her little button nose even more adorable. He couldn't think of a time during his thirty-two years when he had met a woman like her before.

When he'd noticed her flushed, embarrassed face on the trolley, his protective side emerged. With music playing through his iPod, he hadn't realized there was a commotion until he looked up to see the cute side profile of a frustrated woman. He'd taken out his earbuds and heard her pleading with the driver about a tiramisu. The mean rants from the passengers outside of the trolley angered him and prompted him to help her. Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to ask for her number.

While sitting with Shelbi, he'd missed his stop off of Beale Street, but it didn't matter. He was the boss, who was supposed to be on vacation, but surprising his employees and making sure the restaurant ran smoothly was on his agenda. He'd visited some friends in Pensacola Beach, Florida, for a few days, but now it was time to get back to work.

Moments later, Justin strode casually into his restaurant's front door, which should've been locked. It was four o'clock, so the restaurant was closed, preparing for the Friday dinner crowd at five o'clock. Normally, the servers would be setting their tables for the evening, but they were already immaculately set, which meant the waiters were in the locker room, chatting and playing around, but he didn't mind. They were hard workers who had helped his restaurant become a fine establishment.

Gold brocade toppers adorned black tablecloths under glass overlays and silverware rolled in gold napkins. Wineglasses and a candle in the middle elegantly finished the inviting table scene. The hardwood floors, original to the old building he renovated, shone brilliantly, and he smiled at the beauty of the main dining area. The brick walls rose two stories, ornamented with abstract pieces from local artists. The upstairs dining area was usually reserved for private parties or overflow on Friday and Saturday nights. The chandeliers shined brightly on him like a spotlight.

Even though Lillian's Dinner and Blues Club was a year old, he still had to pinch himself as a reminder—his dream was now a reality. A master chef, he had worked in gourmet restaurants around the United States and other countries over the past ten years, investing most of his money to open his restaurant in his hometown of Memphis.

Using his and his late mother's recipes, he turned Lillian's into a premier spot on Beale Street. He prepared Memphis Southern soul food, barbecue, and healthy gourmet dishes.

He sighed and gazed around his restaurant again as he remembered his mother's beautiful, warm smile and caring nature. She would've loved the decor and been pleased at the way he kept everything elegant and neat.

"I know you're smiling down on me, Mama."

"Um...excuse me, sir," a familiar male voice with a hint of sarcasm said behind him.

Justin turned to face his general manager and best friend, Rasheed Vincent.

"Back so soon, Jay?" Rasheed walked to the immense bar stocked with just about any liquor a patron would request. He sat on one of the barstools, and Justin joined him one barstool down.

"Looking good in here, Rasheed." Justin nodded his head and gazed around the restaurant. "I was expecting chaos."

"Man, you know I run a tight ship around here."

Justin chuckled and looked around once more. "Well, the fire department didn't call me, so I guess everything is fine."

"You know it is, man. Stop sweating. Have I ever disappointed you?" Rasheed's cell phone buzzed. He looked at the display and laid the unanswered cell phone on the bar.

"Well, I could think of a few..."

"Naw. Don't answer that question."

Justin nodded approvingly at his friend. "So, I'm impressed the dining room is ready. Where's Brooklyn?"

"Oh, she'll be out in a sec. Had to take care of some business or something."

"Really? And why is the main door unlocked? It shouldn't be unlocked until ten minutes till opening."

"Damn, man. I didn't realize..." Rasheed looked guilty as he walked toward the double glass doors.

"I already locked it, but please make sure it's locked in the future. If Brooklyn were here, it wouldn't be a big problem, but she's not. She knows it's Friday. Where is she, Rasheed?"

"Man, I don't know exactly. Somewhere in the back."

Justin didn't want to become frustrated with his best friend, but when he hired Rasheed's sister for the head hostess position a few months ago, he expected nothing but professionalism. He walked behind the bar and pulled a bottle of water from the mini-fridge below.

"Going to my office." Justin untwisted the cap and gulped a deep swig of the chilled water.

"Are you hanging tonight?"

"Yep. I may stick around for a while and do some work on my barbecue sauces for the competition." Justin couldn't believe the food critic told him his sauce was bland and tasted store-bought. It was his mother's recipe. He'd changed it slightly over the years and was working on a few others as well.

"Man, I'm excited about the Pride of Tennessee Barbecue Sauce Competition! This could really put us on the map! I can't believe they are upping the ante this year!"

"That's why I have to win." Justin leaned on the bar. "Just think, the grand prize will be a southeastern distribution contract, not just the state of Tennessee like last year. Glad I waited to enter this year's competition."

"Jay, you're going to win. I mean, who wouldn't like your sauce?"

Justin laughed sarcastically in his head. Well, apparently a sexy little food critic didn't care for it. But what does she know?

"Say, were you here when a food critic from The Memphis Tribune stopped by a few nights ago for a surprise visit?"

A wide, devilish smile formed across his friend's lips, which meant he was definitely present and had probably flirted with Shelbi.

"Yeah, man. Sexy little caramel-coated babe with hips..." Rasheed stopped to demonstrate with his hands exactly how wide Shelbi's hips were.

A sudden tinge of jealously crept into Justin's being at his friend's description of Shelbi. He was surprised, considering he'd only just met her, but for some reason he didn't want anyone else to think about her the way he did. Sassy. Witty. Cute. He wanted her all to himself, which surprised him even further. Though he had neglected to ask for her number, he was sure he could call the Tribune and ask for her.

"What did she order, and did she enjoy it?" Of all the times for him to be on vacation, a food critic made a surprise visit, and a sexy one at that.

"How did you know a food—"

"Don't worry about that. Did you greet her? Offer her an appetizer or two, drinks from the bar, dessert? What entrée did she have, and who prepared it?"

"Slow down with the twenty-one questions, man. The copy of the receipt is on your desk. Anthony prepared her dinner."

"Did she say anything?"

"Naw, man. She just typed some notes into her cell phone and took most of her food to go. I was the perfect gentleman in your absence."

"You asked for her number, didn't you?" Justin dreaded the answer.

Rasheed Vincent was a ladies' man. Female customers always scoped out the bald mocha Adonis, hoping he would give them the time of day. An ex–professional basketball player, he had more women calling and texting him than Wilt Chamberlain claimed to have slept with. If Rasheed were a rock star, women would literally throw their panties at him, and he would happily catch each pair.

"Nope. Not my type."

Good. Justin breathed a sigh of relief. He would hate to challenge his boy to a duel.

Justin was anxious to get back to his office to see the receipt, not because of the amount, but to know which of his recipes had touched her lips. He was disappointed he hadn't been in town to make the meal himself. He would love to cook for her, watching her pouty, kissable lips taste a dish he prepared. Maybe she wouldn't be so critical about his barbecue sauce and he could go into greater detail as to why he didn't serve pork.

"Was she alone?" he asked with a tight feeling in his chest. A woman as fine and intelligent as her probably had a man. Lucky fellow to have all those damn hips to hold on to.

"A distinguished-looking dude was with her, but I don't think they were a couple. He was too busy checking out all of the honeys, stealing my action."

"What's up, fellas?" The men turned to see their other best friend and restaurant manager, Derek Martin, stroll in. He joined them at the bar. "Just came back from the cardiologist."

"Are you all right, man?" Rasheed inquired with a concerned face.

"I'm good. That's why I go often, to make sure my blood pressure and cholesterol levels stay low. You know heart disease runs in my family, and yours too, Justin. You may want to go for an exam soon."

"I'll pass." Justin turned to go. He had work to do.

Derek chuckled in a sarcastic way. "Exactly, you will pass if you don't know you have a problem until it's too late."

"Derek, let's not start this conversation again."

"Man, I know you despise doctors, but..."

"Look, your mother didn't die at the hands of a surgeon who didn't try hard enough to revive her. Doctors don't care whether or not a patient dies. So no thank you, but I'm glad to know you're doing well."

"No problem, Jay. I just want to make sure my boys are healthy. You know we've had each other's back forever. You guys are like my brothers."

Justin had promised his childhood friends when he was finally able to open his Lillian's, they would be a part of it. Rasheed, the general manager as well as a part owner, and Derek, the business and financial manager, were the only people he trusted to help run his restaurant.

Once in his office, Justin noticed a business card paper-clipped on top of a receipt lying on his desk. He picked it up and was elated to see whose name was on it. The card was light pink with bold burgundy writing and Shelbi F. Arrington typed in a cursive font, but most importantly, it had her cell phone number. He turned it over and read a note, not so neatly scribbled: Have your executive chef call me soon for an interview.
Blurb for The Game of Seduction

Dr. Bria Arrington has had her heart broken by one bad boy playboy and doesn't want to travel down that road again. However, she finds herself attracted to her best friend, self-proclaimed bachelor, Rasheed Vincent. After a passionate kiss leaves them desiring more, seducing each other is the only cure.

A retired basketball player, Rasheed is a player on and off the court. When a woman gets too close, he bounces to the next one. But the condition he's in makes him want a permanent dose of Bria's love, and he's ready for the shot. She knows falling in love with Rasheed is a prescription for trouble, yet she's willing to risk it. But can she trust him with her heart?

The Game of Seduction is the second book in the Arrington Family Series.

Chapter One

"Take one Clarinex every morning until you completely run out, even if everything clears up," Dr. Bria Arrington instructed her patient who had broken out in hives after eating shellfish. Bria scribbled out the prescription and handed it to the young woman.

"Thank you. Next time, I'll make sure to ask what's in the gumbo before digging in." She glanced at the prescription before placing it in her purse.

"Yes, that would be very wise," Bria said. A few moments later she walked her patient out into the waiting area and bid her good-bye.

Bria ran her fingers through her bouncy, back length curls and headed to her sister's office. Dr. Raven Arrington, an obstetrician and gynecologist, had just seen her last patient for the day and the two sisters were headed out to get ready for their sister's bachelorette party. Shelbi, the youngest Arrington, was getting married the next day.

Bria stuck her head in Raven's partially opened door. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep. Let me finish editing this article on advances in infertility treatments," Raven answered, her eyes not wavering from the computer screen and her fingers still moving fast along the keys.

Bria was impressed at how her older sister was always focused, serious-minded, and knowledgeable about the medical field and world topics. Bria was more interested in sports, music, good food, and fun. She figured once she was out of her twenties—which she had one more year—maybe she would be more focused and serious-minded like thirty-six-year-old Raven. For now, Bria just wanted to enjoy life.

"Did you include something about acupuncture and herbs?"

"Yep." Raven glanced at Bria and then quickly back to the screen. "You know, for someone who is an allergist, you certainly have an interest in naturopathic medicine. Too bad you can't practice it here like you want to, but you know Daddy." Raven ended on a sigh and pushed her naturally curly red hair behind her ears. Her huge gold hoops dangled in the process.

"I can always move to another practice." Oops. Bria bit her bottom lip and then pretended to look through her cell phone. She hadn't meant to speak her thought of the past few months out loud, especially to anyone in her family.

"Um... did you forget you're a part owner of our family's practice? Arrington Family Specialists needs you." Raven shut her laptop and placed it in a black leather carrier before she gave her sister a firm gaze.

"I know but... like you said, I have the interest, plus I'm a licensed herbalist, a certified iridologist, and a few other things I haven't shared that I've been working on." Bria shrugged, hoping this would be the end of the conversation. She had a possible lead on a job in Atlanta but wasn't ready to discuss it with her family yet.

"I'm sure you are, much to Daddy's dismay, and what other certifications are you working on that's sure to make Daddy even more upset?"

Their father, Dr. Francis Arrington, a renowned cardiologist and surgeon, had started the practice when Bria was a teenager. Her father wanted his children to work at the family practice, but her heart wasn't strictly in traditional medicine anymore. Instead, she wanted to combine traditional and naturopathic medicine to help her patients with their allergies and other issues.

"Raven, let's not discuss this now." Bria's cell phone chimed.

"Let me guess. It's your man." Raven grabbed her coat and proceeded toward the door.

Bria shook her head and glanced at the text. It was her best friend.

"I don't have a man." She stood and followed behind Raven.

"Whatever. Your face lights up whenever your so-called best friend calls or texts you."

"For the last time, we're just friends. Besides, he's arrogant, cocky, a jokester, a—"

"A player," Raven interjected, "but you still want him."

Bria sighed. She was tired of her family and close friends insinuating that she liked Rasheed Vincent for more than just a friend. The idea was completely absurd. Because of his player ways and women always after him, she didn't want to fall into the category of being just another notch on his bedpost. No thank you. Instead, they'd become fast friends a few months ago, hanging out at blues clubs and sporting events or staying in, ordering a pizza, and watching the games on television. She listened to his complaints and trysts about whatever girl-of-the-week he was seeing. Nope. She liked him, but not enough to put herself in a hurtful situation again.

The sisters bid farewell to the receptionist and walked briskly toward the parking lot in the frigid evening air.

As she sat in the passenger seat of Raven's Mercedes, Bria realized she'd never read the text message. His initials, R.V., were in a box on her cell phone. She touched it to see what crazy, off-the-wall thing he had said.

Wish you were here. A party isn't the same without my homegirl by my side. Who else is going to keep my crazy butt in check? Wish me luck. This fine sista with a big butt is checking your boy out.

The last time she spoke to Rasheed, he was on a private jet with his boys going to Las Vegas for the bachelor party for his best friend, Justin, who was also Shelbi's fiancé. At the time, Bria had to cut the conversation short because of an emergency with a patient. As she read the message again, she knew that anything more than a friendship wouldn't work between them anyway.

*****

Rasheed Vincent adjusted his sage-colored bow tie in the mirror as he wondered who had the audacity to pick such a color. He flashed his usual charming, sexy smile that always melted the heart of any woman in the vicinity that had the pleasure of seeing it. A retired professional basketball player, he enjoyed the attention and company of beautiful women—until they became too close—and then he was on to the next one.

He checked his appearance in the mirror one more time. Everything had to be on point today, which wasn't hard for him. His self-confident and slightly arrogant attitude wouldn't let him be anything but on point. His bald head glistened under the vanity lights in the dressing room of the wedding chapel. The Armani tuxedo fit his muscular, athletic physique and showcased his broad shoulders with a rock hard chest and washboard abs. He checked his onyx cuff links and buttoned his tuxedo jacket, before giving himself the thumbs up.

He glanced over his shoulder to his best friend and the groom, Justin Richardson, who was busy reading the wedding vows he'd written. Rasheed had hoped that Justin would've tamed his wild, curly hair for the wedding but apparently the bride wanted it just like that. Their other best friend and the second best man, Derek Martin, finished putting on his bow tie and proceeded to open a bottle of Moet.

Rasheed strode over to his boy who in two more hours would no longer be living the single life, something Rasheed never planned to give up. He was a certified playboy and intended to keep it that way.

He placed his hand on Justin's shoulder. "You ready to put on that ball and chain... I mean get married and have sex with the same woman for the rest of your life?"

Justin chuckled and placed the paper with the wedding vows in the pocket of his black tuxedo pants. "Of course, I'm ready. I was ready when I first laid eyes on her adorable face."

Derek chimed in, as he poured three glasses of champagne. "Yeah, man, I remember. You've been whipped since you met Shelbi."

"I'm not..." Justin paused. "You're right. I am. But my Shelbi is perfect."

Rasheed nodded. "You have a good woman that loves you for you. That's the best kind, man."

Justin and Shelbi had met just four months before on a trolley in downtown Memphis. Unbeknownst to her, Justin was the owner and executive chef of the restaurant she had critiqued a few days before for her job as a food critic with the Memphis Tribune. After a whirlwind romance and the two working on some personal issues such as Shelbi deciding to begin her medical residency, the couple chose to get married on Christmas Eve. This would give them plenty of time for a honeymoon and a chance to move into their new home before Shelbi began her residency in January.

Rasheed checked his Rolex. "Well, if you change your mind, the Bentley is parked out back. I can have the jet ready, and we can be back at the strip club in Vegas in a few hours. Your bachelor party, thanks to me, was off the chain!"

Justin laughed and took the glass of champagne from Derek. "That it was. But now, I'm ready to get married to the most beautiful woman in the world. You know, Rasheed, you could be next."

Rasheed almost spit out his champagne and thank goodness he didn't because he knew Shelbi would've had a fit if any stains had been on his tuxedo jacket.

"Married?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Naw. Marriage complicates things."

"Really? Like what?" Derek asked.

"Like getting the numbers of all Shelbi's single, hot bridesmaids at the reception." Rasheed took out his cell phone to make sure it was charged. "She even has some fine, sexy twin cousins from Atlanta. Twins! That would be a fantasy come true... again." A wide smile formed on his face.

"Really? How would Bria feel about that?" Justin inquired.

"Bria?" Rasheed wasn't surprised at the question. He had met her at Justin's dinner and blues club a few months ago, and they'd been hanging out ever since. Everyone thought surely they would end up dating, but they were just friends. "Why would she care? She's my homegirl. Nothing going on. We're just friends."

Justin and Derek rolled their eyes at each other. A knock sounded on the door and the men jerked their heads in that direction. Thankful for the interruption, Rasheed strode over to open the door. There stood the topic of their conversation along with Raven wearing their maid of honor dresses.

"What's up, fellas? I have your boutonnières," Bria said as they entered the dressing room. Raven took a boutonnière from a box in Bria's hand and headed toward Justin.

Rasheed's eyes were instantly drawn to Bria's sexy body like a magnet. The sage-colored, straight dress hugged the curves of her petite five-foot-five frame in all of the right places. He was so used to seeing her in medical scrubs that he hadn't noticed how shapely her body was.

His eyes gazed over her hips and a butt that he'd never realized was so rounded. Her small yet plump breasts were sitting up all nice and perky, and he resisted the urge to pull down her dress and introduce himself to them by kneading and kissing them senseless. Her thick, back-length hair was pinned up in a loose, tousled updo with sexy, wispy curls framing her delicate, bronze face. She always reminded him of the actress Gabrielle Union because of her sexy girl-next-door look and breathtaking smile.

Rasheed downed his glass of champagne, hoping it would calm down whatever the hell he was feeling for his friend. He tried to concentrate on what Raven blabbed about. Something to do with pictures, rings, and walking back down the aisle after the ceremony. But all he could do was imagine hiking up Bria's dress and holding her up against the wall. He walked over to the bottle of champagne and poured another glass. His attention came back when she spoke directly to him.

"You're next, playboy," she said in her usual upbeat, bubbly voice.

"Playboy? You think I'm a playboy?" He didn't know why all of a sudden he was offended by her comment. She called him that all of the time, and he always gave her some witty, smart-aleck answer such as "and you know this" or "til the day I die."

The men and Raven laughed while Bria smiled and shook her head.

"Boy, please." She walked toward him with the rose bud. She took the champagne glass from him, took a sip, and then handed it back to him. "The whole world knows you're a playboy. Now, let me put the final finish to your attire so you can take pictures. The photographer is done with Shelbi and the bridesmaids."

Rasheed's pet peeve was women drinking from his glass; however, he thought it was cute when Bria did it. He finished the rest of the champagne and set the glass on the table.

"I'm going to go ahead and take Justin down to the chapel now that Shelbi is back in her dressing area," Raven said. "The pastor mentioned wanting to see him."

"Cool. I wanted to ask him a question about the vows I've written." Justin headed toward the door with Raven.

"I'll go with you," Derek said. "I want to get a glimpse of those twins again."

Rasheed looked passed Bria and straight to Derek. "Hey, I got first dibs on the twins," he yelled as the door closed.

"Humph. And you say you aren't a playboy," Bria said with a whispered laugh.

Rasheed looked down at her while she struggled to pin the flower to his lapel. She was on her tippy toes despite the fact that her heels had given her a few extra inches of height. A sweet, soft scent of jasmine and gardenia radiated from her and filled his senses with her aura.

"You smell and look beautiful," he said in a deep voice that he normally wouldn't use with her. "I'm not used to seeing you all glammed up."

Almond-shaped, coffee-colored eyes glanced up at his face, and her lips parted slightly before she sighed and continued to straighten the flower.

"This thing won't stay still!" she expressed in a flustered tone. She unpinned it and tried again.

Rasheed wasn't sure what had ruffled her feathers. Bria was always laid back and nothing got on her nerves—except the task of pinning a rosebud to his lapel. When he had first met her, he'd flirted hard. Real hard. However, she nipped that in the bud fast. She'd threatened to throw him over the banister of Justin's restaurant and then proceeded to tell him she wasn't some floozy or groupie. After that, he had nothing but respect for her, and they'd hung out ever since. Bria had become one of the boys to him thanks to her athletic ability, her love of sports, and cool attitude. He still checked her out from time to time, especially in the little shorts she wore when playing basketball. But he never flirted and even asked for advice about whatever girl-of-the-week he was seeing.

"Having problems, Bree?" he asked, using the nickname he'd given her and concentrating to stay composed. He tried to remember this was his friend, his homegirl. She stood in front of him so close he could see the pulse at the base of her neck beat faster than usual. He pushed his hands in the pockets of his trousers to resist the urge to glide them down her neck, her arms, back, hips—especially the hips—and then end up on her plump little derriere as he imagined picking her up and kissing her already parted, sexy lips.

"I... I almost got it," she said with a relieved smile. She stuck the pin through the lapel and back out to firmly connect the boutonnière. "Ouch!" She pulled her finger back and waved it in the air.

Rasheed took her finger in his hand and lightly kissed it. Before he had time to think about what he was doing, he sucked the pricked finger into his mouth as his eyes met hers in an intense stare. The rise in his silk boxers strained against his pants as his lips touched her skin. He knew he needed to stop this charade, but her finger was literally finger-licking good, and he wanted more—much more.

"Better?" he whispered in a seductive tone as he caressed her other fingers with his lips and brushed a wisp of hair out of her face.

"Hmm... um..." she stuttered, and her eyes shut as more untamed purrs trailed from her throat.

The aroused music which escaped her was answer enough for him. With little effort, he moved her hands around his neck and drew her petite body hard against his. He bent his head to her quivering lips to imprison them with a seductive kiss. He kissed her deep, relishing in her essence as his tongue wound its way around hers in a slow, sensual dance. Her body arched against his, and more soft moans rose from her. He dipped his tongue inside her mouth even further as she continued to reach for it with her own. Her soft hands slid over his bald head, down to his neck and gripped his shoulders which stirred fervor in him.

"You taste so damn good, Bree," he groaned.

Rasheed had known all along if he ever had the chance to kiss her, she would be delectable. Now he knew what the closest thing to heaven was, and a moan trembled from him. He moved his lips to her smooth neck which released a rumble from her throat. He kissed her with a tenderness that surprised him, but Bria was a delicate piece of art, and he wanted to treat her as such. He nibbled the hollow area near her collarbone and ran his hands down her backside until they rested on her plump little butt. He was trying his best to not unzip his pants and lift her leg around his torso...

Bria jerked away from him with a gasp and a wide, bewildered gaze. She placed her hand over her mouth as if it were burning.

They stared at each other for a moment before she broke the silence. "We need to go," she said in a stern voice he wasn't used to hearing. Usually it was a sweet musical sound, but now it was laced with disapproval and regret.

Coming down from cloud nine, he straightened his tux and looked down at her. Her eyes were wild, lipstick smeared on her full lips, and her breasts rose up and down tempting him to grab her again. He continued to be mesmerized by her hard breathing because one, he caused it, and two, her breasts had never looked so damn perky before. He cocked his head to the side when he realized her nipples poked through the material as if they wanted to break free. How could he have forgotten to touch, kiss, lick, pull, and nibble on her two luscious peaches? Damn. I'm slipping.

He stepped forward. "Bria, are you all right?" He reached for her to offer comfort.

She turned from him and headed towards the vanity area. He placed his hands back in his pockets where they should have stayed in the first place. That's when he realized the monster in his boxers was hard as a rock. He pulled down his tux jacket, but that still didn't hide it.

"I'm fine, but that can't happen again." She blotted the red lipstick with a Kleenex. "We're friends, and friends don't get all hot and bothered for each other."

"So, you're all hot and bothered over me?" he teased, trying to make her smile, but the sternness on her face hadn't cracked.

"Rasheed, this isn't a joking matter!"

"You're right, Bree. I don't know what came over me." And the truth was he honestly didn't know what had come over him. He couldn't believe the aggressive way he had acted with her.

She headed toward the door avoiding eye contact with him. "Let's just forget this happened. The photographer is ready for the men in the wedding party. You're going to be late, and I don't want Shelbi upset. It's her day today." She opened the door and closed it, leaving him in the room alone.

As much as he loved a passionate kiss with a sexy woman, Rasheed never thought kissing Bria would set his mind into overdrive. Sure, he'd been attracted to her since they'd met. He'd been drawn to her kissable dimples which displayed when she flashed her inviting smile, and he'd had the urge to place kisses in their deep crevices. He loved her funny little laugh, her thoughtfulness, and her nonchalant attitude. She was an all around cool woman. She was his best friend, his girl. He could depend on her to keep him in check and stay focused. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. She was visibly shaken when she left, but of course his kisses always did that to any woman. No surprise there.

Rasheed checked himself in the mirror one more time, wiped Bria's lipstick from his lips with his handkerchief, and stuffed it neatly back into his pocket. As he opened the door, he realized he was shaken as well, but he wasn't going to let it show. After all, he was Rasheed Vincent, player extraordinaire on and off the court. Sure, Bria was beautiful, intelligent, and sexy, but he wasn't going to let a woman steal his heart again.

