bath, slip into
something that was barely there and wait for Kahron
to walk through the door for a helluva surprise.
"Headed home?"
Bianca turned to find her father, a tall, big, barrelshaped man, walking up behind her. She slowed to
a stop and threw her arm around his waist when he
caught up to her.
"Yes. Yes. Yes," she said, with emphasis.
He laughed, and his laughter rumbled like a
thunderstorm in his chest. "You and Kahron have a
special night planned?"
"I'm gonna try my best," she said as they neared
the front porch of her father's home.
"Good. Because I have some plans of my own for
the weekend," he said, with a chuckle that was decidedly boyish.
"Who?" she asked, surprised. Bianca hadn't even
known her father was dating anyone.
"An out-of-town guest," he admitted as they
climbed the stairs together.
"Do I know-"
Honk-honk.
Bianca's curly head whipped around and her
eyes widened as a gold convertible Jaguar came barreling toward the house. It lurched to a stop just in
time to miss hitting the front porch.
"Surprise, surprise, sweetie!"
Bianca forced a smile to her face. "Mimi?" she
said, watching as the petite spitfire hopped out of the
car in a getup that could only be called urban cowgirl. A jean pantsuit, cowboy hat, and a belt buckle
large enough to knock a bull unconscious.
"My daddy's ... dating ... Mimi," Bianca said in
a confused voice before her older friend enveloped
her in a hug that was all Chanel parfum.
Garcelle and Kadina were in the kitchen, making
Kade's favorite double chocolate and walnut brownies. Kadina wanted to do something special for her
father, and Garcelle knew he could use a treat after
the spanking she'd given him in poker earlier that
day. Thank God they'd played for Monopoly money
and not clothes, because Kade Strong would have
been as naked as the day he was born.
Not that she wanted to see Kade nude.
Garcelle's eyebrow rose and her lips pursed as
she envisioned Kade naked and bronzed, with his
muscles oiled and well defined. She already knew
from seeing him without his shirt that the man's
body was sculptured from his long hours of farmwork. He had just the right amount of fine silver
hair on his chest. Just enough for a woman to play
in as she lay in bed with him.
Garcelle looked down into the bowl of chocolate,
and she bit her bottom lip as she clearly pictured herself nude and riding Kade, astride a galloping
horse and through a field of flowers. As he rode the
horse faster and faster, she rode him harder and
harder. Each movement of the horse's hindquarters sent his shaft deeper inside of her as she held
on to him for dear life.
Was it possible to ride a man while riding a horse?
The doorbell rang, and Garcelle frowned as the
image faded away in her mind. Having a freaky daydream about Kade Strong wasjust plain stupido, and
having a freaky daydream about being on a horse
with Kade Strong was ridiculous, because she didn't
fool with horses at all.
"I'll get it," Kadina said, jumping down off the
stool and running out of the kitchen.
Garcelle was spreading the brownie mix into the
glass bakeware when she heard Kadina say, "My
daddy's sleeping. He don't need no prayer."
Garcelle grabbed the dish towel to clean her
hands as she made her way out of the kitchen to the
front door. She rolled her eyes heavenward at the
woman standing there, holding a bible, but dang
near dressed for the club. "Can I help you?" Garcelle asked as she pulled Kadina behind her.
The woman looked Garcelle up and down with a
slow thoroughness before she visibly stiffened her
spine. "And you are?" she asked, with attitude.
Oh no, she didn't, Garcelle thought, with sistah-
girl spunk. "I'm Garcelle Santos, Kadina's ninera.
Can I help you?"
"A nina what?" the woman asked.
"She's my nanny," Kadina said, moving forward
to stand beside Garcelle.
"Oh ... okay then," the woman said, with a big,
cheesy grin. "My name is Portia Klinton. I attend
John Patrick Kennedy
Edward Lee
Andrew Sean Greer
Tawny Taylor
Rick Whitaker
Melody Carlson
Mary Buckham
R. E. Butler
Clyde Edgerton
Michele Boldrin;David K. Levine