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His voice dipped. “Call if you need me…for anything. I don’t have a harem now.”

“Thanks, but you now have a wife.”

“It’s not what you think. We married for all the wrong reasons. Now, she’s married and I’m not. Besides, I’d make that sacrifice for you.”

The smile Chelsea expected was an unsettling stare. David meant a lot to her, but married men were not on her list, even if they were handsome quadrupled. She dismissed the sudden rush of heat, knowing only the salve of Isaac’s passion could ease her pain.

“Thanks,” she said with a sincere smile. She blinked to escape his haunting eyes.

“Thanks for caring.”

“I know you’re into Isaac now, and I hope it works out, but what if it doesn’t? Would you consider the two of us getting together?”

She tilted his head sideways and gazed into her eyes. “The but is not just Isaac. You’re married.” She reached out and touched his hand. “To me, that’s a very big but. I know your wife.

We’re not friends, but I can easily imagine the devastation a women feels when she learns her husband is having an affair.”

“I wasn’t talking about an affair. Just you and me. Marriages fail, and mine

already has. She wants a different lifestyle. I’m just plain David.” He grimaced. “Lock your door.”

She watched him walk away before turning on the radio and rolling her shoulders against the weight of a heavy week. Serious was the only way to take her job, and she did, but it was Friday and she always partied hard on weekends. A series of seductive images replaced the burdens that were on her mind. It was always hard to wait for her man to return, but the earth shattering pleasures of his arms were well worth the agony. Isaac aroused and then lovingly soothed every fiber of her soul.

The drive to her renovated French Quarter loft was short. After a hard day’s work, she always found the hefty mortgage payment well worth the sacrifice. She grabbed a stack of mail from the box, stopped to pet her cat, Armageddon, and without checking her messages, went straight to the shower.

The flow of warm water loosened her muscles and delivered a deluge of relaxation to her limbs. Even the relaxation could not compensate for three weeks of missing the man who brought her total pleasure. She closed her eyes and filled her mind with scenes of exquisite torture. Isaac’s face next to hers, his strong body against hers. Regardless of what the public thought, she knew Isaac was faithful. He would be love-starved just as she was. The rewards of his enthusiasm would masterfully erase her suffering.

She had no delusions about her relationship with the star wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints. Isaac Charbonnette was a stud. He enjoyed having a pretty woman on his arm, and in his bed. Sparks of passion had ignited when they first met. Neither of them had been seeking permanence but both had wanted monogamy, making it easy to settle into a relationship.

For now, the glory of being that woman on his arm and next to him in bed was enough to keep her happy.

Caressing the curves of her body with lathered hands, Chelsea smiled at thoughts of Isaac’s acclaimed flair for saying and doing just the right things. He activated every pleasure point in her body, levitated her lust to boiling, and then soothed her passion until her body retched in long spasms of release. Thoughts of his knowing hands and suave bedroom aptitude brought quivers to her sensitive areas. She became profoundly aware of the height to which her need had risen.

Growing up in a very socially connected family, Chelsea was no stranger to celebrity.

She and Isaac had been in the same setting on more than one occasion, but were never formally introduced. She had always noticed him. His presence was hard to miss, but she began paying special attention after Dee caught him staring.

“Do you know the dude in the black jacket?” Dee asked during a concert after-party. “

She recognized the face and returned his smile, but quickly ushered Dee in the other direction. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t think I can handle Isaac Charbonnette.”

She had gone to the game on Sunday, watched him on the field and tried to picture them together. There was no one special in her life, but football players, especially highly celebrated ones, were not on her list.

Her workweek had started with a morning traffic jam and a meeting she had to make.

Juggling two case files, her briefcase and purse, she hurried through the office building, rounded a corner and literally bumped into the big man with the infectious smile. Suffering through his apology, she had tried not to stare.

“I’m sorry. Really sorry. Are you okay?” He had scooped her folder from the floor and almost knocked her down returning it to her arms. “I should have been looking where I was going. I had a business card for the man I’m supposed to see, but I left it in the car. I’ve been walking around looking at names on the doors and trying to remember. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

“It’s okay. I’m fine. I was in a hurry as well.” Being close enough to touch his adorable face had been captivating. She wanted to turn and leave but curiosity held her in place. “This floor is filled with law firms. Are you looking for an attorney?”

“Yeah. I need help with a traffic ticket. A friend recommended an attorney who helped him. It was Mac…something, I think.” His eyes looked deep into hers. “Are you an attorney?”

“I am.” She shrugged. “I’m Chelsea Constantine. I’m with the District Attorney’s office.

The other side. What kind of ticket did you get?”

“Uh…speeding. I was late for the airport.”

“I’ll make you a deal, Mr. Charbonnette. I’ll get the ticket reduced to a warning if you promise not to speed, even if you are late for the airport.”

A wide smile spread across his face. “Deal.” He fished the ticket from his pocket, along with Weldon McShane’s business card. “Guess I had it all along, but I won’t be needing it now. I don’t plan to speed again.”

His smile was the most awkward and appealing she had ever seen.

“Stay alert and keep your mind on the streets when you’re driving.” She took the

crumpled, yellow paper. Her fingers lingered on the warmth of his skin.

“I promise. Right now my mind is on taking you to dinner tonight, if you’ll accept my invitation.”

Chelsea ranked their dinner as number one for first dates. The vibes between them had sizzled enough to make strangers take note. She had quickly erected a barrier between her desires and her willingness to fall into arms that were inviting enough to bring tears to her eyes. Isaac remained charming, attentive, and patient. She had wanted him much more than she was willing to admit, even to herself.

Making a list of questions she wanted to answer before proceeding to the next step had been a waste of time. Magic was the only way to describe her feelings when they were together.

The tremendous ache she suffered when was away had erased her need for caution. His phone calls became the highlight of her days. His voice had been almost as exciting as his presence.

Bouquets of white roses, teddy bears, and loves notes had showed the big man’s soft side. She quickly went from being an average Saints fan to following their every move.

Unable to concentrate on work on the day of the team’s return to New Orleans, she had been pleasantly surprised when Isaac appearance, unexpectedly, at her office door.

“I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.” He placed his signature roses on her desk.

White for friendship, though the look on his face and pain in her heart told a different story. “I wasn’t sure what time you were planning to leave, but I thought we could get an early dinner.”

Barely able to catch her breath, she had declined his invitation. “If it’s okay with you, I’m not really in the mood for dinner. I…”

“Oh, hell.” He stood. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just dropped by like this. You probably have other plans for—”

“No,” she had interrupted, shaking her head and sending her hair swishing around her face. “That’s not what I mean.” Watching his eyes darken, she had blurted out her feelings. “I’m ready to leave, but I was thinking we could go to my place. We can order something later, unless you’re really hungry.”

Isaac was not her first, but he had awakened her womanhood in ways that made every time with him seem like the first. He loved to please her in and out of bed, carefully manipulating her body and erasing all inhibitions until she became fluid with desire. He spoke to every facet of her femininity. When he did, she saw her sexuality reflected in his haughty gaze.

She worked to return the pleasure in ways she had never thought to do with anyone else.

“Last night was like nothing I could have imagined,” she had confided to Dee the

following morning when Isaac went in to shower. “No waiting for him to undress me, no polite conversation, or even foreplay. I was out of that suit before we got to the bedroom. I hopped on that man like a horny rabbit. I guess spending time with him without much touching, and then missing him for three weeks just got to me. We shared pizza—he can put away some food—and I was back for number three and four. He has the most gorgeous body I’ve ever seen, Dee. The things we did to each other were amazing. I’m sure he thinks I’m a wild woman.”

“Did he say that?” Dee had asked.

“He called me a lioness. A hot chameleon. His mother is a full-blooded Native American.

His face is smoother than mine, and the rest of him…I can’t find words to describe.” Her desires not yet quenched, she had hung up the phone and joined Isaac in the shower.

Abandoning thoughts of the past, she wrapped in a soft towel, sat on the bed and

answered her emails. The first was from Dee, who was still her best friend and confidant.

“Hey, girl. I know your man will be in this weekend, so let me know if we’re still on for tonight.”

The second message, from her brother, Skip, asked the same question, and the third was voice mail that sharpened her sexual sensitivity.

“Hey, sweet ass.” Isaac’s deep voice dripped with sexuality. “I’m on my way home. I don’t know if I’ll see you tonight, but you belong to me tomorrow, all day and night, so don’t make any other plans.”

Shivering, Chelsea anticipated the sound of his baritone whisper telling her how glad he was to be in her arms. She took his photograph from the dressing table and held it to her chest. In that moment, she realized something had happened to her heart. She missed sex, but she also missed Isaac. She never tired of him when he was home, and no one had come close to offering the kind of satisfaction he brought to her mind and body.

That realization was not altogether pleasing. She feared the only reason their relationship has outlasted all expectation was because of the amount of time they spent apart. She curled up on the edge of the bed. Her thoughts became frightening. Isaac always said he missed her terribly when they were apart. She wondered if his feelings were emotional or just physical. The more she labored over the issue, the clearer everything became. Isaac did not like clingy, possessive women, so regardless of the depth to which her feelings had progressed, she would not spoil a good thing. Isaac would never learn that her need for him had traveled far from the bedroom.

She thought of the difficulty she had in leaving home, even for work, when he was there.

She would daydream of his arms and hurry home as soon as time permitted. She looked at the photograph and spoke to his toothy grin.

“It may not be this century’s greatest love affair, but when our bodies are entwined, it’s the greatest high I could hope to have.” She blew him a kiss. “Can’t wait to see you, baby.”

After peeling away the towel and smoothing on grapeseed oil and citrus moisturizer from Primrose Day Spa, she cupped the phone to her ear. She returned Dee’s call first. “Hey. I’m with you tonight. What did you have in mind?”

“Just the usual, unless you know of something better. We can hit Reverb first, eat, and head down to Sweet Magnolia for the jazz set. I didn’t see a special guest artist in the ad, so Alfred is probably playing. ”

“Fine, but I didn’t have lunch today, so I’m going to Mama Rose’s first.”

After Dee agreed, Chelsea called her brother. “Dee and I are meeting at Mama Rose’s around seven-thirty. Coming?”

“That depends. Is Dee still seeing that creep, Russo? I know she can do better than that.”

Chelsea laughed. “Don’t go there. You’re starting to sound like a broken record.

Demetria chased you all through high school and you treated her like a leper.”

“That was different.”

“Why? Because she didn’t have big boobs back then?”

“Because she had buck teeth, gangly legs and a body like a toothpick. Now—-”

“Now she’s stacked and you can’t stop staring.” She laughingly interrupted. “I don’t embarrass easily, but I’ve been tempted more than once to douse your butt with cold water when she’s around. You had your chance with Dee back before you were soiled.”

“Soiled? What’s that suppose to mean?”

“It means she wanted you before you slept with half of New Orleans. Now you’re

damaged goods.”

“When you say half of New Orleans, make sure you specify the female half. You know women go for experienced men. That’s why you dropped the guys you were dating to dog after Isaac full time.”

Chelsea knew Skip did not completely approve of her relationship with a known

womanizer, but she and Isaac had an agreement of monogamy. They promised each other in the beginning of their relationship that should either of them become attracted to someone else, the other would be the first to know. “Jealous, big brother?”

“No. Just being a protective big brother.”

“I’m dating Isaac exclusively, but it’s still a casual relationship. Dee is ready to settle down. I’m not sure I am.” She thought about his statement and shook her head. “Besides, Isaac’s doing the doggin’, not me.”

After teasing her brother to the point of anger, she crossed her fingers and agreed to put in a good word with Dee. “She’s still hung up on Russo, though I don’t know why. I’ll let her know you’re dying to get her in bed, but I won’t make recommendations. I wouldn’t want the guilt of knowing I helped break her heart.”