Hey Beauties!

Are y’all ready to catch up with Bianca and Wesley getting into some married, grown folks stuff? If so, keep reading. 🙂

He let out a deep, rich chuckle as she lovingly placed butterfly kisses all over his face. “Did you miss me?” he teased.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! You know I did! I missed you so much!” When in the field, depending on his mission, the couple could go days or weeks without communication. Bianca didn’t like it, but understood it was necessary not to compromise the mission. Besides, in his line of work he couldn’t afford to be distracted, if he wanted to return home alive and not in a body bag.

She happily welcomed the deep tonguing he gave her as he took possession of her mouth. She groaned in disappointment when the kiss ended too soon.

Standing with her in his arms, Wesley didn’t bother to take them to the bedroom. He laid her on the floor bringing her lush body against his. “Baby, you feel so good in my arms. I’ve been away from you too damn long.” He growled wrapping her ponytail around his large fist gently yanking her head back giving him access to the column of her tender neck.

“Mmm, that feels so wonderful.” She purred in response to the licks from his hot, wet tongue. Her womanly core immediately began to throb as his hot mouth suckled her soft flesh.

Needing to feel and get reacquainted with every inch of him, her hands roamed the solid wall of his muscular chest. Just touching him made her moan. He felt so incredibly warm beneath her fingertips. That’s what Bianca missed most about Wesley, being snuggled next to his big, warm body at night. The last six weeks without him in their bed wasn’t only cold, but painfully lonely. Just when she thought she couldn’t take another night alone without him, he came back to her safe and intact.

Now that he was home, she couldn’t stop touching him all over. Her petite hands traveled down the solid planes of his rock hard abdominal muscles until they landed on his belt buckle. Expertly loosening the buckle and unzipping his jeans, she reached inside grabbing his rock hard penis. As she began to rub her hand over the large bulbous head, he became even harder.

Wesley hissed out an expletive against her kissed swollen lips. “Girl, you better stop playing with me.”

Massaging his sac she smiled. “But I like playing with you.”

Pulling her hand free she scooted down his long body. Wesley automatically lifted his hips as she tugged and pulled off his underwear and jeans. Her mouth immediately watered at the sight of his jutting erection.

As she stood, a wicked grin turned up the corners of his sexy mouth. His eyes couldn’t help drifting closed to half-mast as he readied himself for what was coming next. His wife was such a sexy, little thing, and all his.

Bianca smiled to herself. The one thing she had learned as a virgin bride early on in her marriage was how to satisfy her husband. She had read everything she could get her hands on regarding the art of lovemaking and sexually fulfilling her man.

Seductively licking her lips she purred low in her throat. Slowly lifting her blouse and then camisole over her head, she revealed perky B cup breasts she hadn’t bothered to dress in a bra that morning. She giggled when he cocked his head to the side raising a thick eyebrow in question.

Pursing her lips in a sexy pout, she murmured, “I was running late this morning and didn’t have time to put on a bra.”

Satisfied for now with her explanation, Wesley didn’t say anything. Later he would tell her to make time to put on a bra before leaving the house. Stroking himself he nodded his head signaling her to continue on. He chuckled when she winked at him and began to shimmy out of her skirt. His eyes darkened with heated passion as her breasts jiggled from her movements. She took her time sliding the sexy as hell red, lacey boy shorts underwear down her legs before stepping out of them.

Feeling completely naughty she tossed the panties, smacking him dead in the center of his face. A rush of female satisfaction ran through her as he inhaled the perfumed scented fabric and his eyes rolled in the back of his head.

Dropping to her knees, Bianca arched her back and moved cat-like taking her time to crawl the short distance between his legs. Her mouth watered again as she wrapped her hand around the base of his penis. She had missed it as much as she had missed him. He hissed incoherently, his eyes once again rolled to the back of his head as she took him deep inside her mouth. “Damn baby, I almost forgot how good your head game is.” He could feel her lips form into a smile from his praise.

I hope you enjoyed this episode of Baby Love!

Until next time,

Suzette

LOSING THE BID BY SUZETTE RIDDICK

Parading in front of a room full of women is not Adrian Collins’ idea of a good time. The last thing he wants to do is fly to Chicago for a bachelor auction. But, how can he refuse to help the woman who nurtured him after his mother abandoned him when he was a toddler? Going back to the site of his deepest wounds is where he’ll meet his destiny, Daphne Turner. Adrian is disappointed when Daphne slips through his fingers after losing the bid to an old flame from his past.

Reeling from the death of her uncle, Daphne accepts her best friend’s offer to attend a fundraiser in the windy city. Good cause or not, the idea of spending hard-earned money on a date is ludicrous. That is, until she locks eyes with ruggedly-handsome bachelor number twelve. Unfortunately, the night doesn’t end as Daphne hoped. In the company of a sexy stranger to chase her blues away.

Fate intervenes when Adrian and Daphne’s paths intertwine. However, Adrian’s past threatens to rob them of a life of happiness. Will Daphne’s love be enough to heal his wounded soul?

AVAILABLE ON:

AMAZON

EXCERPT

Finally, the Motrin kicked in leaving a faint trace of pain behind. Ear buds in, Daphne tapped her foot to the beat of Jill Scott singing about life being golden. Turn around, she heard Uncle Hal’s voice whisper. Daphne’s foot stopped its movement. Eyes shifting to the left and then the right, she expected to see her uncle. 

“Oh, my God. I’m going crazy,” she mumbled under her breath, hoping the woman in front of her didn’t hear her talking to herself. Turn around. This time the inner voice was more persistent. 

Slowly, Daphne complied. The man responsible for her recent agony was less than fifteen feet away. Lord, she was trying not to stare. But how could she not? He was downright sexy with swagger for days. And that grin curving his full mouth made her remember what she’d been missing since her vow of celibacy three years ago. What would those lips feel like kissing every inch of her body? Daphne’s eyes were drawn to his hands and his feet. Ooh, have mercy. Heat flushed her insides as a naughty thought skipped across her mind. Why hadn’t she noticed those big feet the other night?

“We meet again,” came his smooth introduction into what Daphne hoped would be a conversation with them exchanging phone numbers as he stepped in line behind her.

A sultry smile played around Daphne lips. “I don’t recall us meeting.” She wouldn’t dare bring up the dreaded auction.

“My bad.” Adrian held out his hand. “Adrian Collins.”

Daphne hesitated before accepting the proffered hand. Because she felt in her spirit once their bodies made contact, there was no reversing whatever fate awaited her. Awaited them. 

“Daphne Turner.” She tilted her head back to look up at him. “You’re a lot taller than I thought you would be.” 

Adrian’s laugher sent quivers through her belly.

“And you look a lot shorter than you did Saturday night.”

Moving to close the gap in the line between her and the woman in front, Daphne glanced down at the sneakers covering her feet. “It was the heels.” 

She shifted her gaze to the McDonald’s across the hall to hide her flushed cheeks. The memory of how his eyes caressed her bare legs made her inside tingle in the most delicious way. 

Daphne held her breath when Adrian leaned forward, bringing his mouth mere inches from the shell of her ear. His breath was warm, stoking a flame in her when he whispered, “You have amazing legs. I damn near tripped over my feet staring at them.”

Was he a mind reader? Daphne wondered.

“Next in line.” The cashier called. Caught in a haze, Daphne hadn’t heard the twenty-something. How was she supposed to hear anything when this man was so close? If she turned her head in the slightest movement, their lips would touch. Sweet baby Jesus! 

 Her eyelids closed, and she inhaled deeply when he leaned even closer. His lips brushed her earlobe when he whispered, “It’s your turn to order.”

Daphne’s eyes fluttered open. Adrian’s teasing smile had a nerve to be as sexy as he was. 

Embarrassed, she spun around to take her focus off Adrian. But that wasn’t any better because the cashier giggled. “Listen, if you don’t want him, I’ll gladly take him off your hands.”

“You and half the women in this airport,” Daphne jokingly replied under her breath before placing her order for a white-chocolate caramel latte with soy milk. Adrian covered her hand to stop her from going into her purse.

“I got it,” he told her before adding an order for a black coffee.

After their orders were taken and paid for, they moved to the side of the counter to wait. Although it was only a five-dollar beverage, Daphne was impressed that he offered to pay for it. The last guy she went out with insisted they go Dutch. Cheap bastard.

“Thanks for buying my latte.”

“My pleasure, pretty lady.”

Daphne blushed again. This man was splendid for her ego. When was the last time a man made her feel this good about herself? 

“Full of compliments,” Daphne shyly murmured. 

Adrian’s laugh was deep and sexy, causing her belly to quiver again. She wondered if he was teasing and playful in bed. Or was he intense and serious? Or was he gifted and possessed with the ability to switch between the two when the mood called for it? 

CLICK TO ADD ON GOODREADS

ABOUT SUZETTE RIDDICK

Suzette Riddick is a wife, mother, and nurse practitioner who enjoys writing about flawed characters on a quest for love. She is an Amazon Best-Selling Author and was a featured author in USA Today ~ Happy Ever After. A native of Philadelphia, PA, Suzette loves to travel, read, and is addicted to Chanel parfum. 

To learn more about Suzette visit her website at www.suzetteriddick.com.

CONNECT WITH SUZETTE RIDDICK

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Hey Beauties!

I’m back with more Bianca and Wesley. Their marriage is a bit complicated. What happens when one of them wants something the other doesn’t?

She had held up her end of the bargain, tending to their home while he was away, and being the dutiful wife attending to his needs when he returned home. All while managing to graduate magna cum laude. Things remained good between them even after she took a job as a social worker at a birthing center. Wesley hadn’t even balked when she had begun taking online classes to get her master’s in social work. Mostly because she had promised to only take one class at a time during the fall and spring semesters.

Flopping down on the sofa, she dropped her head into her hands. Why was life so complicated? Why was he so complicated? Their marriage had survived their falling out over her wanting an education and fulfilling a childhood dream. And now they both were happy in careers they loved. However, the next major challenge they faced, still until this day, continued to drive a wedge between them.

She had been so happy to come home from work that day to find Wesley relaxing in the recliner, watching television with a bottle of beer turned up to his full, kissable lips. Man, how she wished she was that green glass bottle. She sure could use the comfort of his firm lips.

Work had been emotionally draining that particular day. The young woman she’d been counseling had suffered her third miscarriage within a span of two years. Although she was there providing emotional support for the woman, Bianca had left work feeling inadequate. No amount of consoling had eased the pain of the woman’s loss. Only time would hopefully heal the client’s broken heart and spirit. So coming home to find her man there was exactly what she needed to lighten the heaviness surrounding her.

Bianca took a moment to stay rooted at the door taking in the vision before her. As long as she lived, she would never grow tired of admiring his masculine physique. Her fingers were itching to caress the biceps nearly bursting out of the sleeves of the black t-shirt he wore. And then those same dainty fingers would take their time, going down his powerful thighs and calves, that were clad in denim, to massage his large, bare feet.

Dropping her purse and attaché case to the floor, she ran throwing herself into his arms. She wasn’t disappointed by the strong bands of steel wrapping her in a tight squeeze full of love.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s episode.

Until next time,

Suzette

Julio would have preferred being anywhere else but at his parents’ house having dinner. Usually, he was the life of the party with his wild stories about city celebrities who frequented his restaurant, Cuban Soul.

But not today.

“You alright, Julio?” Alonzo asked as he passed a ceramic plate with plantains while balancing his one-year-old daughter, Catalina, on his lap.

Julio accepted the food. His voice was flat when he answered.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Alonzo, the eldest of the Castro siblings was a retired professional baseball player and Julio’s business partner. Beside him sat his wife, Jeanette. A true sweetheart.

Julio loved her as much as he loved his baby sister, Teresa.

“Big brother, you don’t sound good,” Teresa commented.

Julio ignored her on-point assessment as his mind continued to churn with discontentment.

Once a month on Sunday evening the Castro clan gathered for dinner at the home of Javier and Marta Castro.

Julio enjoyed the company of his loved ones. But, this minute, he was edgy because he simply didn’t want to be there. While everyone chattered at the enormous dining room table, passing plates laden with Cuban cuisine, his dark eyes scrutinized his family.

Everyone was paired up. His father, Javier, sat at one end of the table. And his lovely mother,Marta, sat at the opposite end. After thirty-seven years of marriage, their love affair had gone through ups and down, yet they remained in love and committed. If Julio ever had any doubts about love, the adoration shining in his father’s eyes as he gazed at his mother wiped them away.

Teresa’s phone rang, and she got to her feet. “I have to take this call. It’s about the fabric order from Paris.”
She plopped her six-month-old son, Mace, on her husband’s lap and pulled her cell phone out of her back pants pocket.

“Hurry back and turn that phone off before you sit at the table.” Marta gently scolded in Spanish.

“Yes, Mamá,” Teresa answered as she rushed out of the room.

Though Julio was in a funky mood, it didn’t stop him from chuckling at the matriarch of their family.

“Mamá, you should know by now when you have your own business you work twenty-four-seven,” Julio pointed out in his sister’s defense.

After all, Javier owned a body shop. In the early years when he was the only mechanic, Javier didn’t arrive home some nights until after midnight.

“Julio, everyone needs a break from work. Right Javier?”Marta demurely smiled at her husband.

A man of few words, Javier held his glass of wine up in agreement.

Marta Castro was a formidable force to deal with because of her intense personality. Though strong, she learned when to fall back for the sake of her family. There was a time when his parents’—especially his mother’s—old ways and beliefs threatened his siblings’ happiness. Alonzo and Teresa defied their parents’ desire for them to marry someone Cuban. Julio admired his siblings for following their hearts. Why hadn’t he done the same? He wondered as he peered at his family and then let his gaze drift to the crystal vase of fresh flowers on the mantel above the fireplace.

A sad smile curved his lips.

Catalina leaned forward and grabbed a plantain off Alonzo’s plate. His eyes shifted to Mace, twisting and fussing on Pierce’s lap. No amount of gently bouncing the baby calmed him. The infant settled down when Teresa returned, and discreetly opened her blouse to nurse him.

“How’d the call go?” Marta queried before taking a sip of wine.

Teresa smiled. “Great. The fabric will be shipped tomorrow.”

Jeanette laughed when Teresa rolled her eyes. “Talk about a Bridezilla. I’m sorry I took that woman on as a client.”

Julio despised the green-eyed monster snaking its way under his skin. At thirty-three-years old, he accomplished his dream of owning a restaurant. Cuban Soul was thriving in one of the hottest Center City neighborhoods in Philly. Reservations were made weeks in advance for a table. Profits were good and his staff were well paid. With business booming, he and Alonzo were ready to launch another location uptown in Chestnut Hill. In a recent call, the owner of a popular casino and investors in Vegas approached him about opening a West Coast location; and possibly shooting a pilot for a show on the Cooking Network.

Though the world was at his fingertips, for now, Julio couldn’t shake the deep-seated emptiness despite the happiness around him. He didn’t begrudge his loved ones their lives and the joy that was painfully evident as they ate, laughed, talked, and played with babies. Because, for once, he wanted the same.

After forcing down several bites of shredded beef, he gave up. None of the flavorful spices tantalized his taste buds. Appetite gone, Julio stood and dropped the cloth napkin on his plate.

“Excuse me,” he murmured before he silently left the room.

Julio stood in the den,  staring through the large picture window at the well-manicured grass. In a few short months, the landscape would be brittle and lifeless.

He let out a resigned sigh as he thought about his life, in comparison to what nature would soon make of the greenery outside. The laughter and muffled conversation of his lively family was almost too much for him to stand. If he left now, he wouldn’t make it out of the driveway before Marta rang his phone.

Now that a new generation of Castros was born, his parents insisted that the family come together once a month for dinner. They required Julio, his siblings, and in-laws to be in attendance. No exceptions allowed. Using work as an excuse to make an escape wasn’t tolerated by his parents. Once dessert was served, he’d say his goodbyes and be on his way to a plush, eighteen-hundred-square-foot, high-rise apartment in Center City. Where no one would be waiting for him.

“My son. What is troubling you?”

Marta’s gentle touch on his wide back was comforting.

“Nothing is troubling me,Mamá,” he answered in Spanish, pasting a half-smile on his face.

Marta’s eyes shone with concern as she asked, “Why do you lie to your Mamá?”

The tender tone of his mother’s voice lightened his mood. Julio bent and kissed his mother’s soft cheek.

“Mamá, you know me too well.”

“I should. I carried you inside of me for nine months. Come sit with me.”

Reluctantly, Julio followed Marta to the oversized, brown leather sofa. When they sat, Marta patted her lap.

Obediently, Julio positioned himself so his head rested on her legs, as he had done many times when he was a young boy. He closed his eyes as Marta’s fingertips massaged his temples. The face of the woman he carelessly tossed out of his life appeared in vivid color behind his lids.

“Mamá, I did a foolish thing four years ago.”

Julio rested his hand on his chest. As his memories stirred, his chest ached as if the vital organ inside was going to leap out of his body.

“What is this thing you have done, my Julio?”

“Turned my back on love.”

Hello Beauties!

I absolutely love Suzette Harrison’s work. My Joy is one of my favorite books by this talented author. This book right here had me cracking up laughing, angry, and crying. I love the Christian and romantic themes and how the reader gets a glimpse of the triumphs and struggles of being a Christian.  And the beauty of two unlikely people falling in love and finding their HEA.

Suzette

Hey Beauties,

Happy Spring! In this next episode there’s a ton of tension between Wesley and Bianca. Check out the previous episodes to see what has Wesley hot under the collar.

That little stunt resulted in her husband giving her the silent treatment for a month. Every time she tried to plead her case, he’d walk away not caring to hear a word she had to say. Even though it hurt her to her heart that the man she loved acted as if she didn’t have a choice in how she lived her life, Bianca didn’t cave in. Because if she had given into his demands, she would have withered into a shell of nothing, becoming what he wanted her to be. Instead she poured herself into her studies and patiently waited for her husband to come around.

Bianca stopped her pacing as the tears welled up in her eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to steady her emotions. Every time she relived that night, she always questioned whether she made the right decision by staying. Although she hadn’t left her mother’s home on good terms, after she and Wesley had their first big argument, she called home crying to her mom for help. A soothing voice is what she’d been looking for to calm her rattled nerves. Instead she got something else. She remembered having to hold the phone away from her ear, afraid her ear drum was going to burst from her mom’s squawking rant. “That’s what you get for running off with him! You’re lucky he ain’t start beating your simple behind. I told you he was no good! He probably got another woman running around town and that’s why he doesn’t want you leaving the house! Girl, bring your silly tail home!”

Though her mother’s words were harsh, she had considered taking her advice, packing up her things and going back home. Although he was being unreasonable with his demands, her heart wouldn’t allow her to leave him. Going with her gut instinct to not give up on her marriage had been the right thing to do, because things had gotten back to normal between them. Thankfully, she had allowed love to rule her decision and hadn’t listened to her mom. After much discussion, the couple had come to an agreement that if school interfered with her taking care of their home, she would quit and go back to being a full-time housewife.

Until next time,

Suzette

Hey Beauties!

Although I love writing, reading is my first love. Since I was a little girl, I enjoyed reading books that transported me to  another place and time. Not much has changed. I still get swept away in an intriguing story.

I thought it would be cool to share with you what I’ve been reading. And to give a little introduction of the author.

Along my journey as a romance author I’ve met many authors that I adore and enjoy their work. I’m kicking off my first post with J.L. Campbell. J.L. is a true sweetheart from Jamaica. Reading her books will give you a glimpse of the Caribbean island.

I had the pleasure of knowing her for years via the internet and finally had the chance to meet her in person last year. The experience was like seeing a family member I hadn’t seen in years. 🙂

For this month, my enjoyable read is The Thick of Things.

Life has a way of going awry when you least expect it, and Khalila Skyers learns this lesson the hard way. In one devastating blow after another, she loses her cozy existence. Then Douglas Blythe overtakes her life like a flood, and she’s not equipped to deal with an attraction that seems forbidden and overwhelming. But her body and heart want what they want, and leave her wondering if she ever knew herself at all.

Douglas is determined to help Khalila move beyond her obsession with the past and reach for love a second time. No matter how long it takes. No matter the distance. He’s going to prove he’s worth the risk.

Click here for more information.

Until next time,

Suzette

Hey Beauties,

Here’s Episode 2 of Baby Love.  Aren’t these itty-bitty sneakers adorable? 🙂

Afraid of the tongue lashing she would get from her mother, Bianca kept their budding relationship a secret. The few times Wesley had come to town to visit her, she would lie and say she was spending the weekend with Shelly. Unfortunately, one of her mother’s nosy friends spotted the couple having dinner at restaurant across town. The old bat had a nerve to come charging over to their table with threats of calling Bianca’s mother.

Seeing the terror in her eyes, Wesley had been adamant about going home with Bianca to face her mother. Outraged by the fact that her daughter had been sneaking around behind her back with some man she didn’t know, the woman had forbidden Bianca to continue seeing Wesley. This only fueled their passion, ending up with them running off and getting married.

At first everything was pure bliss, until Wesley had begun to slowly reveal who he really was. It wasn’t that he was a bad, or a physically abusive man. The problem was he had so many inner demons that she was not equipped to deal with as a nineteen-year-old bride. Because of his demons, he had a need to control every aspect of not only their marriage, but her life as well. For the most part, she would concede to his way of doing things to keep him happy and to keep the peace in their marriage. However, what he didn’t know about his seemingly quiet and timid wife was that she had a stubborn streak that would strike out every now and again.

Their first serious argument had been over Bianca wanting to go to college to get her degree in social work. He was adamant about her being a stay-at-home military wife. But she wasn’t having it, and became terribly angry arguing with him over the matter. She was completely out done, when he offhandedly quipped, “Go to the nursing home and volunteer a few hours a week if you’re bored.”

His arrogant and dismissive suggestion to her complaint about not having anything to do while he was away serving his country, had grated on her last nerve. Slamming the grocery bag on the table, bruising the plum tomatoes in the process, she angrily glared at him. “Why do you get to have a career going around the world saving your country and I can’t go to school to become a social worker?”

With smugness oozing out of his pores he shrugged a broad shoulder. “Because I said so. I’m your husband and that’s how it’s going to be.”

He had the nerve to grin at her and then flex his pectoral muscles. Any other time that sexy grin and the flexing of the muscles would have had her panties wet, and he knew it. But not that time. He was too busy being a jackass for her to respond.

Stunned, her eyes rapidly blinked to keep the tears from falling. I’ll show your smart behind. She didn’t mumble a single word as she put the groceries away like a good little wife. Ever since she was a little girl she wanted to be a social worker. It was one of her life’s dreams to have a career, where she could help people and make a difference in their lives. And now because she was a wife, his wife, he was telling her she couldn’t have a career too. Did he think they were still living in the early twentieth century?

Not giving into his unrealistic demands, she patiently waited three months, until he was away on his next assignment, and drove herself right down to Methodist University in Fayetteville. By the time he returned home, she was enrolled in fall semester classes.

Stay tuned for the next episode! And be sure to check out my Amazon page at http://bit.ly/suzettebooks

Until next time,

Suzette

Now that we’re a month into the new year, have you reflected on how 2018 was for you? Are you glad it’s over? Are there things you wish you had done better or hadn’t done at all? Or was 2018 awesome? And if you could, you would have stayed suspended in time.

For me, 2018 was a year of revelation. It was a time where I really envisioned what I wanted out of the upcoming decade of my life. This wasn’t done in a day or even a week. For once, I didn’t rush through the process, but prayed for guidance. I talked with my husband and two of my closest friends about my dream of becoming a full-time writer and part-time nurse practitioner.

2018 was my year to lay the foundation of the blue print to get me where I want to go in the next five years. I’m sure as I travel along the way I’ll have to make some adjustments. I might even have some setbacks or roadblocks. But with God’s help I’ll shall overcome and keep on moving.

2019 I welcome you and I’m looking forward to every blessing that God has for me this year. I’m embracing all the wonderful things coming my way as I journey towards my dream.

What are you hoping 2019 will bring?

Until next time,

Suzette

Hey Beauties!

For those who aren’t familiar with my work, I’ll be sharing Baby Love, the first book in my Two Hearts as One Series in episodes throughout 2019. I hope you enjoy this story as I take you on a journey to love. If you’re enjoying Bianca and Wesley’s story, please share my blog with your romance reader friends. 🙂

Let’s get started on our journey!

Bianca Benjamin was in big trouble. Nibbling on her thumb nail as she paced the floor, she racked her brain to come up with an explanation that would appease her husband. She didn’t have much time. According to her calculations, he would be home any day now. As much as she missed her man, she wasn’t quite ready to face him just yet. His reaction to what she had done might very well be the breaking point of their marriage, which was already, on shaky ground.

 She was a freshman in high school, when she met the twenty-year-old Wesley at her best friend Shelly’s home on a cold Thanksgiving Day morning. She had dropped by to pick up Shelly so they could get to the football field early to get decent seats. It didn’t surprise her to see Donald, Shelly’s older brother. He’d always come home for visits, whenever possible. But what did take her by surprise was the visitor named, Wesley, he’d brought home with him.

 The second they stepped foot out the door she began to question her friend about Wesley. “Dang! You so nosy, Bianca!” She had teased.

 Nudging her friend, she shot back, “Am not!” The entire time praying Shelly would give up the info on Donald’s friend.

 Grinning, Shelly never passed up an opportunity to gossip, no matter how trivial. Bianca listened as she told her how the guys became really tight during basic training. “I don’t think he has any family that’s why Donald asked Mom and Dad if he could come home for Thanksgiving.”

 A wave of sadness filled Bianca for the stranger she’d just met. “That’s a shame.” Immediately, something inside of her was drawn to him.

 For years she’d been crushing on Donald. She fantasized about how they would have a big wedding and she’d wear a white gown fit for a princess. And after they were married they’d have at least three babies. But when she set eyes on Wesley, all her childhood fantasies went up in a puff of smoke.

Her new crush was six-three, dark chocolate, ruggedly handsome, and powerfully built. At a mere five-feet two inches, she had to tilt her head back to look up at him to say hello. Yup, they would marry and have beautiful, chocolate babies.

Of course he didn’t pay her an ounce of attention the day they met. After all, she was just a teenaged, ugly duckling with a terrible case of acne. It wasn’t until he returned home with Donald a few years later, shortly after she and Shelly had graduated high school that he had taken notice of her.

Bianca had morphed into a beautiful swan with clear skin the color of creamy milk chocolate with a hint of cream. And her petite frame held curves in all the right places. She knew Wesley was hooked the second she caught his dark, predatory gaze scanning her from head to toe with pure male interest. Flattered by his heated gaze, she blushed, shyly looking away.

She was a bundle of nerves when he sauntered over to her, striking up a conversation about, of all things, the yellow butterfly tattoo at the center of the nape of her neck. If she could have, she would have kissed herself for wearing her hair up in a sleek bun.

Before leaving the cookout at Shelly’s parents’ home, the two exchanged numbers. She didn’t think he was serious when he promised to call her the following day. Bianca felt like the luckiest girl in the world when he followed through on his promise. That night they stayed up until dawn on the phone getting to know each other.

With him living several states away it was difficult for them to date like a traditional couple. But they didn’t let that stop them. It was Wesley’s idea for them to rent the same movie, watch it and then have a lengthy discussion afterwards. And it was Bianca’s idea for them to Skype as they ate dinner. On Saturdays they would go for early morning walks, talking on their cell phones, as they made plans to see each other again.

Stay tuned for the next episode! And be sure to check out my Amazon page at http://bit.ly/suzettebooks

Until next time,

Suzette