AlTonya Washington - Rival's Desire

He knew she was about to blast him, and decided to intervene. Before anything could be said, he closed the short distance between them, dipped his head and thrust his tongue past her lips.

Vivian gasped, offering his tongue deeper access to the dark cavern of her mouth. She held the lapels of his stylish navy suit coat in a tight grip. The strength in her legs seemed to ooze away and she gripped the lapels as though they were a lifeline. Caesar only touched her with his mouth. The force of his kiss pushed her against the wall of the elevator.

When he finally pulled away, a cocky smirk fell across his lips. His heavenly, warm gaze softened at her tousled state. The silky, dark mass of her hair lay over her head in a disarray of curls, and her cocoa lipstick was smudged….

is a South Carolina native and graduate of Winston Salem State University in North Carolina. Her first contemporary novel, Remember Love, BET/Arabesque 2003, was nominated by Romantic Times BOOKreviews as Best 1st Multicultural Romance. Her novel Finding Love Again won the Romantic Times BOOKreviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Multicultural Romance 2004. She presently resides in North Carolina, where she works as a senior library assistant.

Rival’s Desire

AlTonya Washington

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To my family, friends and readers. I consider you all one

and the same. Your support is treasured and motivates

me more than you could know.

Dear Reader,

Thank you so very much for joining in on the rollercoaster ride between Vivian and Caesar in Rival’s Desire. I had a really wonderful and fun time creating these characters. From the very sensual to the very comedic, the interactions between the alluring songstress and the gorgeous athlete presented an array of emotions. The experience of crafting their story was a true pleasure.

As always, please e-mail me at altonyawashington@yahoo.com with your comments or questions. Visit my Web site, www.lovealtonya.com and my MySpace page, www.myspace.com/altonyaw. For more up-to-the-minute updates on all my future projects, visit my Yahoo Web group, LoveAlTonya.

Be blessed

Love,

AlToya

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Vivian Desmond bellowed as she glared into her rearview mirror. The huge, imposing black SUV was practically on top of the sleek, burgundy sports car she drove. Blinding dust flew on either side of the car as she accelerated down the long, curving driveway. The faster she drove, the closer the massive vehicle came to her car’s rear bumper.

Finally the impolite driver tired of tailgating and passed her. Pounding bass from the Expedition’s impressive sound system drowned everything in the vicinity.

“Jackass!” she called, her lovely dark eyes narrowing as she watched the truck zoom up the road.

The SUV parked at an angle before the wide stone porch, which led to a set of double-glass encased brass doors. The driver remained inside, shielded from view by tinted windows.

Of course Vivian knew exactly who it was. She parked her car a few feet from the SUV. After snatching the black cat-eyed spectacles from her face, she jumped out of the car and stormed across the driveway.

“You stupid jerk! What the hell are you tryin’ to do? Caesar? I know you hear me!”

No response rose from behind the tinted glass.

She kicked one of the shiny, silver rims. “Caesar Morrison, you idiot! Answer me, dammit!” she ordered, slamming her fist against the driver’s side window. After a few minutes, the window rolled down and she took a step back.

Caesar Morrison’s light brown gaze raked over Viv’s body slowly. He started at her feet, loving the way the strappy black sandals flattered her polished toes. The knowing gaze traveled upward over the form-flattering gray jumpsuit she wore. He traced the outline of her full breasts straining against the outfit’s snug bodice.

Viv rolled her eyes and propped her hands on her hips. She cleared her throat, hoping to gain eye contact with Caesar. Of course, he was more interested with the present view.

Propping his elbow on the armrest, Caesar placed his index finger against his temple and smiled. There was no other woman he loved to watch more than Vivian Desmond. Her black bob of thick, bouncy curls, the luscious, dark chocolate complexion and almond-shaped, coal-black eyes, always gave him cause to stare. She never failed to captivate him in humor or anger. Of course, the fact that she was perhaps the only woman he knew who hated him passionately only attracted him more.

“Were you intentionally tryin’ to run me off the damn road?” Viv cried, her narrowed gaze practically spewing daggers.

Caesar pretended to be offended. “Now why would you think that, Plum?”

Viv rolled her eyes toward the sky and groaned at the sound of the dreaded nickname. Unfortunately, the handle had endured since childhood and she knew there was no way he’d ever stop using it. “Don’t you sit there and play innocent with me. You need to watch this big hog if you’re gonna fly around in it!”

“I’m very sorry, Plum. I guess I didn’t see you,” he whispered, a tiny smile tugging at the sexy curve of his mouth.

Vivian’s smile was purely wicked. “You didn’t see me?” she asked, folding her arms over her chest. “And what is it you do for a living?”

The cool expression on Caesar’s handsome face disappeared. “Cool it, Viv,” he warned, catching her little dig at his career.

“What’s wrong?” Viv whispered, leaning against the driver’s side of the massive black vehicle. Her wicked juices were flowing abundantly. Caesar hated it when she made fun of the football profession. “Don’t get mad at me because you can’t see right in front of your face.”

“Viv—”

“Of course, that would explain why you got cut from the team.” She shrieked when he opened the door against her hip. When he stepped out of the truck, Viv pressed her lips together to keep from smiling.

Caesar’s six-foot-eight-inch frame towered over Vivian’s slender form. “For the hundredth time,” he growled, “I was not cut from the team.” His wide chest heaved. “My contract was up and I opted for a change. If you knew anything about the game, you’d know this expansion team has gotten a lot of positive press its first season. A lot of that has had to do with yours truly. We were in the playoffs and are expected to go even farther this year.”

Vivian was quiet while Caesar made his speech. As he talked, she couldn’t help but let her eyes trace his face; an incredibly gorgeous one at that. Caesar Morrison was known for his skill and savvy on the football field and loved for his entrancing looks. Everything about him was coolly…sexual. Broad shoulders, a wide chest and back, and an impressive array of abs contributed to the almost chiseled appearance of his physique. His complexion was a flawless honey-tone, complimented by exquisite slanting light brown eyes and full wide mouth, complete with mustache and double dimples. However, his most unique trait was the headful of curly blondish-brown hair. He wore the healthy crop in a neat afro with sideburns trimmed evenly at his cheekbones. Vivian often wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through the bright, silky curls. Uttering a silent curse, she ordered her dislike of him to shuffle to the back of her mind.