Pretty Packages (14 page)

* * * *

“Look, Bev. Nobody is asking you to keep trying to set me up,”
Kentucky
said, still speaking as low as he possibly could considering the fact that Giada was only a few feet away. “In fact, I really wish you wouldn’t. It’s starting to make me lazy and forgetful about how great it is to go after my own woman. Matter of fact, I’m not accepting any more blind dates from you or anyone else. From now on, I find my own women. You never know, I might just find Miss Right in the bunch.”

“Do you even
know
what kind of woman you want your Miss Right to be?” Bev asked.

“Hmm . . . what kind of woman
do
I want my Miss Right to be? Let me think on that for a moment, Bev,”
Kentucky
replied. Then he took a brief moment to do just that. “My Miss Right would have to be feisty and yet know how to be submissive when she needs to be. She don’t have to be the prettiest thing on the block, but she has to have a beautiful soul. She must be loyal, love kids, and adore my mother almost as much as I do.”
Kentucky
paused, met Giada’s gaze across the table, and added, “And she
cannot
be selfish.”

“I notice your list didn’t mention many physical characteristics. What do you want your Miss Right to
look
like? By the way, I’m taking notes of everything you say to be passed along later to any eligible bachelorettes I know,” Bev said.

Kentucky
chuckled at her tenacity as a matchmaker. Then he turned serious again. “I’m not too picky about a woman’s physical characteristics since Mama taught me long ago how futile it was to get hooked on looks,” he said, giving Giada a hard glare before shifting his gaze to the sea.

“However, my Miss Right has to at least love her body enough to take good care of it. She also has to be physically strong enough to not only handle me in the bedroom, but to also carry and bear the large babies my genes will undoubtedly produce.”
Kentucky
chuckled. “But, hey, until I find my Miss Right, I’m going to be busy enjoying a lot of Miss Right Nows. Maybe even this weekend.”

Bev laughed. “Sounds like somebody’s trying to be a bad boy this weekend.”

“On the contrary, I plan to be good this weekend.
Real
good,”
Kentucky
replied, letting out a husky chuckle.

* * * *

Giada bristled at the thought of
Kentucky
being with another woman this weekend, or ever, for that matter. She wanted to be his Miss Right. She wanted to be his one and only. Would Giada fit any of his requirements? Surely she did in the bedroom, right?

Right then and there Giada resolved to do her best to fit every description he gave. She already fit most of them and then some. The only thing really standing in her way was that selfish trait, which meant Giada had to do some changing. She had to learn a new way to behave. But like everything else she put her mind to, she was up for the task.

* * * *

As usual,
Kentucky
waited until everyone had gone to bed to do his workout routine. He liked to work out alone. Plus, he didn’t want to run into Giada again.

Turning her away last week had taxed
Kentucky
’s control to the max. He didn’t want to go through that again, which is why he’d been going out of his way to avoid being alone with her ever since.

After his workout,
Kentucky
took a brief shower and then went to the flybridge to enjoy a long soak in the Jacuzzi alone.

During those Jacuzzi times,
Kentucky
closed his eyes and just allowed his thoughts to go where they may. Nine times out of ten, they always wandered to those two nights he’d had with Giada. Tonight was no different.

I really need to get laid,
Kentucky
decided, tired of stressing over the same woman. He’d only had sex once since Giada, and it wasn’t very good.

Maybe next time will be better
. He reached behind him for his cell phone. It was in its waterproof case, so he had no fear of ruining it if it accidentally dropped into the Jacuzzi with him.

The woman he called answered on the second ring even though it was 2 a.m. in the morning.

“Hello, Alexandra, it’s
Kentucky
.” He smiled, pleased that his ex-flame had responded to his call so promptly at this time of the morning. That was always a good sign. “I’m back in your neck of the woods, and I was wondering if I could come see you tomorrow on my off day.”

Alexandra moaned on the phone. “I’d like that very much, big man,” she said in that adorable Trinidadian accent of hers.

Kentucky
chuckled. “Me too, baby. I really enjoyed our last time together. I’m hoping the next time will be just as good.”

“Oh, it will be,” Alexandra replied. “Maybe this time I can get you to stay around a little longer.”

“You never know.”
Kentucky
grinned. This was going better than he thought. His body was even responding to Alexandra. It felt good to be attracted to another woman again.

Finally!

Suddenly Giada emerged from the shadows. Had she been watching him in secret, and for how long?

Kentucky
’s body grew harder and not because of the erotic things Alexandra was saying in his ear, either. It was at the sight of Giada ascending the remaining stairs that led to the flybridge with jealousy shrouding her features.

Tonight she wore a black hooded robe and no shoes. Her hair was loose and flapping angrily upon her shoulders as she walked with a determined stride toward him.

“What do you have to say about that,
Kentucky
?” Alexandra asked after her highly sensual monologue had ended.

“Huh . . . what?”
Kentucky
couldn’t focus on anything except Giada’s voluptuous body as she removed the robe and stepped into the Jacuzzi with him. The skin-toned bikini she wore was not only skimpy, but see-through. It was if she had on nothing at all.

“Weren’t you listening at all,
Kentucky
?” Alexandra sounded irritated now.

“I’m sorry, baby. Duty calls,”
Kentucky
quickly explained. Then, after agreeing to meet her at their usual place, he concluded the call.

“Fabian is duty. I’m pleasure,” Giada clarified once she had his complete attention. Her voice was discreetly low.

“No, what you are is temptation,”
Kentucky
replied, speaking just as low as he placed his cell phone on the ridge behind him. He would have gotten out of the Jacuzzi, but his body was still too aroused. He didn’t want Giada to know how she affected him. Not tonight. It might lead to the wrong thing since his guard wasn’t high enough right now.

Giada smiled with satisfaction. “The fact that you are feeling tempted at all means that you still want me. A
lot
.”

“We’ve already discussed this before, remember? Besides, whether I still want you or not is irrelevant now. I’m never gonna allow myself to have you again. You belong to someone else now. Or have you forgotten that?”
Kentucky
replied, trying to will his body to calm down. It might have worked if Giada hadn’t moved closer.

“I haven’t forgotten anything, Kenny. I definitely haven’t forgotten how good we were in bed together.
Real
good,” Giada said, using a phrase he’d uttered over breakfast. “Undoubtedly better than that heifer you’re going to see tomorrow,” she added, taking a jab at her unknown rival.

Kentucky
smirked at her jealousy. “You don’t even know that ‘heifer’ to be making that kind of assessment about her.” He hardened his gaze. “On the other hand, I’ve been on this boat for a whole month now, and not once have I heard you scream in ecstasy. The ship’s walls are certainly thin enough, and I have definitely heard Fabian cry out, but not you. Why is that, Giada? Especially since we both know that you are a screamer.”
Kentucky
left out the fact that every moan he’d heard coming from the cabin down the hall had cut him to the quick. No, she would never know that.

“Only
you
can make me scream, Kenny,” Giada confessed, moving closer still.

Kentucky
inhaled sharply, forgetting how truthful she could be at times. He was even harder now.

Not waiting for a reply, Giada made another confession. “I want to trace every muscle group on your chest with my tongue again, Kenny.” She licked her lips. Her amber eyes devoured his wet, muscular torso. “Do you know that I still remember how you taste?
All
of you,” Giada added, boldly reaching over to squeeze him beneath the surface of the water.

Kentucky
bit his bottom lip and gripped the sides of the Jacuzzi. “Move your hands, Giada,” he hissed underneath his breath. Passion surged through his body in heated waves.

Giada shuddered, not with fear, but with excitement. “And if I don’t?” Her hands grew even bolder by dipping into his shorts and squeezing him again, flesh to flesh this time. “Let me have this, Kenny. Let me have
you
, baby,” she whispered, slowly pulling downward until she’d kneaded his full length.

Kentucky
sucked air in through his teeth, slammed his eyes closed, and slowly counted to ten.

Opening them seconds later, he quickly took command of the situation before he lost all control.

Prying Giada’s hands from his body just as she started an upwards ascent,
Kentucky
adjusted his shorts and promptly left the Jacuzzi. He didn’t even say good-bye. He didn’t look back either.

Kentucky
knew that if he said anything to Giada or dared to look at her again, he was going to have her. He would not have her in secret either. What would start out in secret would awaken everybody on the boat because
Kentucky
would surely, surely make Giada scream tonight. Loudly. He would do it just to hear that delicious sound again for himself.

* * * *

Giada smiled at
Kentucky
’s hasty departure. She knew she’d gotten to him in a big way tonight. That had been her goal.

You can run all you want, but someday soon, I am going to have you again
, Giada silently vowed, keeping that thought to herself. When she noticed that
Kentucky
left his cell phone in his haste, she smiled wider.

Looks like someday is coming sooner than even I thought.
Giada grinned now.

Chapter Thirteen

Kentucky
couldn’t wait to see Alexandra after his run-in with Giada. He was going to rock her world. Hard.

After retrieving his cell phone from where he’d left it last night, he noticed that Alexandra had left him a text message, giving him the address of their usual place, the Hotel Blaze, in case he’d forgotten.