Pretty Packages

by Dodson, Mi'Chelle

  “Interesting things like what?” Kentucky asked, not about to tell her anything she didn’t already know.

  “One, like the fact that your net worth is greater than most of the clients you protect, including Fabian.” Giada looked especially pleased about that. “Two, that you’re getting ready to open some fancy boarding school for fatherless kids in Georgia.”

  “Had you taken the time to check a little deeper, you might have found out that financing that fancy boarding school has rendered me asset rich, but cash poor,” Kentucky said, trying to deliberately deter her interest in him with a few true facts.

  As expected, Giada frowned with disappointment. “You mean to tell me that you have no money?”

  “I won’t starve, but I certainly don’t have enough for your expensive tastes,” Kentucky replied, not surprised, but still disappointed that she was that same impatient gold digger as before.

  “But you will again in a few years, right?” Giada asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

  Kentucky scowled, repelled by her renewed interest in him solely because he would one day be rich enough for her again. If she wanted him so badly, why hadn’t she tracked him down before now?

  Why hadn’t she pursued him when she still thought he was among the working poor?

  If she had tracked me down back then, I would have . . .

  “It’s always about money with you, huh?” Kentucky said, interrupting his own thought pattern. He didn’t have time for what-ifs. “Bye, Giada. Go back to Fabian or some other sucker foolish enough to get mixed up with you.” Turning the doorknob behind him, he went back inside.

  “You arrogant—” Giada didn’t get a chance to finish the rest of her sentence before he slammed the door in her face.

  Kentucky peeked out a nearby window in time to see her storm back to her car. Before Giada stepped off his porch, he heard her say, “Who does he think he is slamming the door in my face! Now that I know he needs this job, I’m going to make the next six weeks of his life a living hell!”

  That’s what you think, Kentucky thought with flaring nostrils.

  Chapter Ten

  Kentucky showed up for his first day of work all business. He’d been hired to protect Fabian on social outings, professional engagements, and to act as chauffeur on occasion, with Sundays off.

  He was not hired to pay attention to Fabian’s girlfriend. As a result, Kentucky determinedly blended into the background and turned a blind eye to Giada’s attempts to make him jealous. She would never know how tormenting it was those first two weeks on the job when she dressed extra sexy and showered Fabian with too many kisses to count in front of Kentucky.

  As a way to work off his frustration, Kentucky decided to amp up his exercise regiment. He wanted to be so physically tired that he went to sleep as soon as he hit the bed. That way he wouldn’t lie awake wondering what Giada and Fabian were doing down the hall.

  Tonight was the Friday of week three. Kentucky was in full control of his mind, body, and soul. He’d convinced himself that Giada wasn’t the one for him. Every day she stayed with Fabian proved that.

  It was a good thing Kentucky was so settled about the issue because Fabian decided to change things up at the last minute tonight. Instead of going straight back to the boat after the concert, the singer wanted to go to an after-party that was being held on the island of Barbados. Ticket sales had been through the roof tonight, and Fabian was in the mood to celebrate.

  Because Kentucky would appear as one of Fabian’s entourage members, he dressed a bit differently than usual. Though still dressed in black, he left his black jeans and boots on the boat.

  Tonight he wore a dress shirt, black trousers, and black dress shoes. All were made of the finest material. Kentucky’s weapons of choice were a Taser and a small revolver since he was still on duty, no matter how casual he looked. The Taser was in his pocket, and the gun was attached to his calf by a sturdy strap. Kentucky could retrieve either within seconds if the need arose.

  At the upscale nightclub, Bartley immediately took the seat right beside Fabian, leaving Giada to sit on the other side with Kentucky to her left. It was their usual seating arrangement during the rare times they went out to socialize in public.

  Kentucky stilled himself against the alluring scent of Giada’s perfume as he sat beside her. He tried very hard not to look at her voluptuous frame in the blue crisscross halter dress she wore with its rhinestone trimmings and bare back.

  “I know you don’t drink, baby, but tonight you have to make an exception,” Fabian told Giada as he sat with an arm possessively behind her head. “Tonight we have a milestone to celebrate. This is my highest grossing concert yet.”

  “I . . .” Giada started, about to refuse the way she always did.

  “I won’t take no for an answer,” Fabian insisted. “One glass of champagne is not going to hurt you.”

  Kentucky frowned, careful to keep his eyes staring toward the dance floor instead of on the couple beside him. He didn’t appreciate Fabian pressuring Giada to do something she vowed never to do on account of her mother. Though she swore off love, too, alcohol would likely do way more damage to her body.

  Suddenly Kentucky found a way to help her out of the sticky situation. “Fabian, they serve a great non-alcoholic champagne here that bubbles like the real thing and tastes even better. Perhaps that might be more to Giada’s liking. I know that’s what I’m gonna have. Especially since I’m still on duty tonight and need to keep a clear head.”

  “Yes, I’ll have that. The fake champagne,” Giada said decisively with relief in her eyes. She sent Kentucky a look of gratitude. He gave her a nod of welcome in return.

  “Well, I’m still having the real thing,” Fabian said stubbornly, cutting his eyes at the man who’d gotten Giada to stand her ground. That was the closest Fabian had ever gotten to making her even take a sip of alcohol. Now his nostrils flared with ire, despite the fact that he held his peace in so public a place.

  Kentucky noticed how Fabian continued to brood silently even after their orders were taken and delivered. He barely wanted to sign autographs for the handful of female fans who had been allowed to venture over to their VIP table. Had it not been for Bartley nudging him, he might have turned all five women down.

  “No more autographs,” Fabian told a sixth woman who walked up to their table a minute later. No amount of nudging was going to work this time.

  “Oh, I didn’t come over here to get your autograph,” the woman in all pink clarified. “I came over here to ask him to dance,” she added, pointing and looking seductively at Kentucky.

  * * * *

  Giada instantly narrowed her eyes at the woman in pink. Jealousy shot through her body like it never had when women approached Fabian. She stiffened in her seat.

  Though the woman before them was built like an Amazon with her height and thick curves, she was exactly the kind of woman Kentucky would date. This was the kind of woman that he didn’t have to wonder if she could handle him in the bedroom.

  You don’t have to be big to know how to handle a big man. Giada recalled how she had handled Kentucky once upon a time.

  “Actually, I’m on duty tonight . . .” Kentucky began, about to politely turn the beautiful caramel-skinned island bird down.

  “Actually, he’s not,” Fabian interrupted, giving his bodyguard a look that broached no argument.

  “Or at least not as much as he thinks. Tonight we’re all mixing business with pleasure. Feel free to dance all you want, Kentucky. You can even ask your lady friend to join us if she wants to.”

  Giada wanted to protest so badly, but she knew she couldn’t. If she did, she would give her true feelings toward Kentucky away.

  “I would like that very much, Kentucky,” the woman said, giving him a lustful smile as she repeated the name she just heard Fabian say. “By the way, my name is Pinky.” She extended a manicured hand in greeting.

  “Nice to meet you, Pinky.” Kentucky smiled
, showing off those gorgeous teeth of his as he shook her hand. “I love that outfit.”

  “Nice to meet you, too. And thanks,” Pinky said, accepting his praise of her sexy pink minidress. She reluctantly released his hand.

  “Do you want to dance now or sit and talk for a while?” Kentucky asked, moving over just in case.

  “I’d like to dance first.” Pinky chuckled huskily. “You can tell a lot about a man by the way he moves on the dance floor.”

  Kentucky chuckled, too. “That goes both ways, you know.” He rose to his feet. “Page my phone if you need me for anything,” he turned to tell Fabian, proving that he hadn’t forgotten that he was still on semiduty.

  Fabian nodded. “I will. Now go have some fun with your lady.” He pulled Giada closer and added, “I know I’m going to have tons of fun with mine tonight.”

  Giada blushed with embarrassment. Inside she was fit to be tied.

  Bartley rolled his eyes with disgust.

  Kentucky simply turned around and left with the lady in pink.

  “Why did you embarrass me like that, Fabian?” Giada hissed under her breath when the other couple had gone.

  Fabian looked shocked. “As much kissing and hugging as we’ve done around Kentucky and you chose that statement to be embarrassed about?”

  “We haven’t done all that around her,” Giada retorted, sending a suspicious look Pinky’s way. “At least we know Kenny. We don’t know this woman from Eve.”

  Fabian bristled at her almost reverential use of Kentucky’s nickname. He suddenly looked very irritated. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous,” Fabian fired back.

  Giada scoffed. “Of her? Please.” She waved a dismissive hand in the air. She turned back to face Fabian. “Besides, why would I be jealous of her? She’s not after my man. My man is still right here by my side.” She gave Fabian a heated look that quickly chased all of his suspicions away.

  Bartley rolled his eyes again. “I think I need something stronger. Waitress?” He hailed the nearest one. “Your best vodka on the rocks, please.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Though Giada did her best to hide her jealousy toward Pinky, she couldn’t seem to shake it. She wanted to be the one slow dancing with Kentucky. She wanted his arms around her. In short, she wanted to be his.

  The more the night wore on, Giada became inundated with thoughts of Pinky returning to the boat with them. Fabian had mentioned that he was okay with Kentucky inviting his date back to the yacht for a nightcap, especially since that was the same privilege he regularly afforded Bartley.

  If she comes back to that boat, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Giada continued to sip her non-alcoholic drink, which was starting to taste like it could be the real thing.

  I don’t think I can handle Kenny sleeping with someone else right down the hall from me. Giada overlooked the fact that she’d done that very thing over the last three weeks. Like so many others before her, she couldn’t handle the shoe being on the other foot.

  She has to go, Giada decided selfishly, looking for the first opportunity to get rid of Pinky.

  That opportunity came when Pinky excused herself to the ladies’ room. Giada followed right behind her, walking a little unsteadily on her feet for some reason.

  “Are you coming back to the boat with us tonight?” Giada asked Pinky as they refreshed their makeup in the large bathroom mirror.

  Pinky smiled. “If Kentucky asks me to,” she replied, showing how conducive she was to the idea.

  “Well, if you do, I hope you’re into S & M, because Kentucky likes it rough based on what the last woman told me,” Giada lied. “I thought we were going to have to call the coast guard in when I heard that girl screaming at the top of her lungs that night.” She shook her head with fake sadness.

  “I called to check on her just yesterday, and the child still ain’t right yet.”

  Pinky stiffened. “Kentucky’s into beating and bondage?” Her eyes looked fearful.

  “Yes.” Giada nodded. “And so much more. I thought I would tell you so you’d know what you were in for tonight.” She shrugged. “But hey, you should be all right. Your frame is much sturdier than the last girl’s.”

  On that note, Giada left the restroom so that Pinky could have some time to mull over what she would do. She knew she’d taken a chance by lying on Kentucky like that. But it was a chance Giada was willing to take in order to . . . in order to . . . save him for herself?

  Now if I can only get rid of Fabian. Or at least get away from him for a while. Giada needed some time alone to just think about what she really wanted in life. She needed to particularly think about who she really wanted in her love life.

  * * * *

  “Where’s Pinky?” Kentucky asked when Giada returned to the table alone. He exited the seat so that she could return to her place beside Fabian.

  “I left her in the bathroom. She should be here in a little bit,” Giada replied innocently, settling into her former seat. She looked down at her glass and noticed that it was full again. “Who refilled my glass?”

  “Fabian,” Kentucky replied, sending her a look that reeked of caution.

  Though she didn’t fully understand that look, Giada knew not to touch that drink. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fabian frown with irritation at the unusual connection she and Kentucky seemed to have with one another. It was almost as if they could read each other’s minds at times.

  “Thanks for the refill,” Giada told Fabian, even though she failed to actually bring the drink to her lips again.

  Just then, a waitress came up to their table with a note. “Which of you goes by the name Kentucky?” she asked.

  “I do,” Kentucky replied.

  “A tall lady in pink left this for you.” The waitress handed him the note and departed.

  Giada held her breath as Kentucky unfolded the pink slip of paper and read the note. A frown creased his brow a few seconds later. Confusion shrouded his features.

  “Is something wrong?” Bartley asked, looking over at him with glazed eyes. He’d had one drink too many tonight.

  “No, Pinky just had to leave on an emergency,” Kentucky replied. “Any idea what that emergency was since you were the last one to talk to her?” He looked to Giada for the answer.

  “No,” Giada lied, fidgeting in her seat. “But she did get a call on her cell phone right before I left the restroom, so maybe that was her emergency.”

  “I see.” Kentucky nodded, giving her a look that said he didn’t believe a word she just said. “Well, no use crying over spilled milk.” He balled the note up and put it in the ashtray in the center of the table. “Especially since we leave in the morning anyway.”

  “Th . . . That’s a great way to look at things,” Bartley slurred out.

  Fabian laughed at his manager’s inebriated speech. “And on that note, I’d say it’s time for us to be heading back to the boat.” After signaling the waitress for the check, he turned to Kentucky and added, “Maybe you’ll meet a special lady at our next port. I heard that there are plenty fine women in Trinidad.”

  Kentucky smiled. “I’ve been there before, so I definitely know a few.”

  The men laughed, as if sharing a private joke.

  Giada felt her temper flare, but she swiftly quenched it and forced a smile upon her face. She thought she would make this trip tormenting for Kentucky. Somehow it was turning out to be torture for her instead.

  * * * *

  Pleading a headache tonight, which she really did have, Giada waited until Fabian passed out from having a few more drinks in their cabin before leaving the room. Keeping her dress on, she donned a pair of soft slippers and quietly made her exit.

  Where was Giada going?

  To Kentucky’s cabin.

  Why?

  She felt guilty for running Pinky away and wanted to apologize to him. Maybe then her headache would go away.

  Kentucky wasn’t in his cabin tonight. He w
as in the weight room right next to it. Giada could hear his loud grunts from the narrow hallway. Her core instantly began to clench with need as she recalled a few more times when he’d grunted from exertion.

  Entering the weight room, Giada had to take a deep breath to calm herself as her eyes lit upon Kentucky’s glistening chest. He was exercising in nothing but a pair of shorts. There weren’t even any shoes or socks on his feet.

  “Kenny,” Giada said a bit on the breathless side. She had to take another deep breath, lest she lose all control. As for her headache, it had miraculously disappeared at the sight of him.

  Kentucky paused from his repetition, put the weights down, and gave her his full attention. “What do you want now, Giada?” he said, once again asking a question he likely already knew the answer to. Surely he could see the desire all over her. The sight of her taut peaks straining against her dress had to give him some kind of clue.

  I want you. Giada kept that thought to herself.

  She wanted Kentucky back, all right, but only on her terms. If she was the first to give in, in any way, everything would be on his terms. Giada couldn’t have that. She liked being the one in control of the relationship, or at least the one with the most control.

  “I wanted to come and apologize for running Pinky off tonight,” Giada finally replied. “I told a lie on you in the ladies’ room that scared her off. I couldn’t sleep with it on my conscience.”

  “What was the lie?” Kentucky asked, not looking surprised at all by this news. He knew that Giada lied all the time to get what she wanted.

  Giada looked down at her hands. “I told her that you were heavily into S & M. I’m sorry, Kenny.”

  Kentucky shook his head in disgust. “I knew you had done something in that bathroom. I just didn’t know what.” He rose from the weight bench. “Now I want to know why. Why would you sabotage my evening with Pinky, or any other woman?”