by Chanta Rand
The flight took less than four hours. All too soon, they’d reached their destination. When they arrived in Montego Bay, they were greeted by a representative from Aphrodite’s Palace. After the introductions were made, Alexa and Tristan were whisked away in a white limo and driven the thirty miles to the resort. As the limo made its way up the steep hills and winding roads, Alexa got a chance to see the brilliant colors of the Jamaican countryside. Lush, green plants dotted the landscape, mixed in with vibrant shades of red, yellow and black painted on the buildings. Men, women, and children littered the sides of the roads, selling everything from pottery and baskets to food and jewelry. The shopaholic in her surfaced and she eagerly stretched her neck to see everything.
Tristan laughed at her reaction. “Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “They’ll be plenty of time to do everything you want.”
“Everything?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, everything – as long as you save some of that energy for me.”
She smiled seductively. “No problem.”
Aphrodite’s Palace finally came into view. It was truly spectacular. Tall, graceful white pillars lined the front of the building, making the resort look like a Roman Coliseum. It was all so surreal. She felt like a queen about to enter her palace.
Once inside, the concierge at the front desk eagerly checked them in, practically bowing and scraping to Tristan. “Much reespek, Mr. Rexford,” the man gushed in a thick Jamaican accent. “Tis a privilege, mon. Any ting yah waan, mi git for yah. Any ting mi do ta make your stay enjoyable, yah let mi know, yeh?”
Alexa strained her ears to decipher what the man was saying. She watched as Tristan took it all in stride. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it,” he answered humbly.
“Yah lady friend too. Ring me if yah waan any ting.”
“This is my guest, Ms. Kennedy. She’ll need a key to our suite and access to the same privileges as I have.”
“Irie. No worries, mon.”
“Thank you.”
Alexa whispered to Tristan. “What does irie mean?”
He laughed. “It’s a Jamaican expression. It means everything is all right.”
She watched as the man gave a quick nod over his shoulder. Instantly, a porter appeared and placed their bags on a luggage rack. “Come wit me, Mr. Rexford,” the porter said. “I will show yah to your suite.”
Their room was lavish. Bright light flooded into the palatial living room suite, which opened onto a wide, wrap-around patio, complete with rattan lounging chairs and a chase. A large hot tub was nestled in the corner. From their oversized windows, they had spectacular views of rolling hills and lush green mountains. Transparent curtains fluttered in the warm breeze.
Alexa wandered into the bathroom, where she noticed a mammoth sized spa tub in the middle of the floor. It was large enough to fit ten people. Thank goodness, there was a separate granite-tiled shower. She couldn’t imagine filling that tub up every day take a bath. Two pretty, pink marble sinks shaped like clamshells were carved into the countertop. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. The face of a happy woman stared back at her. She couldn’t believe she was spending the next three days in Paradise. “A girl could get used to this,” she murmured.
Tristan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “How can you make that statement when you haven’t seen the most important room yet?”
“And what room is that?” she pretended ignorance.
“The bedroom, of course.”
She felt him nuzzle the back of her neck and place tiny butterfly kisses along the delicate skin there. His lips were soft and warm, immediately causing a spark to ignite inside of her.
“You smell good,” he told her. “I wonder how you taste.”
She turned around to face him, and he captured her lips in a tender kiss. His tongue smoothly slipped inside her mouth and began its sensual exploration. He teased and probed and suckled her tongue as if he really was trying to taste her. The sensation was scintillatingly erotic. When his hands boldly roamed her body and cupped her buttocks tightly against him, she gasped with pleasure. She felt the evidence of his hard arousal pressing insistently against her pelvis. Heat spiraled unchecked through her body. She knew what would come next and she was ready for it. She wanted it. She needed it. She craved it.
A loud knock at the door hindered any further progress. Reluctantly, she tore her lips from his. She stated the obvious. “Someone’s at the door.”
“It won’t take me long to get rid of whoever it is.” His dark eyes gave her a look of sensual promise. “Then we can pick up where we left off.”
She followed Tristan back into the main suite. When he opened the door to their suite, a short, plump woman stood on the other side. “Hello, Mr. Rexford,” she extended her hand. “My name is Serena. I’m the Assistant to Martin Conrad, the CEO of Aphrodite’s Palace. I have your schedule of events for the commercial shoot tomorrow.”
Alexa noticed that the woman did not have the same thick accent she’d been hearing.
Tristan accepted the thin booklet from her. “Thank you for coming to meet me personally, and on a Sunday, no less.”
Alexa hid her smile. Apparently, Tristan didn’t realize how fine he was. Any woman with good sense would jump at the chance to bring even the most insignificant item to his hotel room – any day of the week.
“My pleasure,” Serena beamed. “The resort should have everything you require, but if you do need to leave the premises, I will arrange for all of your transportation.” She gave him her card. “You could drive yourself, but if you’re used to driving on the right side of the road, it could be dangerous.”
Tristan glanced at Alexa and laughed. “No thanks. I think we’ll leave the driving to the experts. A car and driver will be fine.”
Serena returned his laugh. “By the way, will you be attending the party tonight?”
“What party?”
“The executives of Aphrodite are having a cocktail party in your honor.” She looked concerned. “Has no one told you?”
Tristan looked like he’d suddenly remembered an important piece of information. “Oh yeah, I totally forgot.”
“Irie. Cocktails start at six. See you then.” Serena sashayed away and Tristan closed the door.
When he turned to Alexa, she wagged her finger at him. “You didn’t tell me about a party, Tristan.”
“It slipped my mind, I swear. After you agreed to come with me, I really didn’t think about anything else.”
She shrugged. “That’s cool, but I have nothing to wear. I didn’t think we’d be dressing up, since somebody told me I’d only need my thong and my lip gloss.”
He chuckled. “My bad. We’ll just go shopping to find you something.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.” He held out his hand to her. “Let’s go.”
“Right now? Don’t you want to kick back and relax for a minute?”
He adjusted his belt. “Woman, you got me so heated up, if we don’t leave right now, we might not ever make it to that party.”
* * *
Tristan arranged for a driver to take them to a place where Alexa could shop. He was careful to avoid the tourist areas that sold cheap souvenirs, crafts, and knock-off items. He instructed the driver to take them to the Shoppes of Rose Hall. Rose Hall was a shopper’s dream. It was filled with luxury shops and boutiques, fine jewelry, high-end clothing stores, and eclectic souvenir shops. There was also an international bistro, a coffee shop, and a gourmet restaurant. Alexa was like a kid, awed by everything she saw. He was glad he could be with her for her first visit to Jamaica. She turned heads everywhere she went. He couldn’t even be mad at the men who openly stared at her. She was a natural beauty, with no makeup except that sexy lip gloss. And she had a beautiful personality to match. There was no one else he’d rather be here with. They roamed the area, holding hands and shopping for nearly an hour when they finally located a dress shop that piqued Tristan’s curi
osity. The windows were decorated just like the shops on Rodeo Drive in L.A.
“Let’s try this place, Alexa.” Tristan strolled in and walked up to the only sales lady in the store. “We need a dress for a cocktail party tonight at Aphrodite’s Palace,” he said.
The woman flashed a knowing smile that indicated she knew she was dealing with customers who had the financial means to afford the shop’s clothing. Aphrodite’s Palace catered to the rich and fabulous. Tristan had been to this boutique once, and had found it too uppity for his tastes. But Alexa needed the best tonight. As fine as she looked in those tight jeans, she definitely could not wear them to the party.
“I have several lovely dresses,” the saleslady told him. “Please have a seat and I’ll be right back.” Tristan waited outside the dressing room as he watched Alexa being led away to try on dresses. A few minutes later, she emerged wearing a black cocktail dress. It was a halter-top design with a split up the back. The short length showed off the curve of her sexy calves. He gave her the thumbs-up sign. He definitely liked that one.
She disappeared and then reappeared wearing a short, strapless white satin dress. The soft material shimmered when it caught the light. This dress was shorter than the black one, exposing her creamy thighs. He smiled, shaking his head in approval before she vanished into the dressing room again.
The last dress she changed into was red and had a plunging neckline. It was longer than the others, but just as stunning on her. The slinky material hugged her body in all the right places. His mouth dropped when he saw her. She playfully rolled her eyes at his behavior. That was part of what he liked about her – she didn’t take herself too seriously. And she knew how to keep him from doing the same. She looked damn good in all of those dresses.
“I have just the perfect accessory,” the saleslady said, approaching with a large, velvet black box. When she opened it, a breathtaking turquoise and gold necklace was nestled inside. The blue of the cabochon stones matched the cloudless summer sky. “This necklace is made of Sleeping Beauty turquoise,” she said. “It’s one of the rarest forms of turquoise, found only in the Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona. The stones are surrounded by 18KT yellow gold. We have the matching earrings, too.”
“It’s gorgeous,” Alexa murmured, as she touched the precious stones.
“We’ll take it,” Tristan said without hesitation. He loved the way Alexa’s eyes lit up when she saw it. He stood up, removed the necklace from its velvet box, and placed it on her neck. The cool baby blue color contrasted beautifully against her cinnamon colored skin. He wondered how she would look lying naked, wearing only this necklace. No, make that standing, wearing this necklace and a pair of four-inch high pumps. Now, that was a delicious picture.
“Which dress do you like?” the saleslady asked, interrupting his wet dream.
“We’ll take all three,” he said, pulling his wallet out.
“Tristan!” Alexa looked at him like he was crazy. “I only need one dress.”
“I just remembered there’s another party tomorrow night, so now you’ll have something else to wear.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and laughed. “You are a horrible liar.”
He threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, you got me. I just want you to have all three. Consider this my gift to you for bringing you here on such short notice.”
“Alright. But next time, I’m paying.”
He shook his head. “We’ll see. You’re just going to have to get used to me buying nice things for you, Miss Independent.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. “Now, which one of these outfits are you going to model for me tonight?”
In the end, Alexa wore the white cocktail dress with the turquoise necklace. She looked like a Greek goddess. She added a pair of gold, strappy high-heeled sandals, pulled her hair up in a loose bun, and she was ready. Tristan wore a linen suit the color of bamboo. His dark Gucci sandals were the only indicator that he was a tourist. But he didn’t care. Tonight, all he wanted to do was have fun with Alexa.
The party was held on the roof of the resort. Countless stars sparkled against the black night sky. In Cali, the only stars he saw were the ones who walked around Hollywood. The rooftop of the Aphrodite was lit up with thousands of white lights, and decorated in the colors of the Jamaican flag. There was even a dance floor packed with people. Bob Marley’s “Jammin’” was playing loudly in the background. Waiters in crisp, white trousers and matching shirts served fancy hors d’oeuvres and tropical-looking drinks with fruit and paper umbrellas.
As Tristan stood taking in the scene, an older, balding man with an olive-colored complexion approached and extended his hand. “T-Rex, I’m Martin Conrad. I believe you met my secretary Serena earlier today.”
Tristan shook his hand. “Yes. She was very helpful. Thank you.”
“I want to thank you for agreeing to do the shoot,” Conrad said. “You’re just what this place needs – a boost of tourism. I get tired of always being surrounded by these restless natives. I like new blood. You know what I mean?” The man had an annoying grin on his face, and a My Shit Don’t Stink attitude. Tristan gave him the plastic smile he reserved for bothersome fans. Conrad leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Look over there,” he pointed to a spot in the corner. “I’ve got some extra perks to make your stay here even more enjoyable.”
Tristan followed his gaze to an area where three beautiful, statuesque women were standing together. They were all draped in skimpy dresses that left nothing to the imagination. They were a diverse group. One black woman, one Hispanic, and one white – with blonde dreadlocks. Nice touch. “I didn’t know your tastes,” Conrad gave a sneaky laugh. “So, I got you one of everything. Or you can indulge in all three. Whatever rocks your world, I can supply it.”
Tristan took an immediate dislike to him. He’d run into guys like Conrad in the NFL. The ones who tried to be his buddies by offering him anything his heart desired. It was dangerous for people to offer anything to make you happy. That could mean women, men, drugs, whatever. He’d quickly learned that just because somebody offered to be your friend, that didn’t really make them your friend. In fact, they could turn out to be your worst enemy and jeopardize everything you’d built. Conrad was just a wealthy thug trying to get in where he fit in. Tristan could take care of himself and he didn’t need no one “supplying” him with nothing.
Tristan glanced at Alexa, who was standing beside him patiently watching. The music was loud, so she had no idea what had just transpired. It pissed him off that Conrad had the nerve to try and play pimp, especially when Alexa was clearly his date. She was too good for this shit. It was the one part of his world he didn’t ever want her to see. He took her hand in his and turned to Conrad. “Mr. Conrad, I’d like you to meet Doctor Alexa Kennedy, my girlfriend.”
Alexa extended her hand. “Pleased to meet you,” she said cheerfully, not missing a beat. Her smile lit up the room like a Fourth of July fireworks display. She was gorgeous in her white dress, and classier than all three of those chicks put together. He was proud to call her his woman.
Conrad’s smug grin slowly faded, like he’d just realized he was the butt of a joke. To his credit, he recovered quickly. “The pleasure is all mine,” he responded. “A doctor. Well, I feel safer already. What kind of medicine do you practice?”
“I work with burn victims,” Alexa told him.
“Oh, so you have brains and beauty. A rare gift.” He glanced nervously at Tristan. “T-Rex is a lucky man.”
“No, I’m the lucky one,” Alexa said. “I’m fortunate to know someone like Tristan, who can touch the lives of others with his talents. People simply adore him. I know I do.”
The man actually had the common sense to look embarrassed. “I should have known,” he mumbled to Tristan. “You don’t need my help with women.”
Tristan gave him a lame smile. “Nah, I don’t need anyone’s help.”
Conrad got the hint. �
�Well, I’ll leave you two alone. Have a good night.”
Tristan watched him walk away. He hoped the disgust he felt didn’t show on his face.
“What the hell was that about?” Alexa asked
“What do you mean?” Tristan played ignorant.
“Obviously you two are having some sort of pissing contest. You told him I was your girlfriend and you made a point of calling me doctor.”
He didn’t want to share what Conrad had whispered in his ear. He wanted to keep Alexa away from that ugliness. So, instead, he gave her what he hoped was his most seductive smile. “Well, aren’t you?”
“What? A doctor? Or your girlfriend?”
“Both.”
This time it was her turn to smile. “You’re incorrigible.”
He laughed. “I could say the same for you. You’re the one who told him you adore me.”
“Yeah, because I took your cue.”
He pulled her to him and held her snugly around the waist. “That’s what I like about you. You got my back.”
“Um hmm. I see you deftly avoided my questions about Mr. Conrad.”
“Let’s talk about it later. Right now, we have something more important to do.”
“Like what?”
Instead of telling her, he showed her by pulling her onto the dance floor. The song had changed to a mellow Dennis Brown love ballad. This was his kind of music. Few people outside of his family knew that he had a huge collection of Reggae. He loved the pulsating beats, the sounds of the metal drums, and the deep messages in the music. He pulled Alexa close and she easily kept up with him, her body fluidly following the music and sensuously brushing up against his. Their eyes locked and they held each other’s gaze for what seemed like an eternity. Alexa was too damn sexy tonight. She had his undivided attention. Whenever he was with her, she excited him in ways no other female had. Everything about her turned him on. Her lips were tantalizing. Her eyes were enticing. Her body was tempting. Her conversation was stimulating. Her mind was powerful. He just couldn’t get enough of her.