Pretty Packages

by Dodson, Mi'Chelle

  That’s if she even spends the night at Mama’s house. Kentucky was very aware of that possibility now that Fabian was back in the picture.

  The added frustration was the fact that he couldn’t hop on a plane and fly home tonight. His current assignment didn’t end for another week, which meant Fabian had seven whole days to woo his woman away from him.

  Kentucky cursed again as he lay in bed, watching the clock tick. If only he’d taken the time to memorize Giada’s cell phone number. He definitely would after this.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Giada was barely in bed when Kentucky called the house phone. She quickly answered on the first ring so as not to wake Hannah, who was already sleeping down the hall.

  Kentucky let out a sigh of relief when he heard her voice. “Thank God, you’re home.”

  “Where else would I be?” Giada asked. “And why aren’t you asleep? It has to be around 5 a.m. over there.”

  “Honestly, I’ve been up since two worrying about you.”

  “Why? I’m fine.”

  “But are we still fine?” Kentucky asked. “After speaking with Bartley earlier, I wasn’t so sure.”

  Giada frowned in distaste. “Don’t even mention his name to me. Did you know that that snake told Fabian that I was a lesbian?”

  “Yes, I did,” Kentucky admitted.

  “You did!” Giada sat upright in bed, livid with him. “And you let him?”

  “It was the only way to get Fabian off our backs at the time, although I’m starting to think otherwise now. Plus, I didn’t think you’d get this upset about it. Especially since you’ve been called worse than that over the years due to your old lifestyle.”

  “Maybe I have been called worse, but I still don’t appreciate my sexuality being attacked like that. Just like lesbians take pride in their preference for women, I take pride in my preference for men. I love being straight.”

  “Speaking of your preference for men, how did you manage to be dining at one of Miami’s most expensive restaurants with Fabian anyway?”

  “I was feeling lonely without you, frustrated with my finances, and so decided to treat myself to a nice meal.”

  “You could have gotten a nice meal at Mama’s house,” Kentucky countered. “And if you were feeling so lonely, why didn’t you ask Mama to accompany you? Why did you have to look Fabian up?”

  “Obviously Bartley didn’t tell you everything,” Giada retorted. “Otherwise you would have known that I didn’t look Fabian up at all. He saw me at the restaurant, came over to my table to say hello, and started asking me all kinds of questions about some girlfriend I was supposed to have. That’s when the whole lesbian thing came out. Soon he was on the phone with Bartley. As for inviting your mother along tonight, she only likes home-cooked meals and soul food buffets, remember? The Raven doesn’t have anything close to soul food on the menu.”

  “Oh.” Kentucky grew quiet now. His anger couldn’t help but abate in the face of such truth.

  “Yes, oh,” Giada snapped, livid with him for several other reasons now. “Now I understand why you were so relieved when I answered the phone. You thought I might have gone home with Fabian tonight, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah.”

  Giada sucked her teeth in irritation. “I guess I see how much you trust me. After all this time, do you actually think I would cheat on you, Kenny?”

  “I . . . I wasn’t sure. The whole gold-digging thing is still an issue for me sometimes. And knowing Fabian, he probably offered you the moon to come back to him. I can’t compete with him on that level. Not now. Maybe never, depending on his longevity in the music industry and me continuing to make wise investments.”

  “For your information, Fabian did offer me the moon tonight. All I would let him pay for was dinner,” Giada replied, being as honest as always with her man.

  Kentucky inhaled sharply. “I don’t want you even letting him do that for you,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Well, if you took me out every once in a while, I might not have to have other men buy me dinner!”

  * * * *

  Kentucky winced at Giada’s stinging reply. It had sliced him deep. So deep.

  “I couldn’t take you out before due to restricted finances and the fact that we couldn’t date openly,” he reminded her through a tight mouth.

  “Well, that’s no longer the case after tonight,” Giada replied. “Fabian knows about us, and though he’s not cool with it, he is not on some revenge tip. After Bartley spit some nonsense about how letting the world know he lost a woman to you would hurt his sex appeal and thus record sales, Fabian wasn’t about to draw media attention to the situation. As for finances, I know you can squeeze in a fancy dinner every now and then. Even poor people get to eat out at the buffet from time to time if they save up for it. I know, because my grandmother and I did it all the time.”

  “In that case, make a reservation at that same restaurant for the night I return. We’re gonna eat in style and then afterward . . .” Kentucky deliberately left his last sentence open-ended.

  “Afterward what, baby?” Giada purred, seemingly forgetting all about her anger, too.

  “Afterward, I’m gonna feast on you,” Kentucky whispered as his own body stirred mightily with desire.

  Giada moaned. “Hurry home, baby.”

  “I will. And, Giada?”

  “Yes, baby?”

  “Put your engagement ring on the correct hand.”

  Giada smiled. “I’m doing it now,” she said, quickly switching the ring to her left hand.

  * * * *

  Fabian began to pursue Giada with fervor after that night at the restaurant. He sent flowers to her job and expensive gifts to her home. He even gave her an open round-trip ticket to anywhere she wanted to go in the world.

  Fabian spared no expense. He was determined to win Giada back. Nothing and nobody would stop him. That engagement ring on her hand wouldn’t stop him. Not even Kentucky.

  Although Fabian knew he could never stand up against the man physically, the new bodyguard he hired looked like he could. Champ was just as big as Kentucky, but not as tall. Fabian made sure he never left home without Champ, especially now that he was going after another man’s woman.

  Though Giada promptly returned all the gifts, refusing to even sign for most of them, she did not return the ticket or the flowers. Keeping the flowers was self-explanatory since they would have wilted in the return transport and it would have been a waste of money to do so. But her keeping that ticket gave Fabian all kinds of hope, too much hope, the kind of hope that would make a man do foolish things.

  * * * *

  Giada was beyond excited to be openly dating Kentucky tonight. It showed. She hadn’t stopped smiling since he picked her up.

  They almost didn’t make it to the restaurant in time for their reservation because Giada kept trying to initiate sex in the car. She couldn’t seem to help herself.

  For one thing, she was glad that Kentucky was back in town. For another, the way he looked tonight was a big turn-on for her. Huge.

  For their first official night out as a couple, Kentucky wore one of his expensive suits. His hair had been freshly trimmed. He’d splashed on his favorite cologne. Actually he’d put on Giada’s favorite cologne for him. She’d gotten it for his last birthday because of how manly it smelled. Every whiff she took of it tonight made her want to make love to Kentucky right there on the spot.

  As if he knew what was on her mind, Kentucky took the role of passion watchdog. Though he kissed Giada soundly in the car, he didn’t take her as she wanted him to. When she protested, he claimed that he wanted them to slow-walk into intimacy tonight.

  Accepting that, Giada made herself stay as calm as possible. That proved harder to do than expected. Especially with Kentucky going out of his way to entice her tonight at the corner table they shared.

  From his place beside her, Kentucky fed Giada another bit of food from his plate. He’d been doing tha
t off and on all night. Like before, he licked his lips when her mouth closed around his fork.

  “You really have beautiful lips, you know that?” Kentucky said, heaping yet another compliment upon her. He’d been doing a lot of that tonight, as well.

  Giada smiled up into his eyes.

  Kentucky put the fork down and traced her lips as she chewed. “Yes, full and luscious, just the way I like ’em.” He leaned over and planted a brief kiss on her lips.

  Giada wished she didn’t have food in her mouth because she would have definitely deepened that kiss. She started to chew faster in hopes that he’d return to her lips again soon.

  “And your skin. It’s so soft.” Kentucky traced a slow invisible line from her temple, past her high cheekbone, and back down to her bottom lip. “So soft. I could touch you forever.”

  Giada closed her eyes at his touch. Swallowing the food in her mouth, she parted her lips and let out a sigh of contentment. There was so much love in Kentucky’s touch. There was so much love in his very presence.

  Feeling his hand gently sweep her hair back over one shoulder, Giada knew what was coming next. She was ready, too. As soon as Kentucky leaned in to lick her lips, Giada pulled his tongue into her mouth.

  They both moaned. The kiss instantly deepened.

  One of Kentucky’s hands disappeared under the table, under her skirt, and between her legs.

  Cupping her triangle, he gently squeezed before stroking her through her thong.

  Giada moaned again. Her legs automatically parted as if Kentucky had said, “Open sesame,” in his touch.

  “Sir, madam, would you like dessert now?” their waiter asked after clearing his throat didn’t break them apart.

  Reluctantly withdrawing from each other, Giada and Kentucky promptly placed their orders.

  Kentucky’s only special request was that their desserts be served after they had a chance to partake of the restaurant’s dance floor.

  “You know, this will be my first time dancing in here,” Giada said as Kentucky escorted her closer to where the live band was. “I’ve only come here to eat before, and none of my other dates ever wanted to dance.”

  “Tonight is going to be a night of many firsts,” Kentucky replied with a secret smile.

  Giada didn’t know what that smile was about, but she just knew she was going to love whatever he had planned for her. She always did before.

  On the dance floor, Kentucky drew Giada into his arms and began to rhythmically move against her.

  “Just follow my hips, baby,” he instructed since this was their first time slow dancing together. “The same way you do in the bedroom.”

  Giada had no trouble following those instructions. “Like this, baby?” she asked, mimicking his double-pelvic-thrust-per-side rotation.

  “Yes, exactly like that,” Kentucky whispered huskily as he pulled her closer.

  “I think I like doubling up the steps like this,” Giada said, noting the differences in the way he slow danced versus all the other men she’d danced with in her life. “It helps you really feel each other, if you know what I mean.” She chuckled.

  “Those six-inch heels you have on do, too,” Kentucky replied, referring to her stilettos. “They place you nearly pelvis to pelvis with me. I like that.”

  Giada chuckled again. “I know. That’s why I bought them.”

  “Do they hurt your feet?”

  “Not yet. But if they start to, I’ll let you know.”

  “Do that. I’ll be glad to rub your feet and anything else aching on that sexy body of yours,” Kentucky whispered in her ear.

  Giada moaned and inched closer. She was careful to keep her hips in perfect unison with his as they grew silent and just enjoyed the music and the proximity of each other’s body.

  * * * *

  Unknown to either of them, Fabian was in the restaurant. He’d been paying a private investigator to spy on Giada ever since the night they dined together. That’s how he knew she’d be at this restaurant tonight.

  Fabian was on the top level of the restaurant, which was why he hadn’t been noticed by Giada or Kentucky all evening. He could have been on the bottom level, and they still wouldn’t have noticed him. The couple had been too into each other to notice anyone else.

  And I bet he was doing something to her under that table. Fabian recalled how Giada’s face flushed when Kentucky’s left hand went missing from the table.

  What kind of hold does he have on her? Fabian wondered. What is so special about him that would make her give up a guy like me?

  * * * *

  As if he knew he was being meditated upon so heavily, Kentucky’s gaze rose to the second level of the restaurant. He frowned and his body stiffened when he saw Fabian peering at them over one of the tall banisters.

  How long has he been here? Kentucky wondered, giving Fabian a hard glare.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Giada asked. She was so in tune to his body by now that she could detect the slightest change in it.

  “Nothing.” Kentucky forced his body to relax again. “Nothing at all,” he reiterated, determined to give Fabian a show he’d never forget.

  Crisscrossing his hands behind Giada’s back, Kentucky slowly lowered them to her bottom and gave her a subtle squeeze. As expected, she moaned from the intimacy. As expected, Fabian looked away, red-faced with ire.

  I guess you know how I felt now. Kentucky recalled too many times he’d watched Fabian get frisky with Giada on that boat.

  “Ready for dessert?” Kentucky asked, abandoning any further acts of revenge. Tonight wasn’t about Fabian. Tonight was about Kentucky and Giada.

  “I’m ready for whatever,” Giada replied, withdrawing to smile up into his eyes.

  Kentucky returned that smile, forgetting all about Fabian for sure now. They walked back to their table in a moving spoon formation with Giada directly in front of him and Kentucky’s arms about her waist.

  During dessert, the same scenario as dinner was repeated. This time Giada fed him from both their plates. Kentucky’s hands remained free to roam her body at will. And roam he did.

  By the time the check arrived, Giada was panting with need. Her thong was nearly drenched with passion’s dew. She was so ready for him. In fact, she looked like she was going to attack him.

  Realizing the urgency of her need, Kentucky quickly paid the check and left a big tip for the waiter. “Let’s go upstairs to the room I reserved for us,” he said, rising to his feet.

  “You reserved a room for us at this hotel, baby? What about your budget?” Giada practically leaped to her feet as he courteously pulled her chair from the table.

  “Like you said before, sometimes you have to splurge a little. Especially on things that are important to you.” Kentucky gave her a heated look that was sure to create a barrage of tingles in her body.

  Giada swallowed hard and moaned beneath that hot gaze.

  * * * *

  Giada couldn’t have been happier when Kentucky removed her skirt and underwear before the door to their room was barely closed. She loved the fact that his eagerness to make love was just as great as hers.

  Giada greedily took Kentucky on full throttle as he lifted her upon his waist and buried himself as deep as he could get in her. She had no patience left. All that foreplay in the restaurant had her desperate to feel him inside of her.

  Holding her up in his strong arms, Kentucky made love to Giada standing up, right there in the middle of the floor. He was not fast and hurried like a man lacking stamina and great physical strength. No, Kentucky made love to Giada very, very slowly. And his arms weren’t even shaking.

  Nor were his legs showing any signs of fatigue.

  Giada felt so safe in Kentucky’s arms. She had no fear of being dropped. She had no fear of anything when he held her. Only when he left her side for extended periods of time did her doubts return.

  Doubts like: Could she really be a lawyer? Were all of her gold-digging days truly behind her? A
fter all, she still hadn’t returned Fabian’s ticket yet. And why hadn’t she returned that ticket yet?

  With no thought of those things now, Giada maintained eye contact with Kentucky as he continued to stroke her slowly. Every so often they would share a lingering kiss that further emptied her mind of troubling thoughts.

  “I love you,” Giada whispered, leaning in to kiss his lips again.

  “I love you, too,” Kentucky replied right before she invaded his mouth in the most sensual of ways.

  When their tongues entwined this time, things got decidedly hotter between them. The pace quickened as Giada held on to his strong neck and rode him with forceful up and down strokes.

  Kentucky moaned deep in his throat. His hands squeezed her bottom tighter. His hips thrust upwards harder. They moved faster.

  It.

  Felt.

  So.

  Good.

  Too good.

  Within seconds they were both going over the edge.

  “Oh, Kenny. I can’t wait to have your babies!” Giada shouted in ecstasy.

  * * * *

  People walking along the hallway just outside Kentucky and Giada’s room must have heard her husky declaration. Unfortunately, Fabian heard it, too. But not out in the hallway. No, he heard it from the hotel room next door to Giada and Kentucky on the left.

  Now Fabian wished he’d never followed them out of the restaurant. Now he wished he’d saved his money instead of paying off a few people to find out which room Giada was in and a little extra to get a suite right next to it. Now he wished he’d just gone home.

  I have to find some way to get rid of that giant. And I need to do it quick, too, before she has a farmload of ugly babies by him, Fabian thought, bristling with anger as he snatched away from the wall.