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“You wouldn’t happen to have left a window open, would you?” Kentucky suggested, allowing her anger to roll off his back. He was man enough to take his punishment when he was wrong.

  “No. Not with all the recent break-ins in the neighborhood. And don’t even think about breaking one of my bay windows,” Giada replied adamantly, refusing to cause any damage to her precious first home. In reality this was the first home she actually bought for herself.

  “We can call a locksmith.” Kentucky looked down at his watch and winced. It was 3 a.m. No locksmith was going to come out this time of morning. This included the one who he knew personally.

  “On second thought, maybe I can put you up at Mama’s place tonight. We can call a locksmith in the morning,” Kentucky continued, not about to spend one brown penny on a gold digger, although he was responsible for her current dilemma.

  “A locksmith that’s going to come out on a Sunday?” Giada looked doubtful. “Why can’t you just put me up in a hotel instead? Oh wait, that expense is probably not in your bouncer budget,” she said haughtily, snapping her purse closed now that most of her belongings had been salvaged.

  “I know a guy who’ll come out on Sunday as a personal favor to me,” he replied, completely ignoring her dig about his part-time job.

  “If you know him that well, why can’t he come out tonight?” Giada asked.

  “Because he has a wife that he wants to keep.” Kentucky chuckled, causing his deep voice to get even deeper.

  * * * *

  Giada felt her nipples instantly tighten at the deep, husky baritone of Kentucky’s chuckle. That had never happened before. Never!

  No man had ever turned Giada on with just his laugh before. She was usually turned on by a man’s physical attributes or . . . his money.

  Suddenly she didn’t mind spending the night at the Joneses’ house. Suddenly she didn’t care how much smaller it was than her place. Wherever Kentucky was, that’s where she suddenly wanted to be tonight.

  He’s actually not that ugly when he smiles. Giada suddenly saw Kentucky in a whole new light. And she just loved how white and perfect his teeth were. Plus, his slight country accent was adorable. It was simply adorable.

  Maybe Kentucky was worthy of her time after all.

  Though he still wasn’t boy-toy material yet, Giada could certainly use another good errand boy. The last one had turned into a stalker. She had to take out a restraining order just to get him to leave her alone.

  “I’ll be glad to stay at your house tonight,” Giada finally said, looking up at Kentucky with a charming smile on her lips. “Now where is your car parked?” She glanced around the corner toward the parking lot area.

  * * * *

  Kentucky narrowed his eyes at Giada’s sudden change in attitude. His guard instantly went up. It went way up.

  After a quick review of his words, Kentucky wanted to kick himself. Hard. He’d just given himself away. By calling the family home his stepmother’s place, that meant that he had a home of his own.

  But how much had he just given away? For all Giada knew, his place could be a lowly one-bedroom apartment, especially if she thought he was just a bouncer.

  Sighing with relief that he hadn’t given away more personal info than that, Kentucky led Giada to the modest Jeep he liked to drive in order to hide his true wealth from women like her. He just hoped his stepmother was asleep when they got there and that Giada slept in late in order to miss Hannah on her way to church in the morning.

  Hannah liked bragging on her stepson, whom she felt privileged to raise from toddlerhood, three years after his birth mother died. She would tell any- and everybody about how proud she was of him protecting so many influential people. All it would take was for her to drop a few names, and Giada would know that Kentucky had more wealth than he let on. He had much more.

  * * * *

  The ride to the Jones house was far from quiet. Giada kept trying to charm Kentucky with her smiles, overall personality, and compliments about his physique. She was doing a good job of it, too.

  Giada was very personable, smart, beautiful, and had an adorable sense of humor. Kentucky could see why men fell under her spell. He could see why they wanted to just spoil her in reward for being so bright, so beautiful, and so capable of making them feel good in her presence.

  The way Giada maintained constant eye contact with a man had a way of making him feel as if he was the only person in the world who mattered to her. Each compliment she issued seemed so genuine, specially made just for him.

  Giada was also the type of woman who made a man want to stay up late making love to her. Forget about going to work in the morning. She was the perfect excuse to be late for one’s job. A man might even be tempted to use one of his sick days for her.

  Giada’s curves were full and supple. Oh yes, each and every one had that squeezable look. Her body was toned and fit. And the sensual way she walked suggested that she knew how to work her hips for maximum pleasure.

  By the time they actually arrived at their destination, every muscle in Kentucky’s body was tense. The one in his secret place was especially tense.

  “You sure you didn’t leave a window open?” Kentucky asked, having second thoughts about being under the same roof as Giada. She was testing his control to the limit as it was.

  What was it about her that affected him so deeply? She wasn’t the first beautiful woman who had shown interest in him during his thirty years on the earth. Kentucky’s physique attracted beautiful women all the time. With them things had remained on a physical level. Yet, with Giada, something about her tugged on his emotions.

  Why?

  Kentucky didn’t know that yet. He planned to find out . . . very soon.

  * * * *

  Giada smiled at the newest question she’d been asked. She knew why Kentucky had inquired about her windows again—she’d gotten to him on the ride home. She’d tried to. Shoot, Kentucky had gotten to her just as well, and without premeditation.

  After watching his large hands and those big, muscular arms of his work that steering wheel and gear shift, Giada was now ready to see how skillful he was at other things. She was now ready to boot him up to boy-toy status, despite the fact that he wasn’t as cute as some of his predecessors.

  “No, I never leave my windows open,” Giada replied, finally answering his question.

  * * * *

  Keeping the disappointment at her reply off his face, Kentucky reluctantly got out of the car. Reminding himself that his stepmother was in the house did wonders to calm his raging libido. Soon he was back under control.

  Kentucky and Giada entered the house very quietly so as not to disturb his sleeping parent. The front door was opened and closed with very little sound. They didn’t utter a word between them.

  Unfortunately for them, Hannah still woke up anyway. Kentucky heard the telltale squeak of her boxspring. He knew that his stepmother hadn’t been sleeping well lately on account of the recent crime spree in the area. He suspected that she probably had awakened at the first sound of his car pulling into the driveway.

  Yet despite the recent break-ins in the neighborhood, Kentucky still couldn’t get Hannah to move away. Instead she opted to believe that the crime spree would end once the summer was over. After all, like those living in the lower islands, Miamians knew how crazy the heat in these parts could make people at times.

  “Kenny, is that you?” Hannah asked through her closed bedroom door.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Kentucky assured her, pausing by her bedroom door. “But I’m not alone. I have Giada from across the street with me. She lost her key ring at the club and needs a place to crash for the night. I’m gonna put her up in the guest room, okay?”

  “Okay, son. Hey, Giada.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Jones,” Giada replied pleasantly.

  Kentucky fought not to frown at her overly friendly tone. Was Giada trying to ingratiate herself with his stepmother? What happened to barely speaking to either of them?r />
  Yes, Giada had always talked warmly to Hannah no matter how short their conversations had been. Yes, she seemed partial to older people as a whole, which might explain why she moved into this settled neighborhood. But tonight she had put extra sugar in her speech. Why?

  “Y’all hungry? I could get up and fix something,” Hannah said, forever hospitable.

  “No need to get up, Mama,” Kentucky answered for the both of them when he heard more movement in her bedroom. “We’re fine. Just go on back to sleep.” He did not want his stepmother up talking to Giada about anything.

  “All right. I’ll cook a big breakfast for you in the morning then,” Hannah said, obviously settling back upon her bed based on the zing sound of her box spring.

  “Thanks, Mama. Goodnight,” Kentucky replied, determined to wake up extra early in order to do damage control. Once his stepmother learned what kind of woman Giada was, she would keep a lid on his information.

  “Good night, son. Night-night, Giada,” Hannah said, singing her neighbor’s name at the end.

  Giada chuckled. “Night-night, Mrs. Jones.”

  Chapter Three

  As Kentucky showed Giada around the guest room, he found himself experiencing some of the same things he had in the car. He quickly came to the most obvious conclusion—him, Giada, and small spaces didn’t mix.

  She seemed to be aware of that, too, because her breathing instantly became shallower. That hungry look that she’d given him in the car returned. Except this time it was even more voracious.

  For the first time in his life, Kentucky was actually afraid of someone. He was afraid of a woman at that. He wasn’t fearful on a physical level, rather on an emotional and financial level.

  Kentucky feared falling in love with Giada, being weakened by that love, and eventually losing the fortune he’d spent years to amass due to her materialistic nature.

  And yet Kentucky showed no signs of fear. He’d been trained not to during his brief stint in the military.

  “If you need an extra pillow, let me know. I can bring you one from my room,” Kentucky said, continuing to talk about her accommodations. If only his voice wasn’t so husky at the end. If only she wasn’t standing so close to him.

  * * * *

  Giada smiled, pleased that she was having even the slightest effect on the big giant of a man. She’d wanted to affect Kentucky, which was why she’d been following him foot to foot around the room. She had him boxed in near the closet now.

  “The only thing I need from your room is a T-shirt to sleep in and . . .” Giada paused, leaned up to steal a quick kiss from him, and added, “You.”

  Kentucky inhaled sharply. His eyes registered surprise, then hot desire.

  Giada suppressed a squeal of delight. Did he really like her aggression? The brief smack she’d given him on the lips? She hoped so. There was plenty more where that came from.

  “You and I both know I’m out of your league, so why bother?” Kentucky said, suddenly picking her up and moving her to the side as if she weighed nothing. It was more like she weighed less than nothing in his arms.

  Desire surged through Giada’s body at being lifted so effortlessly by him. Kentucky was strong. The man was real strong. The fact that he was heading for the door in an attempt to escape what was happening between them turned her on even more.

  “You don’t have to be out of my league tonight, Kenny,” Giada purred, calling him by his nickname as she started after him.

  * * * *

  Kentucky stopped midstride at her use of his nickname. It sounded so erotic, so . . . right coming out of Giada’s mouth.

  Unaware that she’d been right behind him in his distraction, he abruptly turned around, causing her to run smack into his chest.

  They both moaned with need upon impact. Yet only one of them actually did something about it.

  Locking her arms about Kentucky’s neck, Giada leaped upon him and locked her legs around his waist. Then, before he could utter a sound of protest, she latched onto his lips and went for broke.

  Kentucky knew he should pull Giada off of him. He knew she was so wrong for him. He knew a lot of things. Yet despite what he knew, he wanted her kiss and so much more.

  And so he surrendered . . . as much as he could allow himself to under his stepmother’s roof.

  Pulling her aggressive tongue deep into his mouth for a hard suck, Kentucky slid his large hands to Giada’s bottom and squeezed. He knew it would be soft. He’d seen the way it jiggled when she walked.

  “Yes, baby. Squeeze that thang,” Giada muttered against his mouth.

  Ready to oblige her, Kentucky first glided her hips lower. He waited until the moment her softness slid across his rigidity to give her that extra squeeze she required. They both moaned deep in their throats at that intimacy.

  “Oooh . . . you’re big everywhere,” Giada noted breathlessly as passion’s fire blazed even hotter between them. “Show me what else you got going on.”

  At those words, Kentucky took the role of aggressor, bombarding Giada with deep kisses that had her trembling in his arms. His kisses had her wanting, needing him, like she’d needed no other man on the face of the earth. And kissing was just one of his special talents.

  * * * *

  When Kentucky broke the kiss and carried her over to the bed, Giada fully expected him to all out ravish her now, despite how gently he’d laid her on the bed. She wanted him to ravish her. She wanted him to ravish her badly.

  He did not.

  Instead, Kentucky planted a tender kiss on her forehead and said, “Goodnight, Giada.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you just going to leave me like this?” Giada asked breathlessly. She couldn’t believe he was actually walking away from her.

  From her!

  No man had ever refused Giada’s goodies once they were offered. No man.

  “I don’t have sex with women under Mama’s roof. It’s a respect thing,” Kentucky said, moving toward the door. He sounded only slightly breathless.

  Giada was about to suggest that they go to a hotel, when she remembered that he couldn’t afford such an expense on his salary. “Can I get a rain check then?” Even as she said those words, she couldn’t believe that they were actually coming out of her mouth.

  What had this mammoth done to her?

  “We’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll bring that T-shirt you asked for,” Kentucky said at the door. Then, before she could tempt him even more, he left.

  Giada punched the pillow in frustration when he left. Her body was on fire. And so was her temper. She couldn’t believe she’d actually humbled herself like that. She felt even worse for humbling herself for a man like that.

  Get a serious grip, girl, Giada told herself, punching the pillow again.

  * * * *

  When Kentucky returned with the T-shirt, Giada was suddenly very cold and aloof. Interestingly enough, he wasn’t too surprised by her change in behavior. He half expected it. And yet he still remained hospitable.

  “Good night, Giada,” Kentucky said after placing the T-shirt on the chair by the door.

  She gave him one of her brief nods and waited until he’d closed the door behind him to move from the bed.

  Out in the hallway, Kentucky sighed heavily with relief. He knew he’d just dodged a big bullet. Had this been his house or a hotel room, he would have been all up in Giada by now. He wouldn’t have stopped making love to her until they’d both been thoroughly satisfied.

  At the depth of passion he’d seen in Giada’s eyes earlier, experienced in her kisses, complete satisfaction could have taken a very long time to reach. She seemed to have the sexual appetite of two women.

  No wonder she has so many boyfriends. Kentucky recalled how many different cars he’d seen Giada exit over the short time that she’d lived in the neighborhood.

  She might be able to find her Mr. Right if she stopped shopping for pretty packages, he surmised, deeming every man in Giada’s social life pretty in l
ooks and/or bank account. Though Kentucky was up on his game in the latter, he didn’t mind being deficient in the former.

  When you weren’t drop-dead gorgeous, it was easier to figure out who genuinely liked you. The same was true when one kept one’s wealth a secret.

  Giada will never know my net worth as long as I have anything to say about it, Kentucky decided, going into his room down the hall.

  If she could go at him so hard thinking that he was broke and with him not being the prettiest flower in the garden, imagine what she would do if she learned he was a millionaire several times over.

  * * * *

  Though Hannah kept her word and cooked a bountiful breakfast, she was considerably less friendly to Giada in the morning. In fact, she barely said much of anything to her over their meal, which caused the younger woman to look puzzled by her change in attitude.

  Kentucky was on the silent side as well. He’d said all that needed to be said two hours ago. Not to Giada, mind you, but to Hannah as he revealed the true nature of her neighbor. Thus, when it came time for her to go to church, she was reluctant to leave her stepson alone with Giada.

  “Kenny, what time did you say your locksmith friend was coming?” Hannah asked, looking at Giada’s skimpy club attire from the night before. All those revealing holes bothered her.

  “Newton will be here within the hour.” Kentucky rose to his feet. “You have a good day at church, Mama. I got everything covered here,” he added reassuringly, lifting her petite frame into his arms for a warm hug.

  Returning to her feet seconds later, Hannah smiled proudly at her strong stepson. Trust swelled in her heart. Kentucky could handle himself in any situation. That had been proven time and time again.

  “Good-bye, Giada,” Hannah said politely, giving her guest a pasted-on smile in passing.

  “Good-bye, Mrs. Jones,” Giada replied, continuing to look puzzled.