Pretty Packages Read Online Free Page B

morning. She’s usually much friendlier.”
    “Mama’s change in behavior is because of me,” Kentucky admitted, returning to his seat after pouring himself more orange juice. “To keep her from trying to play matchmaker between us, I told her that I was way out of your league. That there was no hope for us because you liked pretty packages.”
    “Pretty packages?” Giada frowned, not liking the sound of that at all.
    “Yeah, men with prettier faces and fatter wallets than mine. Much fatter wallets,” Kentucky said, clearly pulling no punches with her.
    Springing to her feet, Giada slapped him hard across the face. “How dare you tell your mother I’m a gold digger!”
    “That’s what you are, aren’t you?” Kentucky said, looking unaffected by her blow. He hadn’t even spilled the orange juice in his right hand.
    Giada felt her cheeks grow hot. “It’s none of your business what I am!”
    “It is when what you are tries to spill over into my life!” Kentucky retorted, putting down his juice.
    “Why you . . .” Giada began, raising her hand to strike him again.
    Kentucky caught her wrist with ease. “I let you have that first blow because I still feel guilty about making you lose your keys last night, but I’m not gonna stand for another one. So unless you want to get hit back, I suggest you sit back down and eat the rest of your breakfast while we wait for Newton to arrive.”
    Giada trembled at the menacing look on his face. She’d never seen him look uglier. “You would really hit a woman?”
    “Keep swinging on me, and you’ll find out. Now sit!” he ordered, finally releasing her wrist.
    Giada plopped down in her seat. Her eyes were wide. She was scared out of her wits. She began to take deep breaths to bring her breathing back under control.
    Where was the gentle giant from last night? Where was the man who had given her that tender forehead kiss?
    Unable to sit still after a long, torturous minute of silence, Giada said, “On second thought, I think I’ll wait for your friend on my porch.” Then she got up and fled to her home.
     
    * * * *
     
    Kentucky chuckled when the door slammed behind her. Though he knew he would never hit a woman unless it was a matter of life or death, he didn’t want Giada to know that. He wanted her scared of him. Maybe then she wouldn’t try to snoop into his business and then come after him for his money, especially since that money had already been slated for worthy causes.
     
    * * * *
     
    “Okay, there is something seriously wrong with me,” Giada muttered to herself as she sat on her front stoop. “The man practically threatened to physically abuse me, and all I can think about is how much I want to sex him up.”
    Maybe she was so turned on because Kentucky was the first man who had stood up to her in years.
    He was certainly the first man to refuse her sexual advances.
    Maybe it was also because, now that she’d had a little time to think, Giada really didn’t believe that he would hit her or any other woman. After all, men who abused women didn’t usually have so much respect and reverence for their mothers, especially not their stepmothers.
    And Kentucky had the ultimate respect for his stepmother. Giada could still recall his “yes, ma’ams” and “no, ma’ams” now.
    So why would he deliberately scare me like that? she asked herself. Because I’m a gold digger .Giada answered her own question with blunt truth.
    Suddenly, for the first time in years, she actually felt ashamed of herself. Unfortunately, it was not enough to make her change her ways. Giada had too much stuff she still wanted in life, too many places she still wanted to see to let a temporary emotion like shame stand in the way.
     

Chapter Four
     
    September
    Giada didn’t speak to either of the Joneses again for the rest of the summer. She was too embarrassed to say anything to Hannah. She was also still too angry with Kentucky to say anything else to him.
    She