they didn’t live up to his impossible standards.
Luca, who was extremely easygoing, had finally come to realize that Jeromy Milton-Gold was a big snob — especially when it came to Suga. Luca adored his ex-wife and would do anything for her. After all, it was Suga he had to thank for giving him the chance to have such a fantastic career. She’d discovered him, nurtured him, loved him, made sure she’d surrounded him with the best managers and producers in the business. And even after giving birth to his son, she’d let him go with never a cross word, no bitterness or ill-will. Suga was a truly wonderful and selfless woman who genuinely cared about him.
Only Jeromy didn’t see it. Jeromy seemed to take great pleasure in putting her down.
Jeromy’s snide comments were endless, even though he knew Luca didn’t appreciate hearing the disturbing and bitchy things he had to say about Suga.
As for Luca junior, whenever the young boy was around, Jeromy more or less ignored him. This hurt Luca a lot for he adored his son, and he would have liked his partner to feel the same way.
‘Hey,’ Taye said, greeting the singer.
‘Hey back atcha, an’ good morning everyone,’ Luca responded. ‘I guess we’re the early group.’
‘That we are,’ Lori said cheerfully. ‘Cliff was still asleep when I got up.’
‘Ashley too,’ Taye said, joining in. ‘That woman can sleep the day away.’
Mercedes sprang into action, offering Luca coffee, tea or juice.
He chose juice. ‘Well, isn’t this a beautiful day!’ he exclaimed to his table companions. ‘How lucky are we?’
‘I know,’ Lori agreed. ‘If paradise existed, this would be it.’
‘Very poetic,’ Luca said, grinning. ‘I think I feel a song coming on.’
‘Really?’ Lori said.
‘Just kidding,’ Luca said, recalling Jeromy’s rant about Lori when they’d returned to their cabin the previous night. Jeromy — ‘
Luca actually liked Lori. He found her to be refreshing and pretty with her amazing red hair and great body. So what if she wasn’t important or famous? Who cared?
Jeromy did, and that pissed Luca off.
True to his promise the night before, Aleksandr had satisfied Bianca until she’d begged him to stop. Aleksandr could do more with his tongue than most men could do with a seven-inch erection.
Bianca luxuriated in bed when she finally awoke. How incredible it was to be away from it all. No phones. (Aleksandr had insisted everyone gave up their cell phones when they’d boarded the yacht.) No hovering paparazzi. No fashion fittings. Photo shoots. Branding meetings. Personal appearances. Just pure sheer nothing to do except nothing. She was in heaven.
Aleksandr was sitting out on their private terrace eating breakfast. Bianca slid her naked body from between the sheets and strolled out to join him.
His eyes took in every feline inch of her. ‘Exquisite,’ he observed.
‘And it’s all yours,’ she said, tossing back her blacker-than-night hair.
‘To do with as I will.’
‘Ah, but you already have,’ Bianca said, licking her full lips.
‘You make me want more,’ Aleksandr said, his voice a husky growl as he reached for her.
‘Shouldn’t we be joining our guests?’ she ventured, taking a step back.
‘They can wait. Come sit with me.’
She moved closer and sat on his knee. He cupped her breasts with his large hands, caressing her nipples until she began sighing with pleasure.
‘Shall I make you come?’ he said. ‘Would you like that?’
‘Only if you let me return the favour.’
Aleksandr roared with laughter and stood up, tipping her off his knee.
‘Later,’ he said. ‘You’re right, we should be joining our guests.’
‘You are
‘Take a shower and put on your bikini,’ Aleksandr commanded. ‘Today we go exploring.’
‘Exploring what?’
‘You’ll see.’
On her way up to the top deck for breakfast, Ashley ran into Cliff. She had on a pink jumpsuit with plenty of cleavage, her long blond hair tied back in a jaunty ponytail.
‘Oh my God, talking to you last night was such fun,’ she said, pouncing. ‘You’re so down to earth and lovely.’
‘What did you expect?’ Cliff asked, raising a caustic eyebrow.
‘Well, um, I thought, with you being such a big star, that you might be all up yourself.’
‘I try not to be,’ Cliff said, faintly amused. ‘Lori keeps me grounded.’
‘Lori?’ Ashley questioned.
‘My girlfriend.’
‘Oh yes,’ Ashley said. ‘I forgot that you’re with someone. I mean, in the magazines you’re always referred to as being single, so…’ she trailed off. She’d chosen to ignore the fact that he was with a girl, although this one was probably only temporary like all the rest she’d read about.
‘You’d better not let Lori hear you say that,’ Cliff chided, as they approached the breakfast deck. ‘She’s very sensitive.’
‘Well, I can see that it must be difficult for her.’
‘She can handle it.’
As if on cue, Lori jumped up to greet him, planting a kiss on his mouth, while throwing the blonde with the big tits a ‘keep off’ look. Last night at dinner she’d observed Ashley drape herself all over Cliff. Poor Taye, he must have his hands full with his flirty wife. But not to worry, because Lori was going to make sure that Ashley didn’t get anywhere near Cliff, not on her watch.
Besides, Ashley had the gorgeous footballer husband. Surely he was enough to keep her busy?
By the time morning arrived, Flynn had a backache from hell. He’d elected to sleep on the couch, while Xuan had commandeered the comfortable double bed. ‘We’ll take turns,’ she’d crisply informed him. ‘Tomorrow night you may have the bed.’
He was grateful she’d agreed to go along with his plan that they presented themselves as a couple. ‘I wouldn’t ask if it didn’t mean a lot to me,’ he’d assured her.
‘It is interesting to see you so vulnerable for once,’ she’d observed. ‘This woman must have really hurt you.’
‘She did,’ he’d muttered.
So the couch it was. And since he was six three, and the couch was somewhat shorter, it had not been a comfortable night. Plus his head was spinning, thinking about Sierra.
He had imagined he was over her.
He had thought that if he ever saw her again, it would mean nothing.
Of course he was wrong.
Seeing her in person was not the same as seeing her photos in magazines — the politician’s stylish wife, so beautiful, so popular. He remembered the shock he’d felt when he’d read about her and Hammond getting married. The love of his life had married his arch nemesis, Hammond Patterson.
