Trouble in Paradise Read Free Page A

horseshoe couch arrangement equipped with a television and full access internet. The smaller office had everything Sterling needed to work on proposals from the air, and he had an area just off from the office with an area for him to sleep when he got tired. The flight attendant had her own area up front but it wasn’t closed off or private. It looked comfortable, but basic.
     
    Bambi had taken this flight each time Sterling had because that was part of her contract. She had missed that part of the contract when she read it before signing. She should hate it, but in reality she loved it. She didn’t have family near her. She didn’t get along well enough with her sister to care if she didn’t see her every year. She didn’t have a boyfriend to worry about, or kids to worry about. She was a free woman—one who could leave whenever she pleased. Of course it didn’t hurt that her boss was not too bad on the eyes. Oh gosh, she was in trouble. Lately she had been looking at Sterling with more passion and longing than she should have. It wasn’t that way at first. He was cute, but she hadn’t had that initial knee jerk attraction to him. She never had that with anybody. She always had to get to know people first. Even in high school the first guy she liked enough to end up calling her boyfriend had been a friend for nearly a year before she looked at him and thought they could maybe have something. He wasn’t ugly. He was a Tahitian god really—great body, great hair, great dimples when he smiled—and all the girls fell at his feet they wanted him so much. She, on the other hand, just thought he was an okay looking guy with a moderately good level of popularity. With that many girls after him all the guys wanted to be his friend so they could pick up the ones he didn’t.
     
    They got stuck on a science project together, it was on food and calories and kilocalories and something in that had her spending more time with him than normal. She realized he was smart and funny. He made her laugh and that was the deal maker. He asked her out, she said yes and they dated until their senior year when he decided spectacular kissing just wasn’t enough and she just wasn’t ready to give him more than that.
     
    Now she was starting to look at Sterling like a woman would look at a man she wanted to keep. He was thirty-five, nearly thirty-six and she was just turning thirty-four come a week from today.
     
    She shook the thoughts she had from her mind as she watched Jocelyn wrap her arms around her father.
     
    “Where are we going? Bambi wouldn’t tell me.”
     
    “You’ll see when we get there.” He tugged on the shoulder length ponytail hanging from the middle of the back of her head. “On you go.” He motioned with his finger.
     
    “Dad, next time you should come get me. It’s not fair to send Bambi to deal with that bi—”
     
    “Watch your language,” he cut off her word sharply and quickly.
     
    “Rochelle’s mom calls her that.”
     
    “Rochelle’s mother is not you. That language is not becoming of a lady, of an intelligent woman—both of which you are. Find another word from your arsenal of words, but don’t ever speak that word again.”
     
    She lowered her head. “Sorry, Dad. She just makes me so angry.”
     
    “I think I need to get you a thesaurus and a dictionary when we get where we’re going so you can learn some new words while you’re on summer break.”
     
    “Buy that woman you call my mother one too and maybe she won’t call me a slut cunt again.” She jogged up the steps.
     
    Bambi saw the rage in Sterling’s eyes. She exhaled slowly. “Oh boy.” She had hoped she would be able to find the right time to discuss this topic with him later. She had hoped they could do it while he was thousands of miles away from Jordana and not just an hour drive to her home. “Jocelyn needs you more than Jordana needs to hear the rage in your heart. Go on up. I’ll catch