Page 41 of Ignacio

“Lucky bastard,” King murmured, his eyes drifting over her bare shoulders.

Unexpectedly, Ignacio slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side. Where had he come from?

“King, I hope everything went well?” he asked.

“Better than expected, thanks. I look forward to doing business with you. As for you, Delta?—”

“Your business with her ends tonight, doesn’t it?” Ignacio asked pointedly, his gaze meeting King’s head-on.

Oh shit. Delta laughed to soften the delivery of Ignacio’s words. What was he thinking? Was he trying to sabotage the deal with his fake jealousy act?

She slipped an arm around his waist and gazed up at him with a sidelong glance. “That’s right. I’m done here, and now the two of you have a movie to make. Right, hon?”

“Yes, we do,” Ignacio said, keeping his eyes on King.

A smile touched King’s lips, as if he had received the message loud and clear. “We sure do. I’ll be in touch.” After a brief nod, he walked away.

Delta waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. “What the heck were you thinking, saying something like that to him?”

“You think I don’t know he was hitting on you? You’re here with me. Don’t forget what we’re doing.”

She kept a smile on her face in case anyone was watching them. “Of course I haven’t forgotten, but maybe you should smile. We wouldn’t want people to think we’re arguing. We want them to think we can’t keep our hands off each other. King was being friendly, that’s all. Maybe bring it down a notch before you jeopardize your deal.”

“Fuck him,” Ignacio said. He took a deep breath and let it out.

He was acting as if he were really jealous.Washe jealous of King Brockwell?

“Ignacio—”

He forced a smile, which didn’t quite look real. “If telling him to stay the hell away from my woman jeopardizes the deal, then so be it.”

My woman. He sounded as if he meant those words.

“Let’s get out of here,” he muttered.

On the way to the door, they picked up her stole from one of the chairs, and she threw the fabric around her shoulders. Taking her hand, Ignacio led the way toward the exit, but they didn’t have a clean getaway. Several of the guests stopped them as they wound their way through the room, and they paused to say goodbye to Elizabeth and Benjamin.

“Thank you for such a lovely birthday present,” the older woman said.

“You’re welcome,” Delta returned, giving her a warm hug.

Outside, Ignacio called for the limo, holding Delta’s hand the entire time. Finally, the car pulled up, but he didn’t wait for the chauffeur to climb out and open the door. He opened it himself and practically shoved her onto the seat, as if he wanted to get her as far away from King Brockwell as possible.

They rode in silence before Delta spoke. “Tonight was nice.”

Ignacio kept his gaze on the scenery outside and grunted, his feet tapping the floor of the vehicle.

“You’re not upset about King, are you?” Delta asked, though a small part of her hoped he was.

She experienced a thrill at the thought that maybe—just maybe—his behavior was a manifestation of jealousy. It would mean his feelings for her hadn’t completely died when she never showed up that day.

“What the hell kind of name is King?” he demanded. “A kid named King is bound to have a superiority complex.”

“I think it’s kind of a cool name,” Delta murmured.

He shot her an angry look, and she lowered her gaze, turning away so he couldn’t see her amusement.

He is jealous! Ohmigod, she thought. Her heart skipped and thrummed like a drumbeat, fast and unsteady, echoing through her chest.

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