Page 68 of Ignacio

Later, Delta took a shower. Then she packed her bags and double-checked her itinerary, though she knew it by heart. Ignacio stayed in the room with her, sitting in one of the chairs,his legs extended straight out before him as he silently observed her.

When the phone beeped with a message from the driver, she took a deep breath. Time to go.

She zipped up her luggage. While Ignacio took both bags—her carry-on and the wheeled suitcase—she slipped her arms into her winter coat.

“Feels strange,” she remarked as they descended the stairs to the first level.

“What does?”

“Leaving and not knowing what’s waiting for me when I land,” Delta admitted.

Maybe her fears were irrational, but they weren’t going anywhere.

Ignacio placed the bags on the floor in the foyer. His fingers brushed her cheek as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What did I say earlier?”

“Focus on my interviews and promo events.”

“Exactly. I’ll handle everything here.” He cupped her face, his thumb tracing the line of her cheek. He lowered his head. “Do you think you can follow my instructions?”

She smiled for the first time in days. “Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

He pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and lingering, a goodbye filled with promises. When they finally parted, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Rubbing her back, Ignacio kissed her temple. “Go, before I change my mind and keep you here.”

Delta let out a shaky laugh. “That might not be so bad,” she said, but she released him and moved toward the front door.

Ignacio followed her to the black sedan idling in the driveway. As she slid into the back seat, he placed her luggage in the trunk.

Then he came up to the window. He leaned in, and she puckered her lips, happily accepting another quick kiss from him.

“Bye, baby,” she whispered.

“Bye,mi amor. Good luck.”

The car pulled away, and she glanced back, watching Ignacio as he stood in the driveway, his hands buried in the pockets of his jeans.

He promised he would take care of everything.

She decided to trust him.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ignacio left his bodyguard downstairs and took the private elevator to the top floor where his father’s office was located. Benicio’s executive assistant waved him through, and he knocked on the door before entering.

“¿Qué pasa, papá?” he said.

Benicio was standing behind his desk and glanced up. He switched to Spanish too. “Hi, son. Give me a second.”

“Take your time.” He appreciated his father being willing to meet with him in the middle of the day on such short notice. He was busy, not only with work but also with the transition of Thiago take over the business.

He sauntered over to the sitting area, where two leather couches flanked a table with a couple of business magazines on the surface. “Will Thiago be moving into this office?”

“No, and I need a place to work when I come in occasionally. He brought in designers to combine two offices, and they’re already working on the renovations.”

“I bet it’s much different from this.”

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