When she tried to break away, Antonio held on to her waist, deepening the kiss. His tongue found hers, hot and receptive. “You better not forget,” he said, breaking against her lips. He let Jackie go with a smack on her ass. “Go get ’em, ma.”
Jackie blushed ever so slightly as she smoothed a hand over her nape. Antonio loved when she did that. She straightened her back and walked over to Mo’s table.
Antonio moved to the bar and leaned against it, watching Jackie work her magic. He might have been a big, strong former football player, but Jackie was the one with real fortitude. Babygirl had guts. He could learn a thing or two from her about being relentless in her pursuits. Maybe he had…
Hector sidled up to Antonio, holding two cigars and two beers. He handed one of each to Antonio, and they tapped bottlenecks.
“¡Salud!”
They took a sip. After a few beats of silence, Hector asked, “You love her? No?”
Antonio, whose eyes still hadn’t left Jackie, sighed deeply. “Unfortunately.”
CHAPTER 26
No sooner had Jackie made it to Mo’s table than a large bodyguard stood in front of her, blocking the way. She tried her best not to let her irritation show, but Jackie was an Aries. She displayed her emotions on her face. Why a man who punched folks in the face for a living needed a bodyguard, she’d never know. Then again, people were nuts and probably thought it was fun to antagonize a professional bruiser.
Jackie strained her neck to look up at the bodyguard, who was dressed all in black and was even taller than Antonio. “I need to speak to Mo,” her app blared. Mo was currently stuffing his face, plates of food and empty bottles of beer littering the table. Seemed like Cecelia was trying to stuff Mo to the brink too.
“I ain’t trying to be disturbed,” Mo called out from behind his human screen protector.
“Mr. Williams doesn’t want to be disturbed,” the man parroted back to Jackie as if she was hard of hearing.
Jackie increased the volume on her app, shoving it in the bodyguard’s face. “I guess I’ll stand here until he wants to be disturbed. I have nothing but time.”
There was a pause, then a grunt, before Jackie heard Mo slam a glass on the table. He peered around his massive guard.
“If it ain’t used-to-be-Motor-Mouth Miles. So much for peace and tranquility in paradise. What you doing here? I know I’m a pretty muthafucker, but stalking me is kind sad, babydoll.” He took a bite out of his massive plate of carnitas, oily goodness running all down his chin. He didn’t even bother to wipe it up. “Still can’t talk, huh? Can’t say I feel bad about that.”
“I’m here for the same reason you are, apparently,” Jackie typed. “We got tired of eating grass at the resort, and Cecelia’s tacos definitely hit the spot.”
“True,” Mo said through a mouthful of food. “These joints are banging. But I ain’t trying to bond with you over a love of good eats. I still ain’t signing with you.”
Jackie locked eyes with Mo and breathed a few times, in through the nose and out through the mouth. She typed her response slowly and calmly, watching Mo watch her out the corner of her eye. “Even if I can get you a title fight in AC?”
At the mention of Atlantic City, Mo held his taco midair. He looked up at the bodyguard and nodded his head, letting him know to leave them alone. The man stepped off to the side, into the shadows. Jackie sat.
“Where’s your bodyguard?” Mo asked as he finally picked up a napkin to wipe his chin.
Jackie looked over at Antonio, who was now seated at the bar with Hector. When she caught his eye, he gave her a wink. She tried not to smile back. Focus, Jackie. She typed quickly. “He’s around. But this is between you and me, Mo. I got something you want. And I can get it for you.” Jackie was totally bluffing. She had set nothing in motion. But she was confident that if she could get Mo to say yes to her, she could make it happen.
