Jackie eyed Antonio, who was now taking Cecelia for a spin on the dance floor, a cigar in hand. The older woman was in a fit of giggles as he twirled her with his hand. The giggling was contagious; one escaped Jackie’s lips before she could stop herself.Yeah, she was drunk.
Mo looked at Antonio, then back at Jackie, his thick brow raised. “So, it was Steele who convinced you to come down here? What’s up with y’all anyway? You two…you know?”
“Oh no! No!” Jackie shook her head as she typed, a little too quickly because it was making her dizzy. “We’re just cool. Nothing is going with us, especially now.” Jackie swallowed. Shit. She had almost let it slip about PJ. That wasn’t her business to tell, especially not to another client. Though she doubted Mo would be a gossip, as he was intensely private. “You know, since AMW and Elite are merging.”
“What that got to do with him being your man?”
Jackie nearly choked. She cleared her throat and turned the volume up on the app to ensure Mo could hear her response. “We are friends.”
“Does he know that? ’Cause he looking over here every ten seconds like he wanna knock my head off. But I know he ain’t that dumb.”
Really?Jackie hadn’t paid much attention to Antonio or how he was looking, minus the occasional stare. Was he really upset that she was talking to Mo? It was about the deal, right? Wasn’t that what this entire trip had been about? Jackie looked down at her watch. She typed, “Maybe he’s just ready to go. It’s getting late.”
Jackie stood but felt a bit unsteady on her feet. Before she could lose her balance, she felt the familiar hands of Antonio on her back.
“Easy. You know you can’t hang with the big dogs, Lucky,” Antonio said.
Jackie pushed him off her, attempting to show that she was just fine. To prove it, she grabbed another shot, taking it to the head. She coughed a little as the heat of the liquor hit her chest. She felt nauseated. That…had been incredibly stupid.
“Whoa, easy.” Antonio took the glass out of her hand. “Yeah, you’re done, ma.”
“She might be a lightweight,” chuckled Mo, taking the earbuds out of his ears. “But she got heart.”
“That she does,” Antonio agreed.
“So, we gonna see what you can do, Miles,” Mo said. “Get me that fight.”
Jackie gave a wobbly thumbs-up. Yeah, she was definitely “tore up from the floor up,” as her Uncle Roydell would say.
“Let’s see if Cecelia has a little cafecito to sober you up before we head back to the resort.” Antonio got Cecelia’s attention while he steered Jackie toward the bar.
Jackie reached for a bar napkin and pulled a pen from her purse, too drunk to type.
You aren’t my daddy, she wrote.
Antonio leaned closer to Jackie, who was using him to stand upright. She felt his warm breath on her neck, making her shudder. He whispered, “I could be your daddy. If you let me…”
Jackie groaned, slumping down in a chair. Surely he didn’t think that tired line would work.
Just as Cecelia delivered a strong cup of black coffee, Antonio said, “Woman, just do as I say and sip this coffee.”
There was something about the way he said “woman” that made Jackie’s nipples stiffen. Thatdefinitelyworked on her. Under Antonio’s watchful eye, Jackie sipped.
“Not your man, huh?” Mo called from his table in the corner, shaking his head.
Jackie could hear Mo chuckling as Antonio watched her polish off every drop of coffee.
CHAPTER 27
