“What we need is bait. Some way to draw her out,” Chase says looking over Daniel’s shoulder to the lobby entrance with a barely suppressed grin.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Delta states from behind him.
Daniel swears and turns on his stool. Delta watches as a flurry of emotions flash across his face, joy, fear, and anger.
“What are you doing here?” he hisses.
“It’s nice to see you too, Daniel. I have a dinner date.” Her blue eyes flash as she steps up to the bar and orders a martini. Daniel glares at his father before turning to stare daggers at her. His gaze washes over her hungrily taking in every detail. From the top of her blonde hair down her aquamarine sundress to the tips of her silver heels.
“Like hell you do!” He grabs her by her upper arm and practically drags her through the lobby, into his father’s office.
Delta rips her arm free of his grasp as he shoves her inside, slamming the door shut. “Delta, I thought we understood each other. You can’t stay here.”
Delta tosses her hair over her shoulder and points at him. “Yes, I can. In fact, Mr. Matthews, I have a reservation upstairs. My suite became available since the last wedding party checked out.”
“This isn’t a game, Delta! I expected more from you than this immature cry for attention.” The hard set of his jaw and glint in his eye doesn’t quite match the fury building inside of her.
“Well, Daniel. Let’s talk about mature.” Delta drops her purse on his desk and pokes him hard in the chest. “Was it mature of you to push me away? Or buy me a plane ticket without asking me?” Her voice grows softer, but the impact of her next words couldn’t strike harder than they do. Stepping up, toe to toe with him, “I expected more from you than to steal my heart, only to throw it away so easily.”
Daniel closes his eyes or a second, “I’m trying to do the right thing here, Delta.” When he reaches out to touch her, she backs away from him, shaking her head.
“Not good enough. I won’t watch another man I care about, be buried,” her voice breaks. “Daniel. I want to help. The question is do you trust me?” She waits with her heart in her eyes while he thinks about it for a second.
“Of course, I trust you, Delta.” Relief flows through her body. Relaxing for the moment, she steps into his arms. Though he hasn't said how he feels about her, his actions mean more than a thousand flowery words.
“Then kiss me,” she orders and runs a hand up his chest to curl around the back of his neck. Just before his mouth touches her, she whispers, “Make it good, she’s watching.” His body jerks in surprise, but he hides it quickly.
As Daniel inhales the scent he feared he'd lost, he stares at her, fingering his hands through her hair. “Everything about you is beautiful, Delta. When your eyes look at me, I can't believe how lucky I am to be seen by you.” He presses a kiss to the corner of her eye. “Your mouth, when it speaks my name, shakes me to the core,” he gently tastes her mouth. His tongue flicks out, tasting her lips. He deepens the kiss, pulling her closer to him and is rewarded with a tremble from her. “I can't wait to hear you scream out my name, Delta.”
“Daniel…” she whispers, filling the sound with need.
“Not quite like that, louder, longer, as I…” Delta slaps a hand over his mouth and blushes brightly. Daniel roars with laughter. She smiles and steps away only to be jerked back into his arms. “I missed you.” He lowers his head, kissing her again. Daniel pours all of his longings into the kiss, knowing that he almost lost her.
Delta's heart sighs as she breaks away from him. “Good, now feed me cowboy, and I will fill you in.” She grabs her purse, and he leads the way to the restaurant.
Melody watches from a silver Honda Accord in the parking lot. The police are looking for the red jeep, not this car. “Good thing I ditched the jeep. The red would have been way too easy to track,” she mumbles. Her girlfriend, Sophia didn’t understand the need to loan her car to her. It was three in the morning when Melody used the key under the pot by the back door of the rental house to let herself in. “I didn’t mean to wake her,” she whispers, “but she keeps the keys on her nightstand.”
‘It wasn't your fault.' The voice assures her. ‘Did you see her eyes, Mel? It was in her eyes, the lie. She was planning on calling the police on you. You had to stop her.' Melody shakes her head.
“I know, and now we don’t have to worry about her.” Melody shoved her body down the basement steps before showering and borrowing some clothes. After sleeping solidly through the night, she ate and drove to the ranch. The addition of the security was a problem, but the next few days she had no problem tracking Delta’s movements. That morning she had trailed behind her to the doctor’s office and was shocked when they dropped her off at the airport. Delta was leaving!
‘Bitch tricked them, didn't she?' the voice taunts. 'I told you she was evil.'
Melody was following about four car lengths behind when the security guards pulled away. Delta stepped back through the doors of the airport as soon as they pulled off. She was given the keys to a big ford truck with a rental sign on the bumper. The man smiled at her and loaded her bags inside before watching her drive off. Melody wasn’t out
