Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
“ S moking is bad for your health.” The admonishment came from Ignacio’s oldest sibling, his stepbrother Ethan.
They sat in front of the fire pit in the backyard of their brother Bruno’s house, enjoying the cool fall evening after a delicious meal. Ethan had come straight from work and wore a white shirt that contrasted with his mahogany skin.
“I’m trying to quit.” Ignacio dropped the cigarette to the ground and extinguished it with the heel of his shoe.
“I thought you had quit.” Ethan sipped his after-dinner drink in a relaxed pose.
“I did, sort of. I’m a little stressed, that’s all.” Ever since Delta showed up at his L.A. condo, and the kiss on Saturday hadn’t helped.
“Are you worried about getting funding for the movie?” Ethan asked.
“Yes and no, but I have other issues on my mind.”
After the kiss, the evening with Delta had been a blur of performances, speeches, and nonstop interactions with people in the industry. After the limo pulled up in front of her home, they walked to the front door, and he suffered from the disturbing urge to kiss her again.
What the hell was wrong with him? She couldn’t be trusted. Eleven goddamn years had passed since their breakup. This should be a cakewalk.
“Ignacio, you have some explaining to do.”
His head snapped up at the sound of Bruno’s accented voice when he joined them outside. Dark-haired with gray eyes, he was a successful chef and restaurateur recently returned from his honeymoon in Fiji.
Ignacio liked to think the marriage was all thanks to him, considering he was the one who had suggested Bruno hire a matchmaking service to find a wife. Then he and his matchmaker ended up falling in love.
“What are you talking about?” Ignacio asked.
Bruno stopped beside his chair. “This,” he said, showing his phone screen.
Ignacio groaned inwardly when he saw the headline. Ignacio Santana and Delta J Made Their Red Carpet Debut at the Black and Gold Music Experience.
The drama was about to start, and he hadn’t figured out an explanation for his family yet.
“Oh, that,” he said in a nonchalant tone.
“Yes, that.”
“Since when do you follow online gossip?”
He had expected that, if his relationship with Delta came up, it would be due to his sister Monica—a social media influencer who practically lived online. But his family didn’t typically pay attention to tabloid stories about him. They had grown used to the rumor mill surrounding his life over the years and knew better than to believe anything in print unless he confirmed the story himself.
“I don’t consider this story about you and Delta to be the usual tabloid gossip. Explain yourself.” Bruno sat in the chair between Ignacio and Ethan.
“Delta?” Ethan repeated.
Bruno showed him the phone, and Ethan’s eyebrows shot up.
“Tell me this is one of those fake news stories,” he said.
Before Ignacio could answer, the back door opened, and their brother Thiago came out with a plate of food and a glass of red wine.
“You finally decided to join us,” Ignacio said, hoping to divert attention from his situation.
“And I’m starving,” Thiago said, his voice edged with the unmistakable lilt of their Spanish heritage.
He sat at the table instead of near the fire with them. Everyone said Bruno looked the most like their father, while Ignacio resembled their mother. Thiago happened to have a blend of features from both parents, including his mother’s penetrating dark brown eyes.
His beard was longer than usual, indicating he hadn’t had much time for grooming lately. He had recently begun the transition to take over as CEO of their father’s company and was practically working around the clock, seven days a week. They had to threaten him to join them, and he had still shown up late. With his shirtsleeves rolled up, he looked like he could go for another eight hours.
“What did I miss?”
Bruno quickly brought him up to speed.
“The media often makes up stories, but that looks real. Are you back together with her?” Thiago asked, disapproval heavy in his voice.
Ignacio was tempted to tell his brothers the truth. He trusted them to keep his plans secret, but since he was already viewed as somewhat of a wild child, he didn’t need their judgment.
“There’s nothing to tell. Delta and I bumped into each other at the event and took some photos together.”
“Bullshit,” all three of his brothers said at once.
“What do you mean?” Ignacio said, forcing a laugh.
Thiago swirled the wine in his glass. “You’re a good actor, and you sound very convincing, but you and Delta have history. What is going on?”
Ignacio didn’t want to lie again, but if Delta was adhering to the deal of only disclosing to a small number of people, he needed to as well. “The three of you are paranoid.”
“Here’s another article, this time by The Entertainment Report , a reputable magazine,” Bruno said, looking at his phone. “Ignacio Santana’s next leading lady is none other than Delta J, his ex. The couple arrived together at the Black and Gold Music Experience holding hands and looking very much in love as they posed together on the red carpet. How did the two reconcile? They won’t say, but it might have something to do with living in the same city for the time being. Ignacio is in Atlanta shopping his independent film, Wrong , and Delta is working on her next album, release date to be determined. Looks like the couple’s on-again, off-again relationship is officially on—after more than a decade.” He stopped reading and looked at Ignacio. “Should I continue?”
“Not necessary,” Ignacio said in a dry tone.
Bruno continued nonetheless. “The couple was seen displaying major PDA at their table inside the Astoria Grand Hotel where the ceremony took place, both of them oblivious to the rest of the world around them.”
I wouldn’t call it major PDA , Ignacio thought.
“Do you think we are idiots? How long did you plan to hide your relationship from us?” Thiago asked.
“You swore you’d never have anything to do with her again,” Ethan reminded him.
“I meant it at the time,” Ignacio muttered. He wasn’t a glutton for punishment.
“What changed?”
He sighed. “If I tell you something, you each have to promise not to say a word to anyone. Not even your wives.” He looked pointedly at Bruno and Ethan. “Do I have your word?”
“Yes,” they all said.
Ignacio blew out a breath. “Delta and I aren’t really back together. We need each other to generate publicity. Me, for my movie, and her for her album.”
Bruno’s eyebrows drew together. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? This whole thing is a publicity stunt?” he demanded.
“Don’t think of it as a stunt. Think of it as?—”
“Lying? Being dishonest?” Thiago supplied around a mouthful of food.
“As if you have any problem being dishonest to get what you want,” Ignacio said.
“That’s different. It’s business.”
“This is business,” Ignacio insisted.
Ethan stared at him. “I’m not sure which is worse—getting back together with her or pretending to get back together with her. You should never be involved with any woman who hurt you.” He spoke with vehemence, no doubt because of the misery he suffered at the hands of his ex-wife.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I have everything under control.” Except my libido , he silently added. The worst part was that he and Delta had agreed not to be involved with anyone else, so all he had for relief was his hand.
“We can invest in your movie if that’s what you need,” Ethan offered.
“I know, and I appreciate it, but I want to do this on my own. I messed up last time.”
“Not every investment works out. I’ve had failed ventures,” Bruno pointed out.
“But most of what you’ve done has succeeded. The only time I tried to do something on my own, it failed, and Father lost money. I don’t want to ask him for help again, and I don’t want to ask any of you, either.”
“That’s what family is for—to bear the burden.”
“I know,” Ignacio said, grateful. “But I need to do this on my own. I want to do this on my own.”
“Why are you so adamant that you don’t need help?” Thiago demanded.
“Because…” Ignacio paused, loath to admit the real reason he was so insistent on finding his own investors and successfully getting his movie made. He stared into the flickering flames. “I haven’t done anything on my own since I entered this business. Father is the reason I have a career in Hollywood.”
“You’re a great actor. You’re a natural,” Bruno said.
“I started acting when I was five, in a movie with our parents,” Ignacio reminded his brother. “Sure, I’m a good actor—hell, an excellent one. But it doesn’t change the fact that the last name Santana opened doors. I’m appreciative of the films I’ve done—from action flicks to dramas to indie films. But I want to try something different, and this story has been eating at me for years. I screwed up with my directorial debut because my heart wasn’t in it. But this—this I’m passionate about, and I want to do it on my own—to know I can do it. Do you understand? Wrong could be the beginning of a different path in my career, but no one will be willing to invest in future projects if I crowdsource the funds from my family—again.”
The men fell silent as they digested his words.
“So you and Delta are working together, so to speak. You scratch her back, and she scratches yours,” Ethan said.
“Exactly.”
“All well and good from the business aspect, but what about the personal aspect?”
“What do you mean?”
“You were smoking earlier. Is this relationship already stressing you out? Can you handle being around your ex?” Ethan asked.
“Of course. Delta and I broke up eleven years ago. I was younger and… foolish. I won’t make the same mistake again.”
Bruno and Ethan exchanged glances.
“Don’t do that. I can handle Delta.”
“How long are the two of you supposed to fake being in love?” Thiago asked, slicing into his steak.
“We anticipate no more than six months,” Ignacio replied.
“Six months?” Ethan exclaimed.
“That’s a long goddamn time,” Thiago said.
Bruno shook his head.
“What’s the next step?” Thiago asked.
Ignacio hesitated. “We move in together.”
A series of dismayed groans filled the yard.
“Thank you for believing in me,” Ignacio said dryly.
“Let me guess—while you’re living together, you can’t see anyone else, right?” Ethan asked.
“Right.”
“This should be interesting.” Thiago chuckled heartily, something he rarely did.
“Maybe we should place bets on how long he lasts before he’s sleeping with the woman he swore he’d never have anything to do with again,” Bruno suggested.
“I bet ten grand he doesn’t last more than two months. By Thanksgiving, she’ll have a ring through his nose,” Thiago said.
Ethan chuckled. “I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and suggest twelve weeks. Bruno?”
“I was going to say twelve weeks too, so I’ll say thirteen weeks.”
“Again, thank you for the vote of confidence, my dear brothers,” Ignacio grated. “I might as well join in. I bet ten grand that she and I will spend the entire six months in a platonic relationship, and nothing—” He broke off when all three of his brothers started laughing. “Really?”
“I don’t want to take your money, but please, keep us updated on how your relationship is going,” Thiago said.
“The only reason you’re so cynical is because the closest you’ve come to a relationship is your job.” Thiago scowled at Ignacio. “As for the two of you, you’re both married and have forgotten that not everyone wants to be tied down in a relationship. Some of us prefer to be free.”
“We’ll see how free you’ll be in twelve weeks, maybe less.” Ethan lifted his glass to his lips.
Ignacio ignored him, and as his brothers turned to other subjects, he doubled down on his determination. He would not give in to Delta James. She had betrayed him once. He’d be a fool to let her back into his life—in any real way—again.
The kiss on Saturday was a fluke. A moment of weakness. He was stronger than they thought, and she held absolutely no power over him.