Page 125 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs
She pushed her purse strap over her shoulder, her jaw tightening. “Yep.”
The reporters circled around Corbin as he got out of the SUV and hurried around to get Delaney. He paused before opening her door, his eyes scouring the road and surroundings, looking for any signs of a shooter. From what he could tell, the coast was clear. He put an arm around Delaney as they walked quickly towards the building.
A microphone was shoved in Delaney’s face. It was mass confusion, questions pelting them from every direction.
“How do you feel about your ex-husband’s death?”
“Do you feel responsible?” This came from a pretty reporter, her demeanor aggressive.
Delaney’s face was rigid, her eyes fixed straight ahead.
Corbin wanted to knock the vultures out of the way. Unable to do that, he gave them death glares instead. Not that it did any good.
“Will you still perform tonight at Senator Fleming’s birthday party?”
“Will you be attending Tuck’s funeral?”
“Is your upcoming tour cancelled?”
Corbin opened the door to the studio and they stepped in, leaving the pack of wolves outside. He felt Delaney’s shoulders sag in relief as they walked deeper into the building. Corbin also breathed a sigh of relief.So far so good.
Now, if they could just get through tonight, they might be okay.
Chapter Eight
Restless currents of energy buzzed through Delaney as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her brown eyes were muddy, filled with fear, her skin pale beneath the makeup. Was Hugh out there in the crowd of people, waiting to exact his twisted form of justice?
She heard a tap at the window. Her heart leapt in her throat as she whirled around, her hand going over her chest. She laughed, feeling a weak relief, when she realized the sound was rain splattering against the glass. She turned again to face the mirror. A guest room in the Senator’s home had been converted into a dressing room. She was set to perform in one hour. It was comforting to know that Corbin was right outside the door. He’d asked if she wanted him to come into her dressing room after she got changed into her stage clothes, but she told him she needed a few minutes alone to mentally go over the set. When Corbin was around, it was hard to focus on anything but him. Right now, she needed to focus on the performance.
Today, at the recording studio, she’d felt Corbin’s eyes on her as he sat outside the glass booth. Several times, when they made eye contact, he gave her an encouraging nod, which was more comforting than Delaney wanted to admit. She couldn’t believeshe was forming such a strong connection with someone she hardly knew. Maybe it was time she turned the tables and asked Corbin a few personal questions, see what kind of man he really was. Then again, she didn’t trust her own judgement. Tuck had fooled her. Why couldn’t Corbin?
A knock sounded once before the door opened. She looked up as her hairstylist Gina rushed in.
“Sorry I’m late,” she blustered. “Traffic was a beast.” She hurried over to Delaney and air-kissed her cheek before dumping her items on the nearby bed.
Delaney smiled. Gina was always a bundle of nerves. To the point where Milo questioned if Delaney should find someone else. Delaney had no intention of starting over with another stylist. She loved what Gina did with her hair, how she could make it look glamorous without weighing it down with an excessive amount of hairspray. And, besides, Gina’s nervous demeanor helped distract Delaney from her own anxiety.
Tonight, Gina’s round face was beet red, her hair windblown and damp from the rain. Delaney could tell she’d been rushing to get here.
“Is it raining hard outside?”
“Yes, it’s horrible.” She wrinkled her nose. “And I forgot my umbrella.” She waved a hand. “Oh, well. C‘est la vie.” Her hand went to her hip as she jutted her thumb at the closed door. “Who’s the hunk outside?”
Gina was notorious for switching topics midstream. Delaney sputtered out a laugh. “W—what?”
“You know the guy I’m talking about. The one parked outside your door. He’s gorgeous. Those intense eyes, perfect body.” She clucked her tongue, her eyes dancing wickedly. “Is he real?”
A giggle bubbled in Delaney’s throat. She was glad she wasn’t the only one so taken with Corbin. “He’s my new bodyguard.”
“Well, he’s got my vote,” Gina said, then trilled her tongue. “I wouldn’t mind having someone like him guarding me.” She frowned. “If I didn’t have fourteen rowdy kids, a husband, two dogs, and a fish, that is.”
Delaney laughed. Gina was happily married to a great guy with three boys, but she often joked that it felt more like fourteen.
“Okay, enough about Captain America. We need to make this quick.”
Now that she thought about it, Corbin did kind of look like Captain America, maybe with a little rebel mixed in—Captain America meets Iron Man. Yes, definitely Iron Man with Corbin’s messy hair and keen wit.
“You doing okay?”
