Page 1 of Rio (Knight Empire #3)

RAQUEL

Caraca . My stomach feels all fluttery.

I have a Knight in my hotel room. It feels so dangerously wrong on so many levels, and yet I’m the one who invited him in.

A Knight of all people.

He was kind enough to see me back safely, and that scorching hot chemistry between us is as strong as ever. That surprises me. Shocks me, that someone like me could ever feel anything for something like him.

I don’t know why this man has such an effect on me, but he does, and I haven’t stopped thinking about him since that night at the Manhattan bar when I was spying on Dex and Dani.

Tonight, at their wedding reception, it was impossible to ignore how much in love they are, but it still strikes me as odd that everything has happened so fast.

The Dani I know wouldn’t do this. She’s not just a friend, she’s like a sister to me, even though we were from such different worlds when we met.

Against the odds, we became best friends at the private school I was lucky to attend.

Our paths would never have crossed were it not for the government-funded scholarship I got to one of S?o Paulo’s most elite schools.

The type of school I never knew even existed.

The type of school that had what I imagined only the grandest homes would have: marble staircases, tennis courts, swimming pools and perfectly landscaped grounds.

When I stepped into that school, I entered a world that was alien to me.

A world I didn’t belong in. In my early days, armed with nothing more than a sharp tongue and death stares, it made me more determined than ever to rise.

To show these people that I was more than my tattered shoes and clothes.

That’s when I met Dani. She was nothing like the others, even though she looked perfectly at home here.

I taught her how to swear and she taught me how to control my anger and use it to fuel something I could control. I vowed then to be someone who could make things better.

We grew close and kept in touch through the years, and then we lived together in the U.S.

while I was doing my LL.M. at Georgetown.

We’ve always known what was going on in each other’s lives, but I never thought she’d keep something like this from me.

Her marriage to one of the Knight billionaires.

She kept Dexter a secret for so long, I wonder if she fell in love and lost her head.

Some women do.

But the way Dex kissed her this evening, in front of everyone, it was plain to see that they’re in love. I’m so happy for her. I am. But I’ll be watching Dexter. He’s a Knight, so he doesn’t get a free pass from me.

“Nice room, princesa.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?” I ask, turning to the Knight in my room.

“Because you are.”

I kick off my heels to find Rio stands, taking up the space like he owns it.

Hands in his pockets. Calm. Relaxed. He laughs.

His voice is too low, too smooth, too flirtatious.

He’s the kind of man who’s hard to forget, and I know he’s bad for me.

I know he spells trouble, which is why I keep my distance.

But now, he’s only a few strides away, filling the room with his aura. His magnetism.

He’s Dani’s new brother-in-law. I mustn’t forget that. I was tempted to kiss him in that Manhattan bar when I thought he was just another sharp-dressed, cocky businessman. Then I discovered who he was.

As a corporate environmental lawyer, I know all about the dirty tactics Knight Enterprises uses. I’ve seen too many cases where they’ve wreaked havoc across the globe.

The Knights mean trouble, and I’ve only let this man in to be polite. I’m going to send him back to the wedding reception soon. Dani might not realize I left the celebrations early, but I had to.

Work commitments, unfortunately.

The law firm where I work, Tovey not that it’s going to help much.

This dress which tapers in at the waist and fans out into a wide skirt, is elegant and perfect for a wedding, but now, with its full sleeves and that neck, it feels suffocating.

The silky fabric clings to my skin, too hot and sticky, even though the air conditioning is on.

“You don’t need to strip for me, princesa,” he murmurs. The corners of his lips turn up into a lazy smile.

“In your dreams. I’d never strip for you.”

“You have no idea of my dreams.” His voice, thick and raspy, makes my brain fog over because his words sound like a confession. I’m suddenly too afraid to fire back. My mouth usually doesn’t let me down. I can match wit and humor, easily. But tonight? I’m at a loss.

Despite my earlier resolve, I need a drink, so I reach for a small bottle of white wine, but then I remember I can’t have it. I need a clear head, for work but also because I also can’t let my guard down, not with this man in my room, looking like he wants to eat me.

How I want him to.

I shake my head, hating myself for feeling so hot, and tingly all over and grab a bottle of sparkling water instead. He hasn’t even touched me yet, and already my breasts feel heavy. Heat begins to coil low in my belly.

Needing to show that I’m in control, even if I don’t feel it, I turn around, place a hand on my hip and stare at him.

He’s made himself at home, dropping onto the edge of the armchair like he owns this room, but now his gaze trails over me slowly, and I fold my arms in disapproval.

We stare at each other, tension crackling in the air.

Suddenly everything feels too intense. The hot, sultry night fills with heated anticipation.

“I’ve changed my mind. I’ll have uh …” He pauses. “I don’t suppose they have much in there?”

“Stale peanuts or overpriced chocolate?” I ask him. Then, “There’s no aged tequila.”

That earns me a grin. “You remembered, princesa.”

Me and my mouth. “Jack Daniel’s?”

“That’ll do.”

I grab a mini bottle of the Jack Daniel’s, walk over and hand it to him.

The rough calluses of his fingertips scrape lightly across my skin.

It’s heat and fire. Electricity and shock.

Just from one touch. A delicious shiver tingles along my spine.

I assumed that as a pampered Knight, with his smooth suits and inherited money, his cocky self-assuredness and not a worry in the world, he’d have baby smooth skin.

But now my imagination runs wild as I wonder what it might be like to have those big, rough hands all over me.

I immediately step away.

“You been thinking of me, huh?” He twists of the cap and downs half of it without blinking.”

I don’t bother replying, but move away, needing to keep some distance between us, even as my heart hammers in my chest and I try to phase out sinful thoughts running rampant in my head.

My breasts feel heavy, and as I stare at Rio looking so comfortable, so casual, I wonder if he can tell I want him.

He looks so at home with his legs wide apart, one hand resting lazily on the armrest, the other holding his Jack Daniel’s.

“I see you’ve made yourself at home.”

“You haven’t kicked me out.” His gaze slides over my body again.

If looks could undress, I’d be naked now.

I shift from one foot to the other, feeling the need to squeeze my thighs together, to relieve the buildup of pressure making my insides combust. “I think you like me being here but you’re too stubborn to admit it. ”

The audacity of the man. “My mother raised me to have manners and I’m too polite to kick you out just yet.”

He’s nothing but a pompous, confident ass, sitting on my armchair, looking like he’s never going to leave. I almost, almost, look him over again.

“You’re not nervous are you, princesa?” He grins before taking another gulp.

I laugh. “I don’t scare easily—”

“I didn’t say you were scared. I asked if you were nervous.”