Page 22 of Rio (Knight Empire #3)

RAQUEL

I got into work surprisingly earlier than I expected, given that it was just after two in the morning when I got back to my guesthouse.

What a night.

Rio drove us all back, even Vilma and Edwin.

This morning, I’m determined to focus, but every now and then my thoughts drift to last night, and Rio, and the lagoon.

Us almost kissing. My body brushing against his and feeling his excitement for me.

I keep going over his confession, about how he fabricated events to run into me at the restaurant with Dex and Dani.

Secretly, I’m thrilled, and excited, but nothing can happen.

We can’t forget our roles. He’s on their side, not ours. I can’t be seen to be fraternizing with him. So now, I have my head down back at HQ, documenting the environmental damage. Alma is getting everything arranged for me in chronological order.

I’m determined not to venture outside. It makes it easier to stay out of Rio Knight’s way. I’m also trying to get enough information together before I talk to Pierce.

Vilma taps me lightly on my shoulder. I stop typing. “It’s your friend again, from last night. He doesn’t want to come in.”

“Oh.” My heart fills with joy, and then deflates as quickly, because I’m torn. I don’t know why he’s here, and I don’t know how to be around him.

Alma looks at me, but says nothing. I huff out a sigh, because my fingers were flying and I was in the zone, getting lots done. As I head towards the door, I see him taking up the doorway, hands placed on the sides of the door jamb like he owns the place.

“Good morning, princesa.” Dark shades cover his eyes, and a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. He lifts his hand and removes his shades, revealing eyes full of mischief.

“Hi.” I feel shy. A little off kilter. A little blindsided. I was hiding here, hoping to cut off all possibility of running into him, and now he comes to me. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I was getting ready to go to work and I thought I’d pass by. Didn’t expect you to be up and working so soon. Thought you might sleep till noon, what with needing your beauty sleep and all that.” He’s back to being obnoxious again.

“I’ve been here since seven.”

He makes a face like he’s been injured. “Seven? I was still in bed having sweet dreams at that time. I couldn’t get out of bed, I was dreaming so much.”

His words make me blush, because they sound intimate, direct, like he knows he’ll get me thinking.

“The escort you hired must have been good.” It’s a low blow, jokey, but with a sting, giving him a dose of his own medicine, but I’m not prepared for his reaction.

He looks shocked. Like I’ve made a blatantly unjust accusation. “I’m not that guy. You must have me confused with someone else.” His tone is cutting, and I’m curious as to why he’s so hurt.

“I … I …” I shrug, because words fail me.

“You still think badly of me, princesa? You should know that loyalty is something I don’t fuck with.

” He leans a little closer, voice low and intimate.

“Once someone catches my attention, that’s it.

Game over. No backup plans. No wandering eyes.

Just one very unlucky woman stuck with all of me.

Even if she likes to bust my balls every chance she gets. ”

“Unlucky…” I mutter. “That’d be right. Why are you here?” I ask, part annoyed, part frustrated. I’m trying to maintain my distance from him, but he’s come to my place of work. I don’t want to give Vilma or Edwin something to talk about, and I really don’t want to give Alma cause for alarm.

“Can we talk? Off the record?” He straightens up.

I can’t tell if it’s because of what I said, or if he wants to discuss something serious.

Or if this is about last night. If so, the timing couldn’t be worse.

He keeps saying it’s fate that keeps bringing us together, but I’m going to get fired if I’m not careful.

“Off the record?” I’m about to make another quip, but stop myself. “I don’t have long, Knight. Some of us have to work for a living.”

“Just a few moments. Out here. My Jeep’s parked across the street.”

I glare at him, needing him to lead the way.

Instead he moves slightly sideways, beckoning for me to go first. I walk past him, but unfortunately end up brushing against him.

It feels like I’ve touched a live wire. The scent of his cologne, rich, masculine and just this side of sinful, hits the moment he steps closer.

I manage to keep my composure as he overtakes me, leading the way across the street. He stops by his Jeep, and opens the door for me. I hop in and he enters from the driver’s side.

“What do you want?” I ask, feeling a little weary. “Is this about last night?”

He lets out a labored breath. “What are you doing here?”

Now I’m confused. “I’m working. You know I’m working.”

“But why are you really here?”

Did he get out the wrong side of his bed? What is this? I don’t reply.

He waits, in silence.

“It’s pro bono,” I say finally, my voice clipped.

I don’t want to tell him we’re going to file an injunction.

I want the satisfaction of seeing his face when he finds out about it.

And now I wish we hadn’t met last night.

I wish I hadn’t gone to the food festival because then one thing wouldn’t have led to another.

We wouldn’t have ended up almost naked in a lagoon, almost about to kiss.

What am I doing?

“EcoGuardians want me to gather information.” Which, technically, they do, so I’m not lying.

“A high-flying lawyer like you? Here, to gather information? Surely they could have sent an intern to do the job.”

He sounds like he doesn’t believe me.

“Why the shady company? Why a subsidiary?” I ask, deflecting.

“It’s not illegal. This is how business is done.”

I narrow my eyes. “So you can hide behind lots of different layers?”

“It’s a common practice.” But the way he says it sounds more like a warning than a fact. Like he wants me to back off. “Blue Star is doing good here—”

“Says who?”

“It will offer jobs. It’s going to put a lot back into the community.”

“Have you seen the coastline?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not? Afraid of what you might find?”

“I’m going there later. I’ve been busy with matters at the resort.”

“Just because you decide to put a monstrosity in the middle of a green space doesn’t mean the surrounding areas are untouched. In fact, you’re doing the opposite. You need to open your eyes, Knight. Stop blindly accepting whatever Daddy spoon-feeds you.”

He clenches his jaw. Doesn’t like what I’ve said. “You’re making a lot of assumptions.”

“I have facts and data on my side, what do you have?”

He scratches his beard. “Do you know something I don’t?”

“It’s not for me to tell you. Do your own homework.”

“Okay.” He pulls out a folder. “I have some information if you want it. Environmental data. I figured it might help you.”

I stare at it with suspicion. He’s been so oddly, subtly hostile with his questioning, so hot and cold, I don’t know if I can trust him. “Thanks, but I can draw my own conclusions. I’ve got eyes and ears.”

He hangs on to the folder. “I’m not forcing it on you. If you don’t want it, that’s fine, too.” A moment of silence passes.

“This must be a nice vacation for you,” I say.

“You think all we do is play, princesa?” His words are light, but his tone is ice.

It makes me wonder if my earlier comment about hiring an escort offended him that much.

He taps his fingers on the folder lying on his lap.

“You don’t have to take this. I just thought it might help, that’s all. Not all Knight moves are underhanded.”

I frown and wonder if he’s talking about last night, then I force myself to focus on the task at hand.

I can’t have any romantic daydreams about us.

As for this folder, he’s not pushing me to have it, and I guess it won’t do me any harm if I take a peek.

I’m curious to see what their angle is “Why do you want me to have this?”

“I don’t want you to do anything. I thought it might help, that’s all. It was carried out by third-party consultants. We’ve got nothing to hide.”

“I don’t know. Everything with you guys always feels so ... calculated.”

“What feels calculated? Me handing you this file? You don’t have to take it, princesa.”

“Can’t you stop calling me that?”

“Make me.”

I peer at him, almost laugh out loud. “How old are you?”

“You want my deets? My date of birth, my measurements? My length, my girth?”

I screw up my face, glaring at him. “Once again, how old are you?” I notice that we’ve both crossed our arms.

He brings out the warrior in me. He makes me want to slap him and kiss him with equal measure. He’s infuriating, and charmingly annoying at the same time. Here I am, in Belize, thousands of miles from home, and I run into him.

What are the chances?

I’m hot and bothered, and this time, it’s not even due to the weather.

It’s because of him. Heat rolls off his skin like a slow-burning fire.

He’s wearing a black T-shirt that clings a little too well to his chest, his bronzed forearms now resting on the steering wheel.

Even sitting with him here in his Jeep makes me start to sweat like I’m in trouble.

And maybe, I am.

“You’re very Jekyll and Hyde,” I say, waving a hand between us. “Last night you were different and today—”

“Last night you were different, too. I know you’re a true professional. I’m trying to be mindful.”

Oh.

I appreciate that.

“You have a bad impression of the old man,” he continues. “That’s warranted. I’m assuming Dani has told you everything. Just remember that we’re not like that. I’m not like that.”

I’m trying to figure out his angle, on why he’s really here this morning. The man had a hardon when I last saw him. Did he sleep? Did he take care of himself? Like I had to so that I could sleep?

I put out my hand, nod at the folder resting on his lap. “I might glance at it. See what your independant consultant has to say.”

He shrugs as he hands it to me. I rest it on my lap, not even bothering to open it or flick through it.

“No ‘thank you’, princesa?”

I grit my teeth together. Fake a smile. “Thank you.”

“One more thing. Just a heads up. We’re having a meeting at the community hall later this evening. Your boss might already know about it.”

“She mentioned it. Why are you being so nice and helpful?”

“Can’t I be?”

“But why? You didn’t answer my question.”

“Are you always so suspicious of people being nice to you, princesa?”

“Rich people, yes. I’m always worried that they’re ten steps ahead, buying their way out of a mess.”

He shakes his head. I climb out of the Jeep and walk away without looking back. But a swirling feeling in my gut tells me he’s probably watching me. I go back inside the bungalow and sit down at the table again. Alma watches me intently.

“What’s that?” she asks, as I set the folder on the table.

“He asked me to meet off the record. Said I could take a look at this.”

“He gave you some information? Is that wise?” She raises an eyebrow. “You remember whose side you’re on, don’t you?”

“I do. It’s environmental data, done by a third-party.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.” And that’s my warning bell.

My thinking brain isn’t fully engaged, because if it was, knowing what I’m here for, what we’re about to do, and what the Knights are, I wouldn’t have taken those documents from Rio.

“I want to see what angle they’re coming from,” I tell Alma, but I feel like I’ve already let her down.