Page 47 of Rio (Knight Empire #3)

In which case, I can’t wait for the main course. Forget eating food. Rio’s suggestion sounds like the perfect end to a perfect day. “Wine in the bathtub sounds like heaven.”

A knock on his door makes us both freeze.

“Who the hell is that?” he growls, walking towards the door. “I’m not expecting anyone.”

I sprint to the bedroom and wait, my heart thudding as I wait to see who our unwelcome visitor is.

***

RIO

We had the perfect evening mapped out, and now someone’s at my fucking door. Matteo and Enzo aren’t even in town, so who the hell could that be?

I freeze as I open the door and find Dex and Dani standing there, wide grins on their faces. While I like their casual drop-ins, this interruption freaks me the hell out.

Do they know?

Did they see us?

Is that why they’re here?

“Hey, dude.” Dex steps in with Dani right behind him. “We just got back from watching a movie and thought we’d come check in on you. Figured you might be flying solo with your brothers gone.”

“This is a surprise.” I try not to sound as pissed as I feel.

“We were going to grab a bite,” Dex adds. “Thought we’d ask you to come along. You’ve been pretty quiet since you got back.”

“We were about to—I mean, I was gonna cook something,” I say, catching myself.

I head towards the kitchen area in a bid to lure them away from where Raquel is. I can’t tell if they suspect something or if I’m just being paranoid.

“You’re cooking?” Dex asks, seeing the ingredients Raquel and I had pulled out still lying untouched on the countertop.

“Was thinking about it.” I scratch my jaw, feeling out of sorts.

“Two wine glasses. You entertaining, brother?” Dex picks up the bottle of Tignanellow.

Damn. How the hell do I explain this?

“Nice wine,” he adds, setting the bottle back down.

“I was saving it for someone who’d actually appreciate it,” I throw back.

“Who’s the lucky woman?”

Before I can answer, Dani pipes up. “Are you expecting someone, Rio?” She glares at Dex, “I told you we should have checked with him first.”

“When’s she coming?” Dex asks.

“Uh … soon.”

He frowns at the stilted replies I’m giving him. “You okay, brother? I haven’t heard from you much since you got back.”

“Back from where?” Dani asks, rearranging the vegetables we’d gotten out into a circular shape.

I hesitate.

“He was in Belize. Thought I told you,” Dex answers.

She spins around. “Raquel said she was in Belize.” Her eyes narrow. She’s sharp. Pays attention. “When were you there?”

“Last week,” I answer carefully, watching Dani like a hawk as she observes the room, as if looking for more clues.

I should’ve kept them outside. Should’ve offered them a drink at the pool, steered them toward the bar.

But no—my post orgasm brain is hazy. I can’t think straight.

“Would you guys like a drink or something?” I force myself to be polite, even though I’m not feeling it.

Then Dani marches over to the kitchen island and grabs something off it.

Fuck.

It’s Raquel’s Cartier watch. Dani’s holding it up, dangling it like damning evidence. “I know who this belongs to. It’s Raquel’s. Where is she?” She looks around the apartment.

I chuckle, then stare at them in disbelief. “You don’t think… me and Raquel?” But I’m failing miserably because they’re not buying it.

Dex mutters something like, “The fuck, dude,” but he’s not mad. He sounds more amused than anything. He’s happy for me. I can tell. But Dani glowers at me. “Where are you hiding her?”

There’s no point in me pretending that the watch belongs to another woman with impeccable taste. I’m busted, and I might as well own up. “I am entertaining,” I say with a shrug. “And I do have someone here.”

“Raquel!” Dani calls out. “You can stop hiding now.” To me, “I haven’t been able to get a hold of her either. She’s been lying suspiciously low for too long.”

I give in. “Raquel, just come out, babe.”

Within a few seconds, Raquel appears, looking sheepish as hell. Her cheeks are flushed, her hair a little mussed.

“I knew it!” Dani gasps. It’s not anger, more like shock, surprise and disbelief all rolled into one. “Raquel,” she whispers, eyes wide, mouth open. She looks at me, then at Raquel, then at me and then at Raquel again before lunging into a hug with her bestie.

Dex turns to me, arms crossed. “Really, brother? How long were you going to hide this from me?”

“Please don’t make a scene,” I say quietly. “It’s our first weekend together.”

“You were both in Belize,” Dani says, folding her arms. “Huh.” Her tone shifts. Her eyes narrow. “Funny how the tables have turned, don’t you think?” she says to Dex.

“Oh yeah,” he mutters. “Remember how they ganged up on us back at The Bluebell Manhattan?”

I do remember. Apparently, so do they. They’re half-joking now, but Raquel and I are still standing there like statues, trying to figure out how this became an intervention.

Our friends start firing off questions, fast and furious, and we slip around arms around each other’s waists, taking their questions.

How long? When did it start? Did anything happen at the wedding? Or did it begin in Belize?

We let little snippets out. That it started in Belize. Raquel gives a brief reason for her being there, and I tell them it was about the Blue Star eco resort.

“I heard about that,” Dex says. “It’s not opening yet, and the old man is pissed.”

We haven’t had a meeting about it, everyone’s busy working on their own projects, but it’s clearly the old man is pissed to have let this slip.

“Does the old man know about you two?” Dex asks.

“No. He doesn’t. Let’s keep it that way.”

“Sure. Don’t worry about that. We’re not going to tell him anything,” Dex says. More questions follow, especially when they discover this is our first weekend together, since we’ve returned.

“Oooohh!” Dani squeals, looking at Raquel for answers. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

Raquel folds her arms. “Hit me with it. I can answer everything.” They grab the bottle of wine and the glasses, and slope off outside to the pool.

Dex grins, his hands resting on the kitchen island. “Well, well, well. The secret is finally out. You look different, dude. Softer.”

“She’s good for me.” I lean back against the countertop where we just fucked. “She’s the one. No one else comes close.”

Dex jolts to attention. “There was always something about you two. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I suspected something.”

“Me and Raquel, we were fire and ice. Love and hate.”

“And now?”

“Now I’m wondering how the hell I’ll cope when she flies back tomorrow.”

“Long distance relationship?”

“Maybe.” I shrug, thinking about how today has been so full. So perfect. How I can’t imagine having a day without Raquel in my life. How the thought of her in Miami with that sonofabitch boss makes my blood boil.

Dex gives me a look. “You don’t think that’s a little too convenient?”

“What?”

“You and Raquel, in Belize at the same time, dealing with the same issue?”

“Maybe,” I shrug. “Or maybe it’s fate.” Because that’s what I believe.

“Hmm.” He rubs his jaw like he’s mulling it over, and all I can think about is whether Raquel and I will get to have the perfect end to the perfect day.