Page 9 of Rio (Knight Empire #3)

RIO

“Come on in.” Dex opens the door wider and gestures for me to come in.

“All clear?” I look around his apartment, needing to be sure that Dani has left. I haven’t opened up to him about Raquel before. There was too much chaos going on, what with Dani leaving and the old man being up to his dirty tricks again.

“So, you and Dani got engaged for real, huh?” They announced it yesterday at Jett’s place, when Jett and Cari invited us over for dinner. It was a Knight family dinner, a real one. Not the torturous ones we have to endure with the old man.

“We sure did.” He hands me a bottle of beer.

“Congratulations, dude. Really happy for you.”

Dex nods, but his face has been softer, and even though he’s trying not to smile so much, I can tell he’s happy, like ecstatic, way deep down to his core.

I’ve never seen him this calm before. Like he has an inner knowing and happiness, and a strong sense of purpose in his life.

Before he was slightly reckless, slightly crazy.

A guy who liked his hookups and casual flings.

Now, he’s completely different. Dani is his north star.

His perfect match and the woman who tamed him. I’m happy for the dude.

“Have you told the old man about you and Dani?” The old man wasn’t invited.

“I will do.” He doesn’t seem to be in a rush.

“I heard Dani say you’re both going to visit Raquel in Miami.” My ears perked up when I caught that snippet from Cari and Dani’s conversation. The mention of that name—a name I’ve been trying hard to forget for the past two months—brings up all sorts of feelings inside me.

I’ve called and messaged and emailed that woman, and she completely ghosted me.

I didn’t understand it. We were getting on like a house on fire.

She liked me. She felt the attraction. She’s the one who wanted to play strip poker.

She’s the one who told me to stay when I offered to leave her hotel room that night of Dex and Dani’s wedding.

And then we made out on the balcony after a blistering session of playing a card game.

I didn’t think I could have so much fun while keeping my clothes on.

She told me to stay—because she had work to do—so I stayed, but when I woke up, she’d gone.

Despite my attempts to get in touch, she ignored me like I didn’t exist. Like I didn’t matter.

Maybe, in the cold light of day, she probably rethought everything about me. Decided the Knights weren’t worth getting close to.

Decided to put me in the enemy-zone.

I only heard from her when all hell broke loose, when Dani left Dex, and he fell apart. Dani obviously confided in her best friend and told her everything, because it was soon after that Raquel texted to let me know that Dani was getting a divorce in the Dominican Republic.

I still remember her text:

Dani has left your brother.

You Knights ... ??

She’s gone to the Dominican Republic to get a divorce.

She should never have married a Knight ??

I was so ecstatic to hear from her, and I quickly replied, telling her how I was sorry, I needed to explain, but it was good to hear from her. How was she?

And she sent another text:

I knew I was right to stay away from you.

But when I replied, she ghosted me again.

I’ve never heard from her since, and it’s been over a month. This all feels so strange to me. I’m not one to sit and mope over a woman. I chase, catch, then see how it goes. Mostly, we have a few months of fun, but that’s all.

This woman has me upside down and back to front. We haven’t had sex. Kissing, and playing a game of strip poker is as far as we’ve gotten.

I need to see her, to kiss her, to touch her to prove to myself that she isn’t as unique and captivating as I remember.

I need to know if I’ve simply built it all up in my mind, since I last saw her.

I need to prove that once I’ve had her, I can walk away unscathed, because if I can’t, and seeing her again proves the opposite, I’m done for.

This woman unmoors me. She’s the first one to ghost me this way, and she gives me so much grief, instead of kissing my ass. She hates my last name, and she whips my butt because of it.

“Daniela wants to tell Raquel in person, and I’m pretty sure she wants to tell her in detail about everything that went down. It’s been mad, and Raquel doesn’t know the half of it. Hell, she doesn’t even know that I proposed to Daniela, and that this time it’s for real.”

I force a laugh, remembering the first time I met Raquel, and how Dex and Dani were interrogated by her. The woman I’m crazy about is smart. She needed convincing that Dex and Dani really were together. So now, after everything that’s happened, I’m not surprised she wants details.

And no wonder she hates me.

The Knight name is poison to her.

“Why are you asking?” Dex looks at me quizzically, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I shrug. I’m having a tough time as it is, and all we shared was a scorching hot kiss on an unforgettable night in her hotel room.

I’ve tried to forget her, but it’s impossible, and because she’s Dani’s best friend, and Dani’s now engaged to my brother, our lives will be inextricably intertwined.

There’s a high chance that I’ll run into her again.

There will be weddings and babies and birthdays and other anniversaries.

“You said you don’t feel anything for her,” Dex counters, slowly, trying to piece it all together—my interest in this woman, when I’ve not spoken at great length about her.

“I just haven’t said anything about her to you, dude.” I don’t know how I feel about her. It’s all hot and cold. There’s fun and sizzle when we connect, and then long dry spells where we don’t meet.

“You want to tell me something, brother? Just say it. It’s not like you to get tongue-tied about a woman.”

I pretend to laugh. “I don’t think so.”

He nods, slowly, knowingly. Then, “You said she’d been conquered and ditched.”

“We had a few moments,” I say, cryptically.

“A few moments? Brother, I’ve asked you about this before, when you didn’t make the flight back with the rest of us after the wedding.”

That was the day after the strip poker evening. I’ve been vague about it all since then. Not that Dex cared to delve deeper. I guess he was busy navigating through the surprise honeymoon the old man gave them, then he had to adjust to living with Dani in his apartment.

I left them to it, and I was too busy trying to get Raquel out of my head to worry him.

“We played strip poker.”

Dex whistles low, leaning back. “Jeez, bro.”

“It was a hot, hot night …”

“Did you ...?”

“No. I’m sure we would have. That woman is dynamite. Kissing her? Electric . She ...” I think about how she dangled her panties from her fingers, and how I almost shot my load. She was such a beautiful tease. Not taking off her dress, but her panties.

I swallow, and decide not to tell all. “I fell asleep, and she had work to do.”

Dex roars with laughter. “Fell asleep? That’s not like you.”

“Biggest boner I’ve ever had in my life.” I remember it clearly. I still think about that night every night. And I have her panties, unwashed, somewhere in my drawers.

Dex stops, mid-pour, the whiskey bottle in one hand, his empty glass in the other. “Jeez, bro. Too much information.” He finishes pouring the drink, takes a sip.

“I was hoping I could come along to Miami with you guys.” I throw it out there.

Dex’s reaction is what I expected, what I feared. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he says slowly.

“Why not?” I’m always ready to be his wing man at a moment’s notice, and I expected him to be the same. No questions asked, just a readiness to dive in and do it.

Maybe being with Dani has made him go all soft.

Is that a bad thing?

“After everything that happened, Raquel hates the Knights more than ever. Daniela told me.”

“Even now?” Rio asks. “After what you did, helping to get the company back?”

“With your help. I couldn’t have done it alone,” Dex adds. He’s quiet for a beat. “You really like her?”

“Can’t stop thinking about her. She won’t reply to my messages. The only time I heard from her was when she told me Dani was going to the Dominican Republic, for the divorce, and that’s when I told you.”

He scratches his jaw. “I don’t know, bro. I don’t know. Maybe she’ll come around and see you for the charming, sexy, nice guy you are.” He flashes a grin at me. “It depends how she feels about you.”

“That night at the hotel, she didn’t have to ask me in, and she didn’t have to suggest we play strip poker. I just wanted to make sure she got back to her hotel safely.”

“That’s all you wanted?”

“She’s different.”

His eyes widen. “And is she as captivated by you?”

“I’m not sure. She blows hot and cold. That’s why I want to crash your weekend, just one evening, see if I can get her to talk.”

“She might come around, she might not. She might hate you more than ever.”

“She might.”

Not that that’s a bad thing. Raquel and I, we have a love-hate thing going on. Not love, per se, because we don’t really know one another deeply, but we definitely have a hate thing.

I’m captivated by her. Entranced by her beauty. Mesmerised by her wit and intelligence. I’m also wouldn’t mind having her in my bed, in any position she likes. Doing what the hell she likes. I’ll be up for it, she only has to say.

I like that she isn’t fooled by my name, wealth or status. She’s the biggest challenge of my life, and the more she turns ice queen on me, the more I want to melt her and prove how fiery we could be together.

Dex narrows his eyes. “Sounds to me like you like the challenge.”

“I always did. You know that.”

“This woman sounds like a Rubik’s cube level challenge.”

“She’s more than that. I need to know if she really hates me, or if she’s playing hard to get.”

“You did say you liked the chase.”

“This woman has me doing marathons.”

He chortles. “Maybe she’s finding it hard to forget you.”

“It’s possible. I’m unforgettable. Comes with the charm package.” I flash him a grin. “Some people call it arrogance. I call it a public service.”

Dex rolls his eyes. “Then, come . Show up as a surprise.”

“That’s what I was aiming to do, like she did at your date with Dani, remember that, dude?”

“Often.” He grins. “And based on that event, and where we are today, miracles are possible, brother. They’re possible. So, yeah. Come along, but act surprised when you see us. Make out like you happened to be there by chance.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not sure Dani would think it’s a good idea either.”

I can’t believe how smitten this dude is. He obviously doesn’t want to be in Dani’s bad books. “Don’t worry. I won’t land you in it.” But secretly I’m thrilled, bordering on ecstatic.

I’m going to Miami, to meet the woman I haven’t been able to forget. I thrive on the thrill, the quest, the race to conquer, and no woman has ever denied me like Raquel has.