Page 100 of Rio

“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?”