Page 19 of Rio

“It was a hot,hotnight …”

“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 herpanties.

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.”