Page 5 of Rio

Her brow lifts, cool and lethal.“Clothes.”

She says it like a challenge, as if she’s daring me to break first.And damn me, I’ve never been more ready to lose.

“Clothes, princesa?You sure about that?”She’s wild, and I’m a lucky, lucky, lucky guy.

“You scared, Knight?”Her eyes widen.Her mouth parts, just a little.Enough to have me thinking about the things I’d like to do with her.

Not scared, princesa.Just fucking excited.

I grin, and she smiles, wide and full.I couldn’t drag my gaze away from her lips if I tried.I want those luscious red lips on mine.Wrapped around my cock, on my stomach, kissing me all over.It’s incredible to think that we haven’t even kissed.

Yet.

We’re done nothing but dance and bicker around one another.The slow burn, slow-building tension is heating up, and it’s slowly killing me.I’m usually more of an instant gratification kind of guy, but this battle of wills between Raquel and I is more intoxicating and dangerous than any foreplay.It makes me wonder how explosive we would be in bed.Would we even survive it?

I hope I’ll get a chance to find out.

“We need a pack of cards.”This night has quickly turned from a near disappointing disaster to something filled with endless possibility.

“Luckily, I have one.”Raquel walks over to the desk near the window.

“You always carry cards with you?You always play these games when you’re traveling?”For a second it pinches, that I’m not the only recipient of such a night.Of such games.But I wave the thought away.We’re about to have some fun.That’s all this is.Nothing too deep.Nothing meaningful.

“What if I do?”she throws back.

I don’t have an answer for that but I wonder if she’s the type of woman who has an insatiable appetite.

“There was already a pack of cards in here.Feel better?”she snaps.“You think I carry these around all the time, playing games with strangers in my hotel room?”

I open my mouth and close it.

Because she’s damn right.Now I feel like a prick for being so judgy.

“We get five cards each per round,” I say, taking the cards out of the pack and shuffling them.

“Okay.”She eyes her desk, but it’s cluttered.“Let’s just play on the floor.”She sits down, cross-legged.

I sit down, or try to, but it’s not comfortable.Still, I’m not going to make excuses, not now that we’re playing strip poker.“We get five cards each.No bluffing, no bets, just the highest hand wins.Standard rankings.Nothing fancy or convoluted.Just enough to get you in trouble.”I flip the cards in my hands like this is my full-time job and I’m an expert.

She raises a perfectly shaped brow, then licks her lower lip, making my cock twitch in my pants.“Sounds good to me.”

“Let’s iron out the rules.”

We eye one another like hungry predators.I wonder if she’s imagining me down to my boxers, because I have a visual of what I’m expecting to see before this night is over.My hard-on is becoming painful unbearable and, when she’s not looking, I need to adjust myself in my pants.

“Loser removes an item of clothing,” I say, stating the obvious.

She looks at me carefully.“They can remove an item of clothingoranswer a personal question.”

“Or answer a personal question,” I echo.

“Remind me again of the hierarchy, Knight?”

“Oh, princesa.I’d be happy to break it down for you.”I gaze at her like I’m going to win.“Top of the food chain?Royal flush.Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10—all one suit.Untouchable.Like me.”

She scoffs, but her eyes glint with fire.

“Next?Straight flush — five in a row, same suit.Four of a kind?Four cards, same rank.No mercy.”