Page 88 of Rio

That reminds me.Pierce’s email pinches me back to reality.I make a face, preparing Rio for the news.

“What?”he asks.

“Pierce has ordered me to come back quickly.”

“When?”

“I fly out tomorrow.”

He sits up.“Tomorrow?”

“The injunction was served.I’ve got something important to get back to.Something I left to come here for.”

He lets out a groan.“The old man’s not too happy either, but I have to stay behind.He thinks its to fix things, but I need to get to the bottom of this.”

I feel happier that we’re on the same side, even if we’re not.

We fall silent.

“When will we see each other again?”I can’t bear the thought of being away from him.

“As soon as I get back,” he says without hesitation.“But I don’t know when that will be.I want answers, and I’m going to figure out what’s really going on with Delport.”

This is what I needed to hear from him.It’s never too late to fight the good fight.He’s not the man I thought he was.And that’s a good thing.I see him now, as he really is, and I like the man I’ve found him to be.Him coming after me in the storm was the moment I realized, but looking back now, Rio has always been there.In the gardens, at Dani’s wedding reception, then in Miami.And now, here in Belize.But he didn’t come here looking for me, he came here to work and I just happened to be here.

Maybe fate did bring us together, and maybe we’re meant to be together.I’ve given him plenty of reasons not to stay, but he does.He’s persistent, and he told me, he won’t give up.I want more of him.I want everything he wants, and it’s not just the physical, he wants it all.Me.A deep commitment.Something lasting.

We lie in bed, quietly for a while.

“You’re in New York, and I’m in Miami,” I say finally.I wonder how that will bode for us?

“Don’t look so sad.It’s not Pluto.”He moves over me and gives me a long languorous kiss which makes my toes curl.

Maybe I won’t head back to my hotel yet.I consider getting under the covers again, taking my fill of him again.

“You know what you said about fate?About how sometimes things are meant to be?We keep running into each other.But I never thought this would happen.I never thought I’d be rescued by you, or that we’d spend the night together in a hut.”

“What a night it was.”He surprises me as he climbs out of bed.“I say we take a shower.”He holds out his hand, and I have a feeling that there will be more than a shower taking place in the bathroom.

***

Rio drops me off to my guesthouse early the next morning.I feel sad when he drives away because a part of me knows—he’s the right one.

Even though he’s a Knight.This man is solid.

Later, I return to the EcoGuardians bungalow.I texted Alma soon after we reached Rio’s hotel room, and left a message, but it was vague.Too vague—because I didn’t want to give her details.

“Raquel, could we speak in private please?”She stands as soon as she sees me, and leads me to the kitchen.“You spent the night with Rio Knight?”she asks the second she closes the kitchen door.Her tone isn’t accusatory.I detect a hint of worry, and concern.

“We were trapped in the hut, Alma.He came looking for me.I didn’t plan it.The storm hit faster than expected, and it was so wild.I was so scared.My phone died, and the sea was so choppy, I couldn’t take the boat back.I hunkered down in this little hut I found, and Rio found me.”

She doesn’t say anything.Just watches me.So I keep going.

“And before you ask—no.I didn’t trade anything.I didn’t make deals.I listened.”I swallow.Because I can’t lie to her.I respect this woman too much, and I don’t want to let her down.

“Why did he come looking for you?”she asks quietly.

“He ...he was annoyed about the injunction, more because he didn’t see it coming.”I don’t want to land him in it.I hate lying to her, but I can’t tell her that Rio suspects Delport are covering things up and wants to fix things.She can find that out when the time is right.I also know that I’m skating on ice so thin, pretty soon, if I’m not careful, I’ll end up in ice cold water.