Page 98 of Rio

Rio’s head snaps up.“Who?”

“Pierce.”

“Is he still being a prick?”His voice goes hard in an instant.

“He hasn’t changed, but I stood up for myself.I told him I’d report him for harassment and that shut him up.”

Rio puts down his paper, cups my chin gently, forces me to look at him.“You said that to him?”

“I sure did.I was sick of him.Have been ever more disgusted with him since I got back.Something about leaving you in Belize and coming back to that douchebag, made something in me snap.”

“I swear to God, I want to pull that man’s eyeballs out.”

I laugh a little, trying to lighten the mood.“Please don’t commit murder on my behalf.Not yet.I’m biding my time and I don’t plan to stay there for too long.”

“I’m super proud of you for standing up to him, not that you should have to do it.I know you can protect yourself, but just remember that you’re not alone.You have me now.”

I nod, and he kisses me softly.

“I’ve started looking around at other law firms,” I tell him.

“Yeah?”

I nod.

“Would you consider somethinghere?”He holds my hand, intertwines his fingers in mine, like a lifeline.

Here?

I had.And I did, but hearing him say it, lights me up so that I feel like I’m glowing all over.“Maybe.”

This brings a smile to his lips.I can’t stop thinking how good this feels.How easy.How right.I like this.Us.What we’re doing.The way we’re slowly becoming something more.We walked around the city for hours, and now we’re here.Just existing, together.

“I’m going to make you something,” I say, pushing up from the couch.“Let’s see what you’ve got in that fridge of yours.”

He grins.“Good luck.”But he heads into the kitchen with me, opening drawers, pulling out ingredients, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions, when his phone buzzes.

“Hold on,” he says.“It’s Matteo.He’s FaceTiming me.”He picks up the call.

I listen as he paces a few steps away.I hear another male voice, probably, Enzo, and then a softer older female voice.Their mom.They’re talking in Italian, fast, and furious.Rio’s laughing, and I hear his voice, become softer.I hear “Mama,” and his mother laughing.

He glances at me, and he’s so happy.I see another side to him.I shrink back, knowing I’m a secret, something he has to hide, for now.This little family unit, is touching, especially now that I know the tragic story behind it.

“Ciao, Mama.”

I lean against the counter, arms bent behind me, listening to them all say their goodbyes.He’s beaming as he walks towards me.

“Everything okay?”I ask.“I couldn’t understand what you were saying, but it was sweet, the way you talked to your mom.Your voice went all soft and gooey.”

“Soft and gooey?”His arms wrap around me.

“You were so sweet.”

“My mom is amazing.”His eyes shine.There’s something endearing, about a grown man, someone like Rio, who loves his mother.He lifts a hand to my hair, runs his thumb across my brow, looking at me like I’m something precious.“So are you.I think she would love to meet you.”

He’s talking about me meeting his mom.Before I can start thinking about how my mom would like him, he grabs my face and kisses me again, hard and hungry.In an instant, the kiss ignites something explosive.All the tension, the denial and hurt, it combusts into heat.I grab his shirt, pulling him to me, gasping when his mouth claims mine with a desperation that borders on savage.We go from kissing to hands exploring everywhere.Tugging, gripping, exploring.He’s already hard again, pressing against me like he wants to take me now.Like he can’t hold back.The thought makes heat pulse through me.I’m so slick for him.I wish he would take me here.Take me now.He spins me around, his breath hot against my neck.He pushes up the hem of my dress.His fingers hook into the waistband of my leggings before yanking them down in one quick, eager motion, along with my panties.He leaves them rolled down around my ankles, so it feels like my legs are shackled together.The cold air cools my skin, and I bend over, elbows on the countertop, moving the vegetables away.

“Aren’t we supposed to be cooking?”I ask, breathless, as his hands slide over my naked cheeks with gentle appreciation.