Chapter 15
RIO
That was an unexpected evening. I saw Dex and Daniela, saw their downturned faces.
It looked like they were having a great time, but after the way the evening ended, it made sense for us all to go home.
Dex took Daniela back, and to my surprise, Raquel agreed for me to drop her back. Now she’s sitting beside me as I’m driving, her arms crossed, staring out the window and looking pissed as hell.
I want to kiss her right now, but there’s no way it’s going to happen. Back at the bar, before all hell broke loose, sparks were zinging and zagging between us. I felt them, and I know she sure as hell did too.
“What’s wrong, Princesa?”
She turns to me, her expression sharp as a blade. “Don’t call me that.”
“Why not?” I chuckle, loving the fact that I can get under her skin so easily. “It suits you.”
“I am not a princess or diva, I assure you.”
“You sure about that?” I throw back, with a grin, which pisses her off even more. I can see there’s nothing dainty or princess-like about her. This woman has balls and attitude, and I love that about her.
We were sparking and combusting and getting on like wildfire, until Dex and his fiancée turned up and threw cold water over our conversation.
Things haven’t been the same since.
“You’re a Knight.” She practically spits it out, like the word physically disgusts her.
I grin. “I am.”
“And he’s your brother.”
“Half-brother, actually.”
“Still a Knight.”
“Still a Knight,” I agree. “A Knight in shining armor.”
She groans, shaking her head.
“We were having such a nice time,” I say, wanting to see her reaction.
“Were we?” She glares at me. “And then I find out you’re one of them. ”
“What exactly do you have against me? You liked me before you knew my name.”
“I know exactly who your family is. I know what Knight Enterprises does. I’m a corporate lawyer, and I specialize in environmental law and high-profile lawsuits against unethical corporations.”
I grin. “That so?”
Her nostrils flare. “Your company always manage to wriggle out of accountability.”
I chuckle. “I haven’t done anything to you , princesa.”
Her glare sharpens. “I told you, don’t call me princesa.” She whips out her phone and starts texting. I guess our conversation is over.
I grin wider.
I’m going to have so much fun with this one.
***
DANI
It makes sense for Dexter to drive me back to my hotel while Rio takes Raquel back.
I can feel the awkwardness settling between both cars, like an invisible barrier neither of us knows how to break. Everything changed in the blink of an eye. Tonight was going so well.
I almost let myself believe that Dexter and I were something more. A couple. Not that I’m in love with him or anything, or even that attracted to him, but I like him more than I did before we arrived.
He opened up. He was vulnerable. He shared something real with me, and I have a feeling it’s not something he does often.
We were connecting.
Later, when he kissed me, that kiss stole my breath away. Not just because of how it felt, but because he made the first move. I hadn’t expected it. There’s only so much of an act we can put on in front of Raquel, but it’s clear Dexter wanted me to believe it, too.
Why did she have to show up?
I don’t know if things would’ve gone further between us tonight if she hadn’t, but now I’ll never know.
The car is silent as Dexter drives through the dark streets. He hasn’t said a word, and the tension in the air is suffocating. I glance down at my phone, desperate for something to do. That’s when I see the email.
I gasp, my eyes widening, because I don’t believe it.
“What is it?” Dexter glances at me in concern.
I swallow hard. “Your father.”
“What’s he done now?”
“He copied you in on it, too.”
“What has he done?” Dexter asks, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel.
“He sent an email to both of us.”
“What does it say?”
I hesitate before reading it aloud. “Subject: Wedding Arrangements.”
He makes a disapproving sound. “Go on.”
I clear my throat, feel the blood rushing to my ears as I stare at the email. It looks so formal. Like a work email. An agenda. Not something for a wedding. I start to read.
Subject: Wedding Arrangements
Dexter, Daniela,
I have spoken with your parents, Daniela, and we have finalized the necessary arrangements for the wedding. The details are as follows:
The marriage will take place 2 weeks from today. Daniela, this allows you some time in which to return home and make necessary preparations for your wedding dress, etc.
The civil ceremony will be conducted privately, on the same day, to ensure legal formalities are completed without unnecessary delays. I have expedited the marriage license and secured a judge to officiate.
The public ceremony: the event the media and guests will see, will follow in the afternoon. It will be held at an appropriate venue with a carefully selected guest list. If you so choose, you may elect to get married at your family home. I believe this is something your parents would prefer.”
The wedding details, including logistics, press coordination, and venue selection, are being handled between myself and your parents. There is no need for additional involvement on your part.
Attendance will be limited to immediate family, key business associates, and select high-society figures. The event will be elegant, controlled, and executed with precision.
The media coverage will be strictly managed to ensure the correct narrative is presented.
Daniela, I understand your parents may wish to incorporate certain traditions. Within reason, some accommodation can be made.
My sons and I will arrive the day before the wedding, and we will return the day after the wedding.
There will be no honeymoon.
This is a high-profile event, and I expect both of you to conduct yourselves accordingly. There is no room for complications or delays. We all have businesses to run, and this event must not get in the way.
Paul Knight
“Two weeks?” I gasp. I knew this was moving fast, but I hadn’t expected this fast.
“Screw him,” Dexter mutters.
“How can he do that? We need thirty days.”
Dexter lets out a humorless chuckle. “My father can do anything. He’s taken care of it, if you reread the bit about him expediting the marriage license and securing a judge. He’s paid someone to get this done fast.”
I take a steadying breath. “He thinks my parents want me to get married at the family home. I’m sure he put that idea in their heads—”
“That’s my father,” Dexter says, annoyingly.
I grit my teeth. “I know what my parents would prefer. They want a church wedding.”
“I’m sorry, Daniela.” Dexter’s voice is soft and reassuring. “This isn’t a real wedding. We’re playing a part. Actors in a production to fool family and friends and the business community.”
Something about the way he says it, so detached, so dismissive, grates on me. I think about the kiss we shared. The words we shared. It didn’t feel like an act then.
“Getting married at my family home is fine. This is just temporary. It’s not real,” I say flatly, forcing myself to get used to this, even though it’s already starting to leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I reread the email again, my stomach twisting. I blink at the screen. I can’t believe it. “Your father just spelled out our entire wedding in a cold, detached email.”
“Welcome to the Knight family.”
He’s said this before, many times, and now, more than ever, I wonder what kind of trap I’ve walked into. He looks at me. “You wanted this,” he reminds me. “You flew all the way from Brazil for this.”
There’s a bite to his words. He sounds annoyed. I turn to him, studying his profile. What’s gotten into him? This isn’t the man who kissed me. This isn’t the man who let his guard down in front of me tonight.
“Why are you so angry all of a sudden?” I ask quietly.
His jaw tenses. “I’m not angry. I’m just reminding you that this is a ruse. Try not to forget that.”
I try not to gasp. “Didn’t feel like a ruse when you kissed me.”
His lips curl into a slow, infuriating smile. “Oh, sweetheart,” he murmurs, “I’ve charmed the pants off many a woman.”
I don’t like the way he calls me sweetheart. I loved the way he called me “amor” earlier, when he kissed me. It felt like he really meant it.
“You’ve been with women you feel nothing for?”
“It was just sex. I haven’t hidden that from you.”
Just sex. He sounds oddly cruel and cynical. Like he’s a different Dexter. Not the charming, funny, flirtatious guy I just spent the evening with. It frightens me a little, how he can flip so quickly. How his emotions go easily from soft and caring to something cold and clinical.
He stops the car outside the hotel. I go to open the car door, but hesitate. “I guess this will be the last time I see you?” I want to return home tomorrow. I need to be back at home, to be with genuine people, people who love me.
He looks at me, his mouth open like he wants to say something. His fingers grip the steering wheel so hard, the skin across his knuckles is tight.
I wait, anticipating what he wants to say, but as the last second, he turns his head, glaring out the window.
“See you at the wedding.” His voice has that detached tone again. It’s like he’s another person now. The Dexter I met that first night at the soiree.
I get out of the car, heart heavy, and head into the hotel, feeling as if I’ve been on a rollercoaster ride ever since I arrived in New York, not even a week ago.
My life has changed, or is about to change, completely, and I feel like I have no control over my future.
I’m completely deflated.
So much has happened tonight. With Dexter, with Raquel. Everything felt like it was going well … until it wasn’t.
And now, my best friend from childhood has turned up out of nowhere, throwing another layer of chaos into the evening. I don’t know what the night would have looked like if Raquel hadn’t arrived. Maybe things with Dexter would have played out differently. Maybe I would have had a moment to breathe, to process the kiss, to figure out what the hell we’re doing.
But that moment is lost to me forever. My heart sinks when I walk into the hotel lobby only to see Raquel.
“At last! You took your time.” She jumps up and rushes to me. I love her. I really do. She flew all the way here for me, and I know she means well. But I don’t need this right now.
“Hey.”
I throw my arms around her, hugging her tight. Another performance. Another act. I have to pretend I’m happy, even though I feel anything but.
All I want to do is go upstairs, lie down, and think about Paul Knight’s email.
I have ten days.
Ten days to marry Dexter Knight.
But more than that, I want to think about Dexter himself. The way he can be so soft and easy to love one moment, and then cold and distant the next. How the hell am I supposed to survive a year of this ?
“How did you get here so fast?” I ask, stepping back.
Raquel grimaces. “I couldn’t wait to get out of that car with him .”
I arch a brow. “Rio?”
“Oh, so now you talk about them like they’re family.”
I hear the sharpness in her tone, the disapproval just beneath the surface. I force another smile. “Well, they will be family soon.”
Just thinking about it sends a shiver down my spine. Paul Knight as my father-in-law. Dexter my husband, and Jett, and the rest of the Knights for my brothers-in-law.
God help me.
Raquel exhales sharply and loops her arm through mine. “Come on, let’s have a drink.”
I groan. “I really can’t. I had way too many with lover boy .”
Her eyes narrow. “I’ve been waiting for a while. Were you two making out in the car? Why is he not with you now?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Too many questions.”
She fans herself dramatically. “That kiss, though. Scorching. Made my toes curl and I wasn’t even being kissed. How did all of this even happen?”
I sigh. “You heard. ”
“I did, but I want details. Explicit details.”
“Come upstairs. We can talk, but I really need to pack. I’m taking the first flight out tomorrow, whatever time that may be.”
Raquel frowns. “Already?”
“I need to go home. See my parents. Be around people I actually love and care about. I can’t take it here anymore.”
“What do you mean actually love and care about?” Her hawkish eyes and ears miss nothing.
“I need to make preparations. We’re …we’re getting married in ten days’ time,” I say lightly, breezily, then slowly watch her reaction.
“Ten days?” she shrieks so loudly, the receptionists at the desk look up. “Are you pregnant?” Her face is a picture of so many mixed emotions.
“No! We’re both busy people, and I love him, Raquel.” I bite down on my teeth, hating the constant lying. But I have to do it all over again and pretend. Be convincing.
I’m so tired. So, so tired. This evening has been a roller coaster of emotions. For a split second, I’m on the verge of telling her the truth about the arranged marriage, about my father being worried about his company, about his health, about this whole agreement.
That I flew here of my own accord. Instead, I smile. “I love this man, so very much.”
She tilts her head. “A Knight?”
“He’s a good Knight. The way I see it, why waste time being apart when we can be together?”
Raquel studies me, something unreadable in her gaze. “I’ve seen you with him. I can see you have feelings for this man. Maybe you just fell for him. I never thought it would happen to you, Daniela Oliveira, but if you’re happy, then I’m happy.”
Oh. Well.
This is unexpected.
“I’m happy I have your approval.”
She hesitates, looks at me, as if she’s not sure she’s given me her approval. I let the moment slide. “I have an early morning flight back to Miami,” she announces.
I shouldn’t feel relieved that she’s leaving, but I do. Guilt immediately follows, because I’m also deeply touched that she flew all this way for not even twenty-four hours.
Just to make sure I was okay.
I’m blessed, and so grateful for the women in my life, and the power of their friendships. By the time we get to my room, we both kick off our shoes, and I slip off my earrings, my bracelet, my watch. I made an effort tonight. I feel like Dexter noticed.
Raquel eyes me critically. “You’re so dressed up.”
I nod toward her sharp-cut suit. “So are you.”
“I came straight from work after you called me. I just hopped on a plane. I heard you mention the name of the hotel, so I went there.”
“How did you know I was staying here?”
“I called your parents.”
Smart woman. I really have to be careful around her. But, I love her with all my heart. She has my best interests and she really did drop everything to come here, and I should be glad that she’s my friend, that she cares so much, but this ruse Dexter and I are going through, just got harder.
***
DEX
No sooner have I stepped into my apartment, kicked off my jacket, and toed off my sneakers, there’s a knock at the door.
What now?
The last thing I want is to deal with Jett or Zach. I’m not in the mood to talk to my brothers about tonight, or about anything, really.
But when I pull open the door, it’s Rio. Of course. The concierge must have let him up without question. He’s one of the few names on the approved list. He steps inside, pacing immediately. “You want to tell me what that was about?”
I arch a brow. “You tell me.”
He stops mid-step and turns, giving me a knowing look. “We’re talking about you. What was that? What was with the kiss, dude?”
I exhale slowly, already regretting letting him in.
“You really do like her, huh?” he presses.
“No. This is—” I stop myself. What exactly is this? I’m not sure when, or if, I’m going to tell anyone my real plan. That I’m walking away before the year is up.
“Have you two kissed before tonight?” Rio asks, his tone lighter now, teasing.
“No.”
“You sure about that?”
I roll my eyes. “You know I only met her a few days ago.”
“So… your tongues tangling forever wasn’t part of the act?” He digs deeper.
I glare at him. “What do you think?”
“I think you liked it. I think you like her . I think you want her. In your bed.”
I ignore the thought, the way my chest feels suddenly tight, like it’s getting harder to breathe. “It’s an act, brother.”
“Dude, it didn’t stop you from kissing her like you meant it. Just be careful. I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”
“That’s not going to happen. I like my relationships uncomplicated. Hookups, that’s all I need. All I’m interested in.” I mutter a “Jesus,” as I walk past him into the kitchen. “You want a drink?”
“Yeah. Need one.”
I grab a bottle and pour.
“Should you be drinking, though?” I ask.
Rio cocks his head. “I was under the limit. We paced ourselves.”
I nod, handing him the glass, then start thinking about me and Daniela and how we were about to start on our appetizers. Maybe later we would have ordered food, had dinner, even though we initially weren’t going to.
I could have sat there and talked to her all night. I had so many questions I wanted to ask. So much more I wanted to know about her.
But just now, as I drove her to her hotel, I acted like a douchebag. So cold and aloof. Pushing her away. That’s what I do in these situations.
Daniela spells trouble for me, if I’m not careful, I’ll do something I might regret. Because that kiss? That kiss awakened something in me. Something that’s left me feeling rudderless.
If she’d invited me up what would I have said? Worse, what would I have done ? I reverted to who I am when I need my barriers in place. I turned into an ass to maintain some distance. Now I feel bad because I can’t forget the look in Daniela’s eyes as she walked away.
Screw this alliance.
I’m already starting to regret it because I’m afraid. Afraid of this woman who sees deep into my soul.
She mesmerizes me. Intrigues me. Holds me captive.
This woman wasn’t even supposed to be a blip on my radar, but she’s the whole damn map. Ocean, land, sky. Every coordinate I never meant to chart.
She is everything. This date, that kiss, it leaves me feeling uneasy.