Chapter 4 #5
That made him grin a deep, dangerous thing that said he was all in.“I am,” he said simply.
She didn’t argue. But she didn’t agree, either. Instead, she turned to watch the rest of the party unfold, her body warm with daiquiris and something far more dangerous than alcohol.
Beside her, Rio stayed close, not touching, not rushing. Just waiting. The tension wasn’t breaking. It was building.
Kylee shifted in her seat, suddenly aware of movement on the far side of the lounge. Her eyes flicked toward the corner and widened. “Oh my …”
Rio followed her gaze and let out a low laugh.
There, on a plush velvet loveseat, Kelly was full-on straddling the band’s drummer, her hands in his hair while his were very clearly not on her waist. Their kiss was anything but subtle.
It was heated and messy Kylee choked on a laugh and covered her mouth.
“She moves fast,” Rio said, raising his eyebrows.
“She’s unhinged,” Kylee replied, half-horrified, half-impressed. “I leave her alone for ten minutes…”
“She’s living,” Rio said, his voice warm as he looked back at Kylee. “Maybe you should try it sometime.”
Kylee turned her attention back to him, the air between them pulsing with heat again. “Careful,” she said, her voice light but laced with warning. “You might just find out I’m not as restrained as I look.”
His gaze dropped to her lips for half a beat too long. “God, I hope so.”
Kylee took a slow sip of her drink, letting the strawberry tang coat her tongue while Rio watched her like she was some kind of unsolvable riddle he was dying to crack. She tilted her head, eyes glinting as the bass from the next track vibrated through the floor.
“You always stare this much,” she asked, lifting an eyebrow, “or am I just special?”
Rio leaned in, his voice low but edged with amusement. “I only stare when I see something I want.”
Kylee laughed, heat blooming in her chest. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know you sing every lyric to my songs,” he said, his smirk smug. “And I know you bite your lip when you’re trying not to smile.”
She immediately stopped mid-bite, narrowing her eyes. “That’s creepy.”
“That’s observant,” he countered, clearly enjoying her squirm.
“You’re impossible.”
“I’ve been called worse. Kylee shook her head, turning her attention to the dance floor, where bodies moved like waves.
Her skin buzzed with energy from the music, from the drinks, from Rio’s constant nearness.
He didn’t touch her, but his presence wrapped around her like static electricity, charging the air between them.
“You’re dangerous,” she said without looking at him.
“Only if you’re trying to stay out of trouble.”
“And if I am?”
He leaned closer, voice brushing against her ear. “Then I’m your biggest problem.”
Kylee smirked, not quite pulling away. “Then maybe I’ll keep my distance.”
“You won’t,” he said simply.
She finally turned to him again, lips parted in challenge. “Wanna bet?”
He held her gaze, grin deepening. “Not with odds like that.”
The air between them was pulsing too thick with heat, music, tension. Rio stood close, his hand lightly resting on the bar beside hers, thumb brushing hers in a quiet rhythm that made her skin buzz.
“You always like to play with fire?” she asked, her voice low and teasing, but her heart pounded.
Rio gave her that slow, crooked smile that had melted millions of hearts. “Only when it looks like you.”
His gaze dropped to her lips, and before she could say anything, he closed the distance. It was slow, unhurried like he wanted her to feel every second of it. His breath mingled with hers. Then, his mouth barely grazed hers. Just a whisper of contact. A spark. Enough to make her knees go soft.
But then Kylee pulled back, heart racing. She placed her hand gently on his chest, steadying herself. “I can’t do this,” she breathed. “I’m married.”
Rio paused, eyes searching hers. The desire in them didn’t dim, but something deeper flickered beneath, maybe. Disappointment. Restraint.
“So what” he said softly, voice rough around the edges.
Kylee looked away, her emotions tangling in her chest. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Rio reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re living. That’s all. No pressure.”
She nodded, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her voice steady. “This... wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“But it did,” he said simply. “And now you get to decide what it means.”
Kylee took a small step back, needing space to breathe, but somehow it only made her more aware of him. The way his cologne clung to the space between them. The way his voice still hummed low in her chest.
Rio didn’t move closer again, but his presence wrapped around her like a velvet rope. He let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “You’re something else, you know that?” he murmured, eyes dragging over her face like he was trying to memorize it.
Kylee folded her arms, her lips twitching despite herself. “Is that your line when you strike out?”
His eyes lit up. “Only when it’s worth it.”
She looked away, trying to settle the wild rhythm in her chest. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why not?” he asked, stepping around her just enough to brush his shoulder past hers. “You’re not dead, are you? You still feel things. Want things.”
“That’s not the same as doing them,” she said quietly.
“True,” Rio said, leaning in just close enough to make her breath hitch. “But wanting?” His eyes lingered on hers. “That’s the real danger. That’s the part that’ll keep you up at night.”
Kylee swallowed hard. “You think I’ll be lying in bed thinking about you?”
He grinned, slow and sure. “I think you already have.”
She narrowed her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. “You’re full of yourself.”
“Maybe,” he said with a shrug. “But you haven’t walked away yet.”
Their eyes locked, the air charged with things unspoken. Behind them, the party swelled music, laughter, the clink of glasses but it all blurred into background noise.
Rio tilted his head, lowering his voice even further. “Tell me to back off, and I will. No questions asked. But if you don’t... I’ll keep flirting with you all night.”
Kylee bit her lip, the thrill of it making her stomach twist in a way she hadn’t felt in years. She didn’t tell him to stop.She couldn’t.
It was nearly 3 a.m., but the energy in the suite still pulsed like the night was just getting started. Music thumped low, bodies swayed in dim lighting, and laughter spilled like champagne across the room. But for Kylee, the high was starting to fade.
She glanced at the time on her phone, her heels pinching and head buzzing from hours of flirting, dancing, and trying to pretend she wasn’t in a full-blown war with her conscience.
She stood from the velvet couch, smoothing the hem of her dress. “Alright, that’s my cue,” she said, turning to Kelly. “Let’s head out before sunrise creeps up on us.”
Kelly, currently straddling the drummer’s lap, looked up through heavy-lidded eyes, grinning. “Oh, babe, you can go. But I’m staying.”
The drummer, smirking, ran a hand down Kelly’s thigh. “Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.”
Kylee rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out. “You better. Or she’ll ruin your life in the morning.”
She turned toward the door, grabbing her clutch only to find Rio already there, blocking the exit with that same easy, magnetic confidence.
“You sure you want to leave?” he asked, his voice husky from the whiskey and hours of performing.
“Come back to the hotel with me. I promise, no expectations. Just... don’t end the night alone.”
His gaze held hers, soft but relentless, like he already knew the answer and was just waiting for her to admit it.
Kylee’s breath caught. Her body begged her to say yes. Every part of her ached to be reckless, to let go, to forget. Jake had broken his vows in the cruelest way. Why couldn’t she even the score? But her heart still had walls. They may have been cracked and weathered, but they were still standing.
She gave a small, sad smile. “I can’t,” she whispered, more to herself than him. “Even if he didn’t respect what we had... I still do.”
Rio searched her eyes, then nodded, like he respected her more for walking away. “No hard feelings,” he said, voice low. “But if things ever change... you know where to find me.”
Kylee gave him one last glance, then turned and walked out heels clicking, head high, heart heavy.
The ride back felt endless, the silence too loud in contrast to the roaring energy she’d just left behind.
Kylee stepped into the quiet hotel room alone, shutting the door with a soft click. The absence of sound wrapped around her like a blanket or maybe a weight.
Her heels hit the floor first, then her panties slipped off her waist in a slow rustle, pooling at her feet.
Her body still hummed with the ghost of Rio’s attention the way his eyes had followed her all night, the gentle graze of his lips against hers, the tension that had nearly snapped between them.
The marble floor in the bathroom was cool beneath her bare feet, a stark contrast to the warmth of her skin.
She turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature until the water was just right hot enough to steam the mirrors, but not so scalding that it burned.
Stepping inside, she let the water cascade over her, washing away the sweat and glitter of the night.
Her fingers traced the curves of her body, absently massaging her shoulders as she closed her eyes, letting the warmth envelop her.
As the water ran over her, Kylee’s thoughts drifted to Rio.
His smile, his laugh, the way his eyes had lingered on her at the party it all replayed in her mind like a highlight reel.
She hadn’t expected to feel this way, but there was something about him that drew her in, something magnetic and undeniable.