“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Kelly told him that’s actually how you ended up backstage. He said you were going through hell, and I thought what the hell, why not give a little light to a bad week?”
Kylee blinked. Her chest tightened in a way that surprised her. She hadn’t expected that answer… or that kind of thoughtfulness. She swallowed hard.
“So this was… charity?” she asked, trying to sound playful, but her voice was thinner than she meant it to be.
Rio shook his head, his fingers brushing the back of her hand again. “No. It started out fun. But then I saw you. Like really saw you” That heat in his eyes came rushing back, crawling under her skin like a slow fire.
“I’m married,” she said again, her voice breathless now, barely audible.
“I know you keep saying that,” Rio said, leaning just close enough that their lips almost grazed. “And I also know he broke you in a way you didn’t deserve.”
She didn’t speak. She couldn’t.
“Live your life now,” he said, his voice deep and quiet. “Ask for forgiveness later.”
Before Kylee could respond, Kelly’s voice rang out behind them, playful and loud. “Are y’all hooking up or what? We’re ordering drinks!”
Kylee flushed and stepped out from behind the column quickly, shaking her head, pretending to laugh.
Rio followed, slower, his eyes never leaving her.
The lounge was dim and sultry, tucked away behind heavy velvet curtains and lit with amber-toned sconces that cast a low golden glow. Plush leather couches lined the room, and a small jazz trio played in the corner, their music soft and seductive, adding a dreamy haze to the air.
Kylee walked in behind Rio, her heart still pounding from their moment outside.
Kelly had already claimed a spot on one of the couches next to Mason, laughing loudly at something he’d said. She had a drink in one hand and her heels dangling from the other, completely at ease.
Rio turned to Kylee and motioned toward the bar. “Let me get you something. What’s your poison?”
“Surprise me,” she said, her voice a little huskier than usual.
He grinned. “Dangerous words.”
While he ordered, Kylee slid into an open spot on the long couch, feeling her dress ride slightly higher on her thighs. She didn’t adjust it. Let it be so he can crave her more.
Rio returned with two drinks, handing hers over with a wink. She took a sip and blinked. It was sweet, with a strong undercurrent of rum and something spicy. Just like him.
“What is this?” she asked, licking a bit off her bottom lip.
“Dark Desire,” he said with a smirk, sitting beside her. Their knees touched.
Across the room, Kelly was now practically in Mason’s lap, the two whispering and laughing, lost in their own little bubble of heat.
Rio leaned his head a little closer. “Come dance with me.”
She turned to him, raising a brow. “To jazz?”
He laughed softly. “Don’t knock it till you’ve felt my rhythm.”
Kylee’s laugh bubbled up unexpectedly. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Only a little,” he said, standing and offering his hand.
Despite the voices in her head screaming caution, she let her fingers curl into his. He led her to the floor, close enough to the musicians to feel the warmth of the upright bass and the sultry hum of the saxophone.
Rio pulled her gently into him, one hand at the small of her back, the other resting over her hand as they began to sway.
It wasn’t a flashy dance, no wild spins or showy moves. It was slow. Intimate. His thumb brushed lazy circles against the bare skin of her lower back. Her chest brushed his with every sway. She could smell his cologne, feel the way his muscles shifted beneath the fabric of his shirt. The way he looked at her like she wasn’t just a girl escaping her reality for a weekend, but the center of his whole damn world.
