“You came back to me,” he whispered, his voice liquid velvet. “I knew you would.”
She turned, his body pressing into hers, their mouths so close it hurt. He kissed her finally, deeply and she melted. There was no guilt in the dream, no husband, no kids, and no real life.
Just them, and heat, and the raw ache of everything they hadn’t done that weekend.
His hands roamed her bare back as he laid her down in silk sheets. He worshipped her slowly, whispering her name between kisses like a secret. Her body responded with abandon. She gasped his name as he slid inside her, slow and thick, filling the space she'd kept locked up for too long. It was perfect. Too perfect.
She came hard in the dream, Rio’s lips tangled in her moan, her fingers gripping his hair. But as always… reality crept back in like a cold breeze.
Kylee woke with a start, breathless, her thighs clenched and slick with arousal. The room was still dark, but her body was on fire.
She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling, heart pounding. She’d dreamed of Rio. And it felt better than anything Jake had given her in years.
The next day the sun was hot over the school field, but the bleachers were packed. Moms with messy buns, oversized sunglasses, and tumblers of iced coffee filled the stands with chatter. Kylee sat alone near the middle, her oversized hoodie pulled over a tank top and leggings, trying to focus on Jake Jr. and the game in front of her.
Jake had texted her just before kickoff “Sorry babe, running late in surgery. Tell our boy I’m proud of him.”
She sighed and locked the phone without replying.
“Hey Kylee!”
She turned to see Cassie, one of the football moms, grinning as she climbed a few steps up to sit beside her. Taylor followed right behind, nursing a Diet Coke in a stainless tumbler.
Cassie leaned in, smirking. “Where’s your hot husband today? He’s like the team's eye candy.”
Taylor snorted. “Seriously, if I were married to a doctor with arms like that, I’d be glued to him 24/7.”
Kylee forced a smile, clutching her coffee cup a little tighter. “He had a surgery he couldn’t cancel,” she said smoothly. “He hates missing the games.”
Cassie said, nudging her with her elbow. “You’re living the dream, girl.”
“Total dream,” Taylor echoed with a little wink.
Kylee nodded again, her throat suddenly dry. They thought she was lucky. They didn’t know anything.
As she looked back down at the field, Jake Jr. made a perfect throw but her mind wasn’t there. Not really. It was drifting again. Back to New Orleans. Back to Rio. Back to the fire she thought she left behind but still felt burning in her veins.
If they think I’m lucky with Jake, she thought bitterly, they’d absolutely lose their shit over Rio Riot.
By halftime, she couldn’t take it anymore. Her thumb hovering over the call button, and finally giving in to the temptation she’d tried so hard to suppress.
Kylee stood behind the bleachers, heart racing as she pressed call. It barely rang twice. “I knew you’d call.” Rio’s voice spilled through the line velvety, sure of itself, just like she remembered. “I’m so damn glad to hear your voice, Idaho.”
Kylee closed her eyes, trying to find her breath. “I shouldn’t be calling.”
“But you did,” he said, softer now. “And that means something.”
She swallowed. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Then let me,” he offered, his voice coaxing and smooth. “Come to my show in L.A. next weekend. I’ll fly you out, set you up with everything taken care of. Just say yes.”
Kylee’s mouth went dry. The breeze shifted around her, cool against the heat rising in her body. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“You can,” he said. “You just haven’t let yourself yet. Look, I know it’s not easy. I know you’ve got a whole life you’re trying to protect. But you called me for a reason.”
“I just needed to hear you,” she whispered. “To know this wasn’t all in my head.”
“It wasn’t. Come to L.A., Kylee.” He paused, then added more gently, “Just think about it.”
