Page 20 of Dex

“Come on, brother.”

“I don’tthinkof her,” he repeats.“I never have.The arranged marriage deal was something I’ve never paid much attention to, even before things between me and Cari got serious.I would never marry someone for money, or to make a deal, and definitely not with someone I didn’t know.”

Cari rolls her eyes.“Jett, he’s just asking for your opinion.”

“Yeah,” I add.“We all know you didn’t want to marry her.You didn’t want the alliance.I get that.But don’t you think there’s somethingoffabout her?”

Jett shakes his head.“I don’t know.Arranged marriages happen all the time.In some cultures, they work quite well.”

I take a long swig of my beer.“Yeah.But someone who looks like she does, why doesn’t she already have a line of suitors?”

Cari gives me a pointed look.“She has a name.You should say it.It seems to me that you find Daniela attractive.You should admit it.”

“I do not find her attractive.I mean, she’s beautiful,” I say with some reluctance.“But she’s not my type.”

“She’s more than beautiful,” Cari counters, “She’s Movie-star level, Hollywood-level beautiful.”

Jett sighs and cups Cari’s face in his hands, pressing his forehead to hers.“You are beautiful,” he murmurs.“You are gorgeous, and perfect, and allmine.”

Cari blushes, eyes softening.

Jesus Christ.“Possessive much?”I mutter.

“Shut the fuck up, Dex,” Jett growls.

I roll my eyes.But my mind is still stuck on the heiress.Because I just don’t buy it.“Seriously.Just think about it.You expect me to believe that she couldn’t find anyone to marry her?That she—”

“Daniela,” Cari says.

“Yeah, her,” I continue, “she had to get on a plane and fly all the way here to make a sneaky deal with our father?”

“But it was our father who approached them,” Jett reminds me.“Remember?He was in Brazil in the summer.”I nod slowly, the memory clicking into place.“I don’t know if you were on the call or if it was Zach,” Jett continues, “but he was talking about the company.Said he needed to wine and dine them.I’m pretty sure it’s the same company.”

“So you’re saying the old man approached them again?”I ask.

“Yes.”

I narrow my eyes.“Then why would the heiress agree?If their company was thriving, she wouldn’t need to do this.”

Jett shrugs.“You know what the old man is like.When he wants something, he goes after it.And he doesn’t stop until he gets it.”

It’s true, but even so, something about this doesn’t make sense here.I find it odd that the heiress couldn’t find someone in Brazil with the wealth she’s looking at us for.

Cari sighs.“Dex, you’re looking for holes where there aren’t any.Your father is diligent.His legal team and finance guys would have gone through everything with a fine-tooth comb.If he’s going through with this deal, it means the company is legit and has serious potential.”

I grunt, taking another swig of beer.She’s right.

“One of you is going to form the alliance,” Cari adds.“Not Jett, because he’s taken, and he’smine.”Another shiny-love-soaked glance at him.“Areyouconsidering it?”

I nearly choke.“Fuck no, but I know someone who’d agree to it in a heartbeat.”I look behind me, through the large windows and see Rio talking to Daniela.Jett and Cari turn their heads.

“For someone who is such a cool, hard dude, this man looks pussy-whipped without even tasting any.”

“Dex!”Cari cries.

Jett looks annoyed.“Cool it with the vulgarity.”He glances at Rio and the heiress again.“He does look obsessed.”

“Yeah,” Cari agrees, eyes wide.

---