Page 31 of Dex

Rio likes her.

“Why are you talking about her?”Rio asks, his face turning suspicious.

“Look, the old man tricked us, she’s here to make a deal,” I say, running a hand through my hair as I try to figure out how to drop this news.I exhale sharply.

“You look like you want to tell me something.What?”

This guy knows me too well.Better than Zach, for sure.

“She’s here to marry someone, to make an alliance,” I say, quoting the old man.“It’s supposed to be mutually beneficial for both families.The whole point of last night was for her to pick one of us.”

“Well, it figures,” Rio says nonchalantly.“There’s five of us.One of her.Of course, it’s up to her.”

I let out a humorless laugh.“Well, she uh … she picked me.”

Rio’s expression shifts and surprise flickers across his face.His features tighten, then he schools his face into a grin.He’s not reacting like I expected.Maybe he really doesn’t give a shit.He takes another swig of his beer.“She picked you, huh?”

“Apparently, but that’s what I don’t understand.I was horrible to her.You heard how I was with her.”

Rio shrugs.“Some women like that.The offensive approach.She doesn’t like me, because I was ga-ga around her.In awe.Doesn’t usually happen to me, and I’m ashamed to say I must have come across as an adoring idiot.I’m sure she’s had to suffer a few of those.”

“But you like her.Why don’t you go for it?”

Rio’s brow furrows.“Because she didn’t pick me, dude.She pickedyou.”

“She doesn’t know me.”

“She doesn’t knowme,” Rio counters.

“You can fix it.You’rethatguy.After a couple of dates, she’ll fall for your charm.She’s desperate—”

“Thanks.”

“I don’t mean it like that, brother.Something’s not right.If the family business is doing well, and with her looking the way she does, why doesn’t she already have a line of powerful men at her beck and call?”

“Maybe she’s more selective.You know how so many guys with money are creeps.Nothing strange about that,” Rio counters.Maybe he has a point.Maybe I’m trying to come up with excuses to push this away.I can walk away, but the old man is persistent.He’ll work through the others, through Zach, then Rio and his brothers.

“You like her.Just meet her,” I plead.

Rio shakes his head, his eyes narrowing like he’s made up his mind.“I don’t think so.There’s no challenge.I like the thrill of the chase with a woman, and with the heiress, there’s no prospect of that.”

“You’re thinking about it wrong.”I get up and start pacing.“There’s no challenge because you’re not marriedyet.”

Rio watches me closely.“There’s no challenge yet?You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself of something.”

I exhale loudly.“You don’t even have to sleep together.You’re only going to be faking it for the public, for investors, but behind the scenes, brother, sparks could fly.”

“They could, withyou,” Rio throws back.I’m not doing a good job of convincing him.

I rub my forehead.“She’s not my type.I just don’t get it.I was horrible to her.”

“Maybe she’s into S&M,” Rio says gleefully, rubbing his hands together.

I roll my eyes.“Yeah.Maybe.I only spoke to her and asked questions to get intel for you.”

“You don’t need to do that on my behalf,” Rio interjects.

“Brother, I don’t care for her and I was suspicious.”Now I’m starting to wonder if she assumed I asked all those questions because I was interested.I also didn’t gush all over her like Enzo and Zach did.

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