Page 60 of Dex

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DANI

I’m completely unprepared for this.For Raquel to turn up like this, unexpectedly, for her to be flirting with Rio Knight, of all people, and for me and Dexter to have to show, on demand, that we’re happily and madly in love.

But it seems to have worked.I think we’ve convinced her of how we met.I don’t know why I came up with a tech conference, although I did recently attend a tech conference and maybe that bubbled to the surface.Still, there’s no denying how eerie it was that Dexter and I just made that story up, on the spot.

If we’re not careful, we’ll end up finishing each other’s sentences, too.I find myself acutely aware of the way his hand, large and soft, fits around mine.How his hard body presses against me, his arm wrapped around my back has me breaking out in a rash of goosebumps.

From excitement, not cold.

I love the way his fingers splay on my hip, his thumb hypnotically stroking back and forth.How my skin slowly prickles with an expectant thrum.

“Why don’t we all sit down and you both join us?Dexter and I were just making wedding plans,” I say, forcing a bright smile.

My heart had almost jumped out of my ribcage when I registered that Raquel was sitting on the bar stool.She’s so unmistakably Raquel.Those glossy, long curls, that thin, nipped-in waist, the way she moves with the kind of confidence that only someone who has never second-guessed themselves a day in their life can.And, of course, she’s dressed in a designer business suit, perfectly tailored, and wearing sky-high stilettos.

And wearing her signature bright red lipstick.

But for her to be sitting with Rio of all people.

Why was she talking tohim?

When did he get here?

Whyis he here?

Does Dexter not trust me?

Or does he not trust himself?

It’s too much to process all at once.

I was worried about how we’d do this, but so far, we seem to be keeping our cover.Raquel is suspicious and she was relentless in her questioning, but it seems like we’ve passed the test.

I’m still uneasy because she’s going to pick at every word, every action, every glance between Dexter and me until she finds a crack.She knows this isn’t me.

I feel Dexter shift beside me, his palm resting lightly on the small of my back.His touch is meant to be reassuring, but instead, it sends a jolt of tension through me.Not because I don’t like it.

BecauseI do.

That’s the problem.

Raquel’s sharp gaze flits down to Dexter’s hand, her lips pressing into a thin line before she looks back up at me.“Wedding plans?”she repeats slowly, like she’s rolling the words around in her mouth, tasting them, testing them.

I lean into Dexter’s touch and lift my chin.“We were just discussing venues.”

“Really?”She quirks a perfectly arched brow.“Because when I spoke to you earlier, you made it sound like this was barely a relationship, let alone something serious enough to be planning a wedding.”

I let out a light laugh, the kind that should come naturally to a woman deeply in love.“I wanted to surprise you, like I said.You know how it is, Raquel.Things move fast when it’s right.”

Dexter makes a low, approving sound and leans in, his lips brushing against my temple.“I love this woman with all my heart” he murmurs, his voice rich and smooth, laced with just the right amount of devotion.

I blink.

Dios.Okay.That was…convincing.Heart hammering in my chest, I turn to him, forcing warmth into my gaze as I play along.“You make my life complete ...”

Dexter’s mouth tilts into a smile that would fool anyone.Anyone except maybe Raquel.She glances between us, suspicion still etched into every line of her face.

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