Page 122 of Rio
“Completely.”
“Do you believe me now?That’s all I wanted.That’s why I did it,” he says, his voice hoarse.
I press my fingers to his lips.“I believe you.I do.I wanted to before, but I needed proof.”
He grins.“I know.That’s my lawyer lover.My girl.Always needing the facts.”A quiet, broken laugh escapes him.“Any lingering doubts?”
“No.”
Our lips press together, gently at first.Hesitantly.Then we fall into a kiss, soft and tender, filled with yearning and regret for all the days, hours and minutes we’ve missed.Our kiss deepens, and I breathe in his scent, taste his mouth, feel like I’ve come home.
Tears tangle with our fevered breath.His hands skate over my waist, while I cling to his neck.And slowly, between the kissing, we explore.His hands skate over the contours of my hips and bottom and I splay my hands across his chest, looking up at him.“I loved all of it,” I whisper.“Everything you did, standing up in front of everyone.Standing up to your father.”
“I’ve missed you,” he says.“God, Raquel, have I missed you.You not being around, was like losing a limb.”
A multitude of emotions flood through me, and I smile through them.
“I needed time away, to think things through.”
He cups my cheek.“I wanted you to take all the time you needed.I was working on things here.”
“I’ve had the best time with Dani and Cari.They’ve been so good.”
His mouth widens to a smile.“They’re amazing, aren’t they?”
“The best.”
“I’m putting things right.I promise.”His expression sobers.
I squeeze his hand.“I heard.There’s a lot happening behind the scenes.”
“I figured Dani would keep you up to date with everything.”He takes my hand, leading me out onto the rooftop garden, to the area by the pool.We sit facing one another on the recliners.My legs in between his, holding hands.
“The resort’s still going ahead,” he says.“But not the way it was planned.I’ve halted the launch.We’re bringing in a third-party environmental team.Full oversight.Maybe you can recommend someone from your NGO network?”
My heart is full.“We can work something out.”I need to reach out to Alma, and I will, in time.
“I wanted the old man to apologize to you, but he won’t, not in words.I seriously doubt he ever will, but I told him.”
I kiss the back of his hand.“I don’t expect him to.It doesn’t matter.You did what matters.I’ve always known he wasn’t a ...a...good man.”I struggled to find the words.
“He’s a monster,” Rio says easily.
My hand slides up and curls behind his neck.“You’re nothing like him, Rio … my love, my everything.Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
He touches my lips.“Meeting you was fate.It was destined to happen.”
I lean into his touch.
“I did it for you, but for the people in Belize, for Tomas, and Vilma, and the villagers.But I also did it for my mom.”
His voice cracks.
“Standing up for you—doing this in the open—was standing up for her too.For the woman who didn’t get a voice.For everyone he tried to crush.This was me finally saying, no more.”
Leaning forward more, I rest my forehead against his, blinking back fresh tears.“You did the right thing.Theonlything.You exposed him.”
He has a faraway look in his eyes.“He’ll recover, sure.But something shifted today.Everyone saw it.They saw who he really is.We knew, the brothers, but the board members got to see him for who he is.”
