Nine
Rio pulled up to the resort in her van, shutting off the GPS directions as she pulled under the canopy for valet.
Before she knew it, her keys were out of her hand, her bag already brought inside, and she was left on the steps in front of the entrance.
She took a moment to take in her surroundings. The place was all white stone and glass, with sleek fountains bubbling on either side of the main doors. It was the kind of luxury that screamed Evanora paid for this, and Rio had no complaints.
A honk from behind pulled her from her thoughts as a car rolled up to the exact spot her van had just been. Rio spotted Alice in the driver’s seat, Jen in the passenger, and possibly a figure in the back.
Then the doors opened. Jen and Alice stepped out first, but Rio’s focus was on the back door, which finally swung open. A single heel touched the pavement, and then—
Agatha Harkness. In a dress.
Not just any dress. A deep blue, silky number that clung in all the right places and left Rio momentarily incapable of rational thought.
The slit up the side revealed just enough of Agatha’s toned leg that Rio’s mouth went dry. Her hair fell in effortless waves down her back, and when she slipped her sunglasses off—sharp blue eyes met hers, staring directly at her.
Rio could catch flies right now.
She didn’t even notice Alice stepping in front of her until a hand waved in front of her face.
“Can I help you?” Rio asked, blinking.
“Yeah, you’re in the way. Move.” Alice snapped, but she was smiling—no, grinning—more like the Joker.
Rio did not like that.
She stepped aside as Jen walked past, announcing she’d check in for the group. Alice followed, and then Agatha—done speaking with the valet—moved toward her, sunglasses now perched on her head.
She looked good.
“Ready for this?” Agatha asked.
Rio nodded, pressing her tongue against the inside of her cheek. Fuck it.
“You look really good, Agatha.”
Agatha’s eyes widened, her cheeks immediately turning the lightest shade of pink. Like she hadn’t known she looked like that.
“Oh—uh—thank you,” Agatha responded.
Rio couldn’t stop the smirk if she tried. Finally throwing Agatha off balance.
“Come on, let’s get our room keys.” Rio gestured for Agatha to walk ahead, up the stairs.
And yeah, Rio absolutely watched the way the dress moved with Agatha’s hips. The slit ran up her thigh, offering more skin with every step. She didn’t even care that she was staring.
Agatha looked really good.
Inside, more attendants held the doors open, and Rio was once again thankful Evanora was footing the bill. Rio would never, ever pay for something like this out of her own pocket. She caught up to Agatha as they reached the front desk, where Jen and Alice were already dealing with the receptionist.
“-there are four people in my party. I specifically booked four rooms.”
Rio didn’t need to hear the beginning of that conversation to know this was about to go so well.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” the receptionist said, looking appropriately regretful. “There was an error on our booking site, and many rooms were overbooked. I have three rooms available for your party. But, like I said, we’d be happy to cover your next spa day here.”
Rio could laugh.
The universe must think her life is a movie. Or a book. Something fictional. Because this does not happen to anyone but her.
She glanced at Jen, whose forehead vein was pulsing. Agatha looked like a fish out of water, trying to formulate a response. Alice was rubbing Jen’s upper arms in a clear attempt at soothing her.
Rio needed to intervene before this spiraled into something that personally affected her.
“Look, Jen, I’ll just go back to the hotel. You guys enjoy the trip, it’s not a big deal. I’ll see you tomorrow for your dinner.”
She refused to look at anyone else. Didn’t need to see their reactions.
But Jen shook her head. “No, no. We’ll share a room. I want you to be here with us.”
Alice nodded, still rubbing Jen’s arms.
Then Agatha spoke up. “No, Jen. It’s your wedding. Rio and I can share a room.”
Rio’s eyes could pop out of her head. Because what?
Didn't Agatha just say yesterday she was trying to avoid Rio?
“Well, I’m for sure not sharing my room,” Alice chimed in.
Jen rolled her eyes. Agatha laughed. The receptionist handed out keys, explaining how to get to their rooms, along with a printed agenda for the spa itinerary.
Then Alice and Jen walked off, leaving Rio alone with Agatha.
Her ears were ringing.
Agatha worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “I promised Jen I wouldn’t let anything get in the way of her wedding. Nothing could derail it.”
Rio let out a light laugh. “Jen and I sharing a room wouldn’t have derailed her wedding. I think you just wanted to be alone with me, Agatha.”
She didn’t wait for a response. She plucked the key from Agatha’s fingers and started walking toward their room.
She heard Agatha grunt behind her, but she followed. Rio could hear the distinct sound of heels against tile all the way to their door.
Sliding the key in, she waited for the click before pushing it open, gesturing for Agatha to enter first.
She flipped on the lights.
Has Rio mentioned she’s really happy Evanora is paying?
The room was nice. Way nicer than most places Rio ended up. Including her apartment back in New York.
Their bags were already waiting in the corner.
To her right—a massive bathroom. A shower that could fit a group of people.
She turned back toward the main room and had to stop herself from running into Agatha’s back.
Because Agatha had stopped abruptly.
“Boo,” Rio whispered, right in Agatha’s ear.
Agatha jumped a bit but then continued forward and oh -
Rio peered over her shoulder.
Ohhh.
One bed.
Rio laughed. Couldn’t stop it if she tried.
Agatha turned to glare at her.
She almost felt bad. Almost.
If Rio were writing a book, she couldn’t have made this better.
Of course there was only one bed. That she and Agatha had to share.
But then—flashbacks. Last night’s conversation.
I had a plan to not engage with you.
I can’t seem to escape you.
Escape.
And while Rio loved playing games with Jen, Agatha, and even Alice—this wasn’t a game anymore.
They had one bed.
To share.
Overnight.
And Agatha had just said yesterday she was trying to avoid her.
Rio wasn’t about to push past that boundary.
“It’s a king-sized bed. We’ll put pillows in the middle so you don’t accidentally spoon me in the middle of the night.”
Agatha’s wide eyes flicked to her.
Rio arched a brow. “We’re adults. We can handle one night.”
Agatha swallowed. Nodded. “Yeah. Pillows in the middle. Okay.”
Rio really tried not to be disappointed.
Really, really tried.
Because Agatha was Jen’s best friend. Her step-sister’s best friend.
Rio does not get her hopes up for women. She stopped that years ago.
It was easier to just find someone who was willing than be dragged along by someone who didn’t want her.
But dammit—Agatha looked good. And she had flirted with Rio first, before realizing who she was. She had been into it. Into Rio. At least, she had to have liked what was on the surface. Why else would she have flirted?
So maybe Rio was a little disappointed. But what was she expecting?
It’s not like she’d thought they’d end up sharing a room.
It’s not like Agatha would’ve pulled Rio inside by her shirt, pressed her against the door, kissed her the moment they were alone for the first time.
That would be preposterous.
Yet, she felt it anyway. That tiniest bit of disappointment.
She’s not going to look into why she felt that. Not right now.
Okay, distractions. She needed a distraction.
Rio looked around the room. Agatha was still circling the room, pointer finger resting on her bottom lip like she was trying to decipher her next move.
Oh, right. They were at a spa resort.
Surely Jen had something planned soon.
She glanced at the shared schedule. Massages in twenty minutes. Right next to those words: Please arrive in the robes provided.
Rio grinned. Because now that the bed situation was sorted, she could definitely play again.
Agatha had moved into the bathroom, messing with what Rio assumed was her makeup bag—lipstick now in her hand.
“I guess we should get undressed, huh?”
The lipstick tube clattered into the sink.
Rio had to bite back a laugh at the sound of it.
“What?” Agatha asked, wide-eyed again. That deer-in-the-headlights look.
Rio was really starting to like that look on Agatha. At least then, she was keeping Agatha on her toes instead of the other way around.
Rio waved the schedule toward her. “Massages? Twenty minutes?”
Agatha exhaled sharply. “Oh. Right.”
Then she was looking at Rio again, like she was waiting to see who would undress first.
Rio didn’t know why Agatha’s stare made her break. Every damn time.
She glanced back down at the paper, then at the robes hanging in the bathroom, right next to Agatha. She stepped into the doorway, grabbed one, and backed out.
“How about you change in here, and I’ll change out there?” Rio offered.
“Yes. That’s—good. We can do that.” Agatha’s voice was just the tiniest bit breathless.
Rio smiled softly. “We can do that.”
Then she shut the door and turned back toward the bed to change.
Instead of thinking about the very naked woman on the other side of the door, Rio focused on folding her clothes—actually putting them away.
If it had just been her in the room? She would’ve tossed them in the corner. But distractions were good.
She tied her robe and—oh. Right. Massages first, then facials.
She definitely didn’t want her hair down for that.
Rio crouched to dig through her backpack, checking each pocket. And of course—she’d left her hair ties in her car. Or maybe in her other hotel room. In Westview.
Well. At least she was sharing a room with a woman who definitely had a hair tie.
“Hey, Agatha?” Rio called—maybe a little too loud, but she didn’t want to startle her by knocking. While she was changing. Into a robe.
“Yes, Rio?” Agatha yelled back.
“Do you have a hair tie I can borrow?”
“Uh—” Agatha started, like she had to think about it. “Yeah, there should be some in the big pocket of my duffel bag. Help yourself.”
Rio shifted, kneeling over Agatha’s bag, unzipping it.
That’s when she heard the bathroom door swing open.
“Wait—actually, let me grab it for you!” Agatha blurted.
Too late.
Rio had already opened the bag. And sitting right on top—
Well. She really couldn’t have written it better herself.
Bright. Purple. Vibrator.
Right there, resting, on top of all of Agatha’s things.
Rio blinked. Recognized it immediately. Hell, she was a lesbian in New York. She was pretty sure she’d seen every kind of vibrator and dildo in every shape and color.
But Agatha’s?
Oh, she recognized this one.
And before she could stop herself—
“Huh. I have the same one in green.”
Slowly, she turned toward Agatha—who had bolted from the bathroom.
Besides the fact that Agatha looked very, very good in that robe—something Rio was not going to be thinking about later—her cheeks were bright red.
Rio’s grin stretched wide. She winked.
Then—casually—went back to looking for a hair tie.