Page 17 of Promised Vows

We were walking a tightrope that I didn’t like.

Chapter Seven

ANNA

“You’ll beg me twice before I put my lips to yours,” I mimicked Ari’s voice. Beg. I wasn’t sure what ticked me off more, that he said it or that I was already wondering how long I’d last.

Dang it if I wasn’t feeling heat in regions yet to be explored by a man when he did that sniffy thing the night before. What even was that? Hibiscus, correct? Vanilla bodywash? His lips were so close, his breath caressing my skin, giving me goose bumps. The mere memory made me shiver.

I checked out my reflection in the mirror. Hair and makeup were on point if I did say so myself, and the dress I’d picked for Claire’s rehearsal dinner was a sexy little red number that was short and flirty with a deep-V neckline. I’d bailed a designer out at a show a year ago, and as a thank you, he’d made this dress especially for me. My assets were front and center and not to be missed. It fit like a glove on my curves too.

“Now who’s gonna beg, you neanderthal?”

It was going to leave his tongue hanging out while I pranced away. Turning, I checked out my butt, grinning with satisfaction. Oh, yeah, buddy, he’d be begging.

A knock came from my door, and I gave one last gotcha grin to myself before crossing my apartment. He’d wanted to pick me up at my door because that was how gentlemen behaved—okay, that part was sexy. I’d happily obliged. I wanted to see the whites of his eyes when he got an eyeful of me. I smoothed down my dress one last time and flung the door open.

My breath caught. Sweet baby Moses. I didn’t think the man could be any sexier. He was something out of one of my dreams. A black fedora cocked to the side, a suit with subtle pinstriping, and dear heavens, the earthy cedar notes of his cologne had me ready to pull him into my apartment and handcuff him to the bed. Not that I knew how I’d do that since I slept on a frameless twin bed, but man, he made me want to go furniture shopping.

I guess he was looking at me at the same time I was ogling him because he let out a slow breath as his eyes locked with mine. “You are a bewitching woman, Anna Georgiou. You steal my breath away.” He took my hand, pressed a kiss to the top of it, and placed it flat against the spot over his heart. “It beats for you tonight.”

My brain was melting, and my underwear was catching fire. Holy crap. “Oh.”

His lips lifted in one corner. “What a vision you are. When I walk in with you on my arm, they’ll know a queen has arrived.”

“I guess that would make you a king,” I said slightly above a whisper.

Ari slowly shook his head, keeping his eyes pinned to mine. “No, a knight and at your service.” He held out his arm.

Alarm bells were going off. Tornado sirens. All the bells and whistles and all I could do was giggle like an idiot because there’d never been a man who spoke to me like that. Who held my gaze with desire flickering in his eyes the way Ari’s did.

I took a breath and reoriented myself. “Are you always this smooth-tongued with the ladies?”

“There’s never been a woman worthy of such words from me.”

And there went my orientation. I was a near puddle on the floor. “Oh.” Damn, that was a great answer. “I’m a little tongue-tied.” I tucked my arm through his. “Thank you for saying the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.”

I still… I still didn’t want to get married to a man I’d known all of two days. Even if we waited a month for the nuptials, that would only be a month. What if he drank milk from the carton? Or he left his dirty underwear all over the place? What if he was showing me his best game face and underneath lurked a monster? Okay, that last one, I didn’t believe, but men had fooled women before. A few lines and I was putty in his hands.

His words floated to the forefront of my mind. You’ll beg me twice before I put my lips to yours. Huh. He thought I was that easy. A few fancy words and I’d acquiesce? Fat chance, you well-dressed, smug tall drink of water. I wasn’t going down like that. By the end of the night, I’d have him right where I wanted him: frustrated and ready to call this whole thing off.

Shocker. The rehearsal dinner was at Lykos, which was owned by the Kalantzises. The tension between Claire and Lucas was palatable. Maybe it was nerves, a fight, or a combination of both. It was noticeable the moment I walked in, filling the entire restaurant. Not that I could fault them. If I couldn’t talk Ari out of marriage, there was a good chance this would be me in a few weeks.

Before I could make a break from Ari to check on Claire, Aunt Helen saw us, waved, and then made her way over to me and Ari. I’d have to do that later. Perhaps the tension wouldn’t be so thick by then.

“Anna, you look gorgeous!”

Ari took my hand and spun me. “Most beautiful woman in the room, minus you, of course.” He winked.

“Don’t you throw that last-minute compliment at me, Ari.”

He took his aunt’s face in his hands, kissing both cheeks. “You are gorgeous. A rose amid thorns.”

She laughed, her cheeks turning red.

It was…adorable. He was adorable and so incredibly sweet to her.

Helen lightly popped him on the arm as she stepped back. “You and your sweet-talking tongue.” She cut a glance at me. “Did he tell you he was Romeo in the eighth-grade production of Romeo and Juliet?”

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