Page 18 of Promised Vows

“He did not.” No wonder he was so stinking smooth. I leaned back as I eyed him. “Romeo, huh?” The name sure fit.

Aunt Helen giggled like a maniac and said, “My work here is done.” The woman danced away. Danced! I loved it.

The flare of pink on his cheeks was worth every minute I’d spend at the rehearsal dinner. For the first time, the man was tongue-tied, and I was here for it.

His gaze lowered, the blush darkening. He was one sexy beast. “I was smitten with a girl in my class who tried out for the play. I thought it was the only way she’d let me kiss her, so I auditioned and got the part of Romeo. The plan fell apart when she didn’t get the part of Juliet.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “Oh, really?”

His voice grew soft. “No, the girl who got the part was better. Sweeter. Kinder. I was fourteen and thought I’d found the love of my life. She found out about my family when I was seventeen, and I wasn’t the guy for her. As she left, fragments of my heart trailed behind her.”

I couldn’t tell if he was being honest or using it on my heartstrings to play me. Another reason to avoid marriage. I didn’t trust him, and there was no way he could trust me. Not nearly enough for a walk down the aisle and until death do us part.

When his eyes found mine, there was no faking that haunted lost love swirling in those aqua-colored pools. “There. Now you have a small piece of my soul. I guess do with that what you will.”

Something fierce and protective bloomed in my chest. It was completely feral and the most foreign emotion I’d ever experienced. Before I could stop myself, I palmed the side of his face and touched my lips to his cheek. “I’ll put it behind lock and key, and gut anyone who tries to hurt you again.” Whoa, momma. Where did that come from?

“Everyone always talks about wanting a kitten. I’ve always fancied myself a lover of honey badgers.” He winked and shot me a killer half smile.

How did I provide cover for myself, so I didn’t give this hunk the wrong impression? I swiped my thumb across his cheek. “Ari, I only meant… I don’t mind being your friend. I’m protective of my friends.”

His hand slid over the top of mine as he pressed his cheek further into my hand. “Isn’t that where all great love stories start? Friendship?”

Those smoldering blue eyes locked onto mine. Goose bumps blazed a trail down my spine, and I had to force myself not to wiggle. I was totally going to beg him to kiss me. Maybe even in public on my knees. Not a care in the world if he demanded twice the amount. I’d happily give it to him to taste those soft lips.

“We should probably go find our seats.”

My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth, so I nodded, and let him take my hand and lead me to the table.

The spell was broken by the time we reached it, and I was grateful that the whole exchange had taken place in front of his family. Had we been somewhere private, I’m not sure I would have ever snapped out of it.

He was speaking to my dehydrated soul, and I was open-mouthed, guzzling the quenching words. It was a nice fairy tale. Sweet, even. This was the real world with real problems, and flirting didn’t make a marriage.

Not that I was an expert. I just… I didn’t want to be my mom. What if she’d ditched us because she realized we weren’t enough? Her marriage was arranged too. Yes, there were successes, but what if ours wasn’t? I didn’t want to do that to my children. I wanted… I wanted assurance and confidence in myself before I made a commitment like that.

Ari needed the alliance. Awesome. Great. Jason needed it too. Fine. Whatever. They’d need to find another damsel to offer up to the Kraken ‘cause it wasn’t gonna be me.

Chapter Eight

ARI

If Lucas didn’t stop pulling at his tie, it was going to tear.

“Stop fidgeting, man,” I said loud enough so he could hear me over the music.

“Just wait. This’ll be you in a few weeks,” he shot back with a side glare.

Up to this point, it’d been a little bit of a game between me and Anna. I flicked my gaze around the church. Holy hell. I would be getting married in a few weeks.

I forced myself not to pull at my collar while Lucas grinned at me. There was one slight difference in our circumstances. “Yes, but you chose this against my advice. I’ll be getting married to strengthen our family.”

That shut him up. That and the music shifting to a classical tune.

Aunt Helen stepped to the entrance of the nave with a huge smile on her face. I think she was happy Lucas was getting married in a church. She held that grin as she started walking down the aisle followed by my cousins, all wearing various shades of blue.

The world went stone-still as my vision narrowed with Anna’s entrance. She was a goddess in a baby blue dress that popped against her tan skin. Her hair was pulled up with pieces framing her gorgeous face. Her eyes drifted to mine before a demure grin graced those kissable lips. Saying I do didn’t seem so bad if I was saying it to her.

The night before had been something out of a dream. She’d answered the door in that exquisite red dress, and she’d left me speechless. There was no mercy to be found. It had hugged her curves and accentuated all the right places. I’d nearly lost my cool, taken her in my arms, and kissed her.

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