Page 37 of Reckless King

Not yet. I think I’m wearing a hole in my carpet.

Relax, Vi. You looked stunning in that dress. He won’t know what hit him.

Thanks. But also… Why did I agree to do this again?

For all the free food and wine?

Ah yes, I remember now.

Seriously, you’re going to dazzle him tonight! Just remember, it’s for a good cause! Plus, maybe he’s not as bad as you think. You might even have fun!

I’m in the middle of typing a reply about her overuse of exclamation marks when a knock on the door startles me.

Tate came all the way up here to get me?

Ignoring the nerves that tumble through me, I delete my message and tap out another quick one, letting Anna know he’s here. Then I rush to the door, unlock the bolt and swing it open. My heart does a little unwanted spasm in my chest at the sight of him in a tuxedo. The black jacket stretches across his shoulders, making him look even taller and broader than usual, and his crisp white shirt molds to his?—

The item in his right hand distracts me entirely from my perusal.

Because the man is twirling the stem of a single, delicate violet between his fingers.

When I drag my focus back up to his face, his golden eyes are fixed on me. Emotion rises in my throat, but I choke it back. God, what would it be like to have a man show up at my door like this for real? A man who isn’t a playboy who’s only in this situation because of his well-earned reputation fornottaking women on dates.

Still, when one corner of his lips curves up and he holds the violet out to me, I can’t help but smile as I take it. “Did you steal this out of someone’s garden?”

He chuckles and rocks back on his heels. “How did you guess? I even had to trample over their petunias to get it.”

I shake my head at the vision of Tate in his tuxedo clambering over a fence to pick a flower for me. “Why do I find that very hard to believe?” Stepping back, I hold the door open for him. “Do you want to come in for a moment? I just need to grab my purse.”

He follows me inside and pushes the door closed as I swipe my clutch off the counter. With it in one hand and the flower in the other, I turn to Tate. “I don’t think there’s a small enough vase in existence for this.”

He closes the distance between us and takes the flower from me, his fingers brushing mine as he does. Then he reaches up and tucks it into the braid over my right ear. His gaze sweeps my face, then drops down the length of me before meeting my eyes again. “Beautiful,” he says softly.

It’s not just one butterfly that takes flight this time, it’s a whole kaleidoscope. A tiny breath escapes me. One I hope he doesn’t notice. He’s good at this. I have to keep reminding myself of why that is. He’s had a lot of practice seducing women over the years. Hell, the first time I met him, he’d sweet-talkedtwowomen into bed with him. And I had to experience the whole damn event through the walls of Mark’s bedroom. I shudder at the memory of holding the pillow over my ears to mute the moans and squeals of ecstasy. Not to mention, as much as I’d like to forget, I’ve already succumbed to his charms once myself. I refuse to let that happen again.

Being another notch on his bedpost is the last thing I want. So I merely give him a tight smile and step back. “We should go.”

He holds his hand out, gesturing to the door. “After you.”

Though he doesn’t touch me as we leave my apartment, he might as well. I canfeelhis presence like a warm shiver against the exposed skin of my back as I lead him to the stairs. Neither of us speaks as we descend, the silence causing my nerves andapprehension to ratchet higher. How is this possibly going to work if I’m this on edge after only a few minutes in his company?

I force my shoulders down from around my ears and slow so we’re walking side by side. “Tell me what I need to know about your family before we get there.”

His lips quirk. “Delilah, Cole’s fiancée, will be there. She’s great. She’ll take you under her wing. Cole will do his best to include you, but don’t expect him to be overly chatty. Roman? Well, if you get more than a smile and a few words from him, then consider yourself fortunate.”

“Will your mother be there?”

His response to that question is a clipped “yes.” His expression, when I peek up at him, is unreadable.

“Your brothers obviously know this is fake, but what about Delilah and your mom?”

“They both know. Cole would tell Delilah regardless. And it was better to make Mom aware. Otherwise she’d be the most vocal in questioning my sudden change in relationship status.”

His tone cools at the end. Obviously, his mom isn’t his favorite topic.

At the bottom of the stairs, he opens the door and holds it for me.

“Such a gentleman,” I say, looking up at him as I pass.

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