Page 43 of The Enforcer

“The famous part isn’t true.”

“Maybe you are now after that article Kat mentioned. Well, then enjoy your time here and make certain he understands what you shared was a lovely fantasy and nothing else.”

“Don’t remind me. Ugh.”

She was right. I knew that in my soul and my mind. Sadly, I wasn’t entirely certain I could convince my heart.

The man was carrying a weapon. To a club opening.

I was instantly remindedagainhe was a very dangerous man. Not all fairytales had happy endings either. Some of the women, whether they had glass slippers or not, ended up dead. How many Prince Charmings had turned out to be serial killers in the end?

Hadn’t a few of them lured their prey by using fantastical tactics? I shuddered involuntarily from the bantering we’d done about me being Christos’ prey.

He’d arrived at my hotel room like a prince, only one of his men following him. But I’d immediately sensed something was off, as if he’d experienced a difficult situation during the day. I’d yet to ask him about it, but when he scanned the perimeter of the hotel lobby and his man Luca had kept his hand on his jacket, I almost called it off, telling Christos I wasn’t feeling well.

Even now, I was nervous, although I had no reason to be.

“You weren’t kidding about a limousine.” I was also still reeling from the dress and everything else he’d purchased for the night. With a flute of expensive champagne in my hand, I felt like a celebrity, very much out of place.

Christos reached over, placing his hand on my knee and immediately my blood pressure soared. “Only the best.”

“Don’t kid a kidder. You need to look like the king you are when arriving.”

His laugh was as deep as I remembered. “Yes, it’s important to provide an opulent atmosphere from the top down, but someone of your great beauty deserves to be treated like a queen.”

I turned my head, purposely dragging my tongue across my lips. Emily had stayed with me while I’d dressed, even styling the wild mane of hair that I usually tossed in a messy bun. Just walking through the hotel I’d sensed all eyes on us, several people stopping where they were, doing nothing but watching us as we walked out.

He was in a tuxedo and I realized that all men deserved to wear one at least once in their lives. His body was built for the glorious attire. I must have stared at him too long because he started patting down his jacket. With the light from other businesses streaming in through the windows, I finally noticed his knuckles.

“Is something wrong about the jacket? A hair out of place?” he teased.

“What happened to your hand?”

His grin faded slightly as he fisted the one in question, looking down at it seconds later. “It’s nothing.”

“You were in a fight.”

He was debating telling me the truth. I could tell easily. “I was.”

“What happened?”

“Let’s just say I had a disagreement with someone who didn’t like me very much.”

“Did you kill him?”

He took his time leaning forward. “You and I have gotten close, more so than I have with any other women in a very long time. However, it’s best you realize there is a line of questioning that I won’t answer. You don’t need to be burdened with aspects of my business. This night is meant for you to enjoy yourself and for me to have a beautiful woman on my arm.”

I don’t know why his answer made me irritated, but it did. “So I’m just arm candy.”

“I think you know better.”

“Why are you carrying a weapon? Are you afraid it’s going to happen again?”

“I’m a very cautious man.”

“You’re a very dangerous man and you and I come from different worlds. I’m not going back to your villa tonight. I don’t think it’s in my best interest or yours to do so. I’m leaving for New York in two days. You’re eventually heading back to Greece. I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, more so than I should have allowed myself to do. We’re just two different people.”

“What if I’m not ready to let you go?”

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