Page 56 of The Pakhan's Kidnapped Bride
I hurry down to the car, smiling all the way, wanting to get home quickly so I can start researching a nice restaurant for tonight. I want it to be special. Even if it’s not a date-date. It’s dinner with a friend.A very gorgeous friend whom I have been in love with since the day I first saw him.
After an hour of reading reviews, I chose a steak restaurant on the beachfront. They got brilliant reviews for their New York-style steak and amazing butter sauce. Every man likes a good steak, and the views in the photos look gorgeously romantic.
At half past six, I hop in the shower, bundling my hair up out of the way.
After the shower, I take my time doing my make-up, already knowing what dress I’m wearing. A certain pink one that caused a stir the last time he saw me in it.
My stomach is filled with butterflies when I stand in front of the tall mirror in my bedroom, making sure my outfit is perfect from top to bottom.
It is. The pink dress is as gorgeous as the day I tried it on in the shop. With black high heels, it looks even sexier. My hair and nails are already fantastic, and basically, I hope to steal Emmanuil’s breath away a little when he sees me.
“I’m home,” he calls out from downstairs.
I hurry out of my room and lean over the balustrade. “I’ll be down in a minute, then we can go,” I call back to him.
He glances up at me and smiles, making my heart skip a beat.
When I come downstairs, he’s waiting at the bottom, and his expression is more than I could have hoped for. His mouth is open, his eyes wide, and his breathing fast as he watches me walk towards him.
“Wow,” he mutters. “I guess I’m the lucky man who gets to show you off in that dress after all,” he teases, complimenting me at the same time.
“Or I’m the lucky girl who gets to showyouoff whenItakeyoufor dinner,” I sass back at him.
His phone rings in his back pocket, and he holds up his hand. “One second, let me get rid of this and then we can go,” he smiles, his eyes stealing another roam over my body.
While he’s talking, he walks away, muttering under his breath. I can’t hear the conversation, but by his body language, I can tell he’s annoyed.
The call lasts only a few minutes, and when he turns towards me, my heart sinks.
“I’m sorry, kitten. I have to postpone our dinner,” he groans.
“What happened?” I ask, trying not to let my disappointment show too much. I was really looking forward to his.
“There’s been another smaller attack on one of our delivery trucks. It looks like the same MO, and they caught one of the men. I want to go down there and have a conversation with him.”
“Can the conversation not wait until tomorrow morning?” I ask, pushing my luck a little.
“He’s…not doing so well,” he says cautiously, watching my response.
“Oh, I understand.” I nod. The guy might not survive until morning.
Emmanuil strides towards me and pulls me into a hug. He kisses the top of my head and says, “I promise you, I will make it up to you tomorrow night. And make sure you wear the same dress,” he grins.
Chapter 17 - Emmanuil
Last night was a mess, and I was disappointingly not able to go for dinner with Anya. But this afternoon, I’ve made sure to arrange something extra special for her to make up for it.
Anya walks down the stairs into the entrance foyer, where I’m waiting for her, wearing a black suit, a white shirt, and black leather suspenders with stainless steel fittings over the shirt. She’s wearing the same pink dress, and just as it did last night, it takes my breath away. She looks stunning. I’m a bit worried that I won’t be able to keep my hands off her throughout the evening.
“Exquisite,” I grin, not hiding the way my eyes are devoted to studying every inch of her.
“You look really good,” she smiles, a provocative gleam in her eyes.
“Shall we?” I hold my hand out for her, and she slips her fingers between mine.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asks.
“No. But you’ll find out soon enough.”
