Chapter 5Ari
Chapter Five
ARI
Ares held the door and I got out, offering a hand to assist Anna. There was a slight hesitation before her hand slid into mine. A rush of electricity blazed a trail, leaving my nerves tender in its wake. I’d never experienced this raw attraction to someone. By the way her pupils dilated, I knew the attraction was mutual.
She stepped out and smiled. “Thank you for the ride.”
Her height was sexy and perfect in my opinion. Short enough I could tuck her against my body, but not so short I couldn’t easily bend down and taste those luscious pale pink lips. I could picture walking with her by my side, her head resting against my arm as we enjoyed a night on the town.
There were men in my line of work who would force a woman to bend to their will, but that wasn’t my flavor of affection. I wanted her, but I wanted her willing. Her finding me attractive didn’t mean she would ever love me. That was the only hiccup in this whole thing, but I’d signed that emotion away when I volunteered to marry her.
I shut the limo door and draped her arm through mine. She looked at me. “What are you doing?”
“Walking you to your apartment like a gentleman.”
She tried to pull free, and it only made me tighten my hold.
Her eyebrows knitted together, and her lips turned down at the corners. “That’s okay. I’ve got it from here.”
Aside from the fact that my momma taught me better, there were other reasons. “I’m unfamiliar with the people who work in your building and their allegiances. You’re on Lorenzo Moretti’s radar—Marco Moretti’s second. He’s seen me with you. I want to make sure you get to your apartment safely.”
Anna rolled her eyes. She waved her free hand up and down my body. “That scrawny thug knows he wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”
“I agree.” My nickname was Wick, as in the assassin. My reputation preceded me, and I didn’t find myself in many fights anymore. “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have access to an army or that he won’t use it.”
Her posture softened. “Is that why you changed your tone at the end when you were talking to him?”
“Yes, at least two other guys were looking in on the situation. I didn’t want things to get out of hand when I was outnumbered.”
“Two guys?”
Nodding, I replied, “Yes.” I didn’t want to scare her, but she needed to realize I wasn’t trying to push myself on her. There was a legitimate reason for wanting to escort her and make sure she got home safely.
“Oh.”
“Please allow me to walk you to your apartment. ”
She huffed.
“What?”
“Nothing. Come on,” she said and grumbled under her breath. I only caught two words: stupid and polite .
When we reached the elevator, I loosened my hold enough that she could pull free. “Thank you.”
“We have the rehearsal dinner tomorrow evening. How about a real date this coming week? Let me know when you’re off work, and I’ll plan something.”
“You going to text me another demand?”
She was right. I’d made it a command when I texted her about the dinner tomorrow evening. I thought we’d settled it earlier, but clearly, we hadn’t. Please seemed to be her magic word, so I tried that route. “Would you please have dinner with me this coming week?”
She gave a long sigh and then looked away. I counted at least ten heartbeats before she answered, “Yes, I’ll have dinner with you. I’ll text you my work schedule on Sunday.”
“Thank you,” I said as the elevator door opened.
Three doors down, she whirled around and smiled. “Thank you again for bringing me home and walking me to my door.”
“May I check your apartment, please? As a precaution.”
The slight narrowing of her eyes told me her porcupine quills were directed straight at me. Our gazes held until she rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She unlocked the door and pushed it open for me.
I quickly checked the apartment and returned to the hallway. “Okay. It’s clear.”
“I could have told you that.” A smirk played on her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest. “No one’s ever walked me to my door or made sure I was safe.”
That little admission caught my attention. “A man has never walked you to your door?”
“No.”
I grunted.
“What?”
Shrugging, I said, “Nothing.”
There came that petulant pout. Man, I liked that. “That wasn’t a nothing grunt. That was a something grunt. So what was it for?”
“The men you’ve been seeing are beneath you.”
“Oh. ”
That was becoming my favorite thing. Leaving her near speechless. “Not only are you beautiful, but you’re witty and interesting. Feisty and fiery. A lethal combination for someone of more refined tastes.”
The flush in her cheeks told me I’d hit my mark. “Oh, well, thank you.” Her hand came to rest on my chest. “That was sweet.”
She touched her lips to my cheek.
Yeah, there was no way I could let that go. In one swoop, I had her flush against my body and my fingers on her chin, making her look at me. I could get used to the fire in those eyes.
“What? Now you’re going to force me to kiss you?”
Force her? There’d been a war going on with her all night long. Her mouth was pushing me away, but her body was speaking a completely different language. I was going to make her pay for that. “That is something I’ve never had to do.” I bent forward, took a deep breath, and ran my nose from her cheek to her ear, taking another long breath as I reached her hairline. I dropped my voice low. “Hibiscus shampoo, correct?”
Her gasp was sharp. “Yes.”
I hovered my lips above her skin and skated them down her neck. “Vanilla body wash?”
Her grip tightened in the fabric of my coat, using it as leverage to crush our bodies even closer. “Uh-huh.”
Nuzzling her ear, I flicked the lobe with my nose and smiled at the hitch of her breath. This time I whispered, “It’s a delicious bouquet on you, Anna.”
“You think so?” The words were breathy.
This was the most fun I’d had in a while. I gave a low growl as an answer.
A throaty moan was her response. She pressed her face against mine, her leg twining around my own.
The time had arrived to poke the tiger. “You’ll beg me twice before I ever put my lips to yours.”
I grinned as she pushed me away. “I’ve never had to beg for a kiss and I never will.”
“Yeah, you will.” Walking backward, I winked and said, “You’ll beg me like you practically begged me to get your number.”
Her lips curled as she growled a few obscenities my way and threw daggers with her eyes.
Laughing, I stepped onto the elevator. “See you tomorrow, Anna.”