Chapter 18Ari
Chapter Eighteen
ARI
“That was delicious.” I tossed my napkin on the table and took a sip of wine. “And it was your first time cooking veal and risotto?” It was perfect.
Anna grinned. “I’m good with directions.”
I hiked an eyebrow, locking eyes with her. “Really?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Romeo.”
With that sultry, flirty smile? “Not a chance.” I chuckled as we held eye contact. “Thank you for making me dinner.” She didn’t have to, and that meant something to me.
“You’re welcome.” She grinned as she brought her left thumb to her mouth, chewing on it.
Holding my ribs, I stood and held back the groan that fought to be unleashed. It’d been two weeks, and the bruising wasn’t as pronounced on my skin, but my ribs were still giving me trouble.
When I thought of Samantha and the hurt on her face, it was worth it. I’d received a text earlier in the week that she’d flown home and she and her mom were back together. To ease my mind, I had a few friends in the area keeping an eye on them until I was sure they’d be left alone. Samantha and her mom had taken me up on my offer and were scheduled to meet with a counselor in a week. I hoped it helped and that they both recovered.
My breath caught as I picked up the plate, and I set it down hard. One wrong move and a sharp pain would radiate through my chest and rib cage, ripping my breath away. I knew I had at least a few cracked ribs that would take several more weeks to fully heal .
Anna was next to me before I could take another breath. “You overdid it today.”
“I moved wrong. It’s okay. You cooked. I’ll clean up.”
“No,” she said and took my chin in her fingers. “Go sit down. I’ve got it. When you’re healed, I will be reminding you often of the sacrifices I made during this time.” She grinned.
The tender way she’d taken care of me had been amazing.
I’d barely been able to put one foot in front of the other. Ares had picked me up and brought me home, and I’d faked it long enough to get in the elevator. If I had to take one step farther than the door to my condo, I’m not sure I wouldn’t have been found passed out. I wasn’t literally shot, but as far as energy went, I was done for a few days.
At the time, I was pretty sure I needed stitches in a few places, but I didn’t care. I wanted a shower and my bed.
Seeing Anna’s face when I opened the door had done more to lift my spirits than I expected until I saw that her finger was still bare. I was too exhausted to mask my disappointment. I didn’t know what I was expecting. I’d basically waltzed into her life and then taken her freedom away. It hadn’t been fair. I didn’t see any other way to keep her safe. Not with her father in town, and I couldn’t concentrate on that until Gianna’s murderer was dealt with.
When we’d arrived at Lucas’s apartment, Franklin had his daughter by the throat. The second Dimitris had an opening, he’d fired off a round, hitting Franklin in the shoulder. My siblings and I had left with him while Lucas stayed with Claire. She’d been understandably shaken up, and needed the comfort of her husband.
Lucas had shown up hours later, and Franklin had suffered at our hands before the life finally left his eyes. We’d dumped his body in a trash bin because that’s what he was—garbage.
Information about Franklin’s less-than-admirable dealings had come to light, and the resulting news coverage had put a spotlight on Claire. To save her from all that attention and to celebrate her twenty-first birthday, Lucas had taken her to Brazil. The last update I had was that Claire was okay. She’d lived with a monster, and she seemed to be relieved that she was free.
Anna had come to my rescue after I’d taken it upon myself to rid the city of the scum who’d hurt Samantha and other little girls like her. My memory was fuzzy, but I had flashes. They played like scenes. Her helping me to the couch, then up the stairs, and one where we were in the shower together. Her hands on my head, soaping up my hair and body and gently cleaning my face. After that, the days had melted together. She’d made me stay in bed until I had no choice but to return to work that morning.
I still couldn’t tell her what I’d done. How would she look at me once she found out that I’d killed the mayor, the chief, and several others? I could justify it, but could she?
“Come on, you’re sitting down. I’ll get to the dishes in a little bit. There’s something I need to talk to you about anyway.”
I froze. I didn’t want her to move out. Coming home to her had been life-altering for me. My house was finally a home. Her scent was everywhere now. She hadn’t moved into the master yet, but she would let me hold her at night in my bed. I’d been sleeping through the night, deeply and restful. I woke up to her and went to sleep with her in my arms. I hadn’t experienced that sort of peace in years .
“Please don’t leave.” I wasn’t even trying to make this a funny volley of words.
Anna looked at me. We were both still, her eyes searching mine for so long that all I could hear was our breathing. If she said she was going back to her apartment, I wouldn’t stop her, but the next two weeks would be the longest of my life. Waiting to hold her again as I fell asleep.
After a long pause, her lips lifted. “I’m not. I’m worried you’ll be stupid and reinjure yourself.”
“I can be stupid.”
She snorted. “That’s a given.”
I chuckled and quickly wrapped my arm around my middle. “You don’t have to be so quick to agree.”
“I know.” Her face lit up as she laughed.
That sassy mouth. It was getting harder and harder not to kiss her. Me and my dumb pledge to wait for her to beg. No, I quickly reversed course on that line of thought. I wanted this marriage to have the best start possible. It needed to begin on a doubtless foundation.
“What do you need to talk to me about?” I asked.
The humor left her eyes as she studied my face. She chewed her bottom lip. “I…” She muttered something under her breath. “I’m not…” Her cheeks turned a vibrant pink.
I wrapped one arm around her and pulled her closer. “Not what?”
She dropped her forehead against my chest and then looked up at me. “As I was trying on dresses today, I realized that after the wedding comes the wedding night.”
A smile stretched on my lips, and I caught myself before I said what I was thinking. Yes, it sure does.
Rolling her eyes, she muttered under her breath, “I don’t have much experience.” She made a face. “I mean, I’ve had some, but as far as bases go, I’m maybe between one and two. I thought you should know that.”
If she thought that was going to bother me, she was way off. “I think that’s about the sexiest thing a woman has ever said to me. If you want to have sex?—”
“I swear, Ari, if you tell me I have to be?—”
I pressed three fingers to her lips. “As I was saying, if you want to have sex, we’ll take it slow, but only if you want to. Not that I wouldn’t want to because you are a magnificent woman, but it needs to happen when you’re ready. If you aren’t, I’ll hold you and I’ll be happy to do only that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why? Did you expect me to be upset?” That thought hit me a little hard. I’d had five guys play kick the tire with my midsection and the idea that she thought I might make her do anything of the sort, hurt ten times worse. I knew I hadn’t hidden it well when she palmed my cheek.
“I didn’t mean it like that. You would never force me to do anything physical. I’m absolutely confident of that, but it’s your wedding and it’ll be your wedding night too. You must have some expectations.”
“The only expectation I have is some cake, great dancing, and tossing that garter.” I grinned.
Her fingers slid across my cheek and into my hair, slowly combing through it. Her eyebrows knitted together. “I’ve never met a man like you before. You have the strength to bend me to your will and take anything you want, and you haven’t.”
I couldn’t even entertain behaving like that with her. And break her spirit? That was her best quality.
When she finally spoke again, it was barely a whisper. “You said I’d need to beg twice for you to kiss me. That I’d need to demand it.” It was as if she was reminding herself rather than me.
“And you said you’d never do it.”
She gave a slight nod while her free hand came to my face and her fingers began tracing my lips. A hiss rushed in my ears as the air was ripped from the room. “I shouldn’t. Your ribs are still healing, and it’s selfish to even think about this.”
Her tongue darted out, leaving a glossy trail along her bottom lip. “I want your mouth on mine. Your lips teasing me to the point I want to scream. I want you to kiss me so long and so hard that I can taste you days later.”
I sucked in a breath and held it as I stared at her. Desire laced the words. It was the first time she’d looked at me with pure desire, and it was beautiful.
“Kiss me, Ari. Please, please, please kiss me. Kiss me. Brand your name on my lips to the point I can’t imagine being kissed by another man.”
Blood drained into the lower half of my body and rational thought was gone. I took her face in my hands and crushed my lips to hers.
Her arms wrapped around my neck while one of her hands was buried in my hair. It was like we were both fighting to hold on to each other. Her mouth opened and our tongues met in an unbridled dance of desire and need. While I was branding her, she was marking me for eternity. This woman owned me.
She was breathing hard when I pulled my lips from her and softly nipped at her skin all the way to her ear. I pulled her lobe into my mouth and smiled against her skin as she moaned.
“My timing is horrible. I want to hold you so badly, but I don’t want to hurt you.” It sounded more like a breathy plea.
“I’m not that delicate.” My breathing was as ragged as hers.
Her hands slid down my chest and around my back, pulling me closer. Swift, soft, and gentle. “Are you okay?” she asked through a moan, tilting her head so I had better access to her neck.
“Yes.” To prove it, I wrapped my arms around her as I brought my lips back to hers. Long and hard. Branded. I was going to do exactly that.
I don’t know how long we stood there kissing. By the time I was forced to pull away, I could barely catch my breath. I ached to the point where I was holding on to her for support.
“Can I ask what changed?” My face was buried in her neck, and I spoke the words against her skin. I smiled as the tiny action made her tremble.
“Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. You were standing there, and you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on. I couldn’t stand it any longer. I think I would have gotten on my knees if I had to. I simply…wanted you.”
I was unable to mask my delight as I leaned back while the admission sparked another blaze in my gut. I plunged both hands into her hair, pulled her head back, and softly bit down on the delicate flesh. “You’re mine, Anna. Don’t ever take that ring off again. If you do, I’ll drag you to a tattoo shop and have my name written where that ring should be. Do you understand?”
“Yesssss,” came her throaty reply.
I freed one hand, slid it down her back, and pressed her flush against me. “Look at me.”
Her eyes drifted open.
“Say it. Say you’re mine. I want to hear it.”
“I’m yours.”
This time, there was nothing hurried or hungry about the way I claimed her mouth. I wanted a slow burn. When I pulled away the next time, I wanted to see in her eyes that she belonged to me. I’d own her the way she owned me.
What that meant in terms of our relationship from this point forward and our marriage was unknown, but our fates were sealed. Pledging my heart and soul to her two weeks from now would be a formality. In my mind, it was already a done deal.