Page 32 of Ruined Vows
“She’s had dates,” I state matter-of-factly. “She’s had men trying to impress her with all the generic things. The obvious things. But what they don’t know is that she’s real. She’s not into pomp and circumstance. She’s a trained martial arts expert. She’s a woman who can fire a gun and doesn’t lose her shit when bullets rain like hell fire around her. Hell, I’ve had men with more training crack under fire.”
He nods in agreement. “Okay, I’ll give you that. So a dive bar filled with the smell of stale beer and old peanut shells on the floor. Got it. Next?“
“I’m going to gift her a wardrobe from a top designer that she’s never heard of but will love. I know one in Dubai.”
“Wait—what?” He shakes his head. “You sure about that? She can buy anything she wants.”
I smirk. “She can’t buy this. This designer has never accepted a commissioned project for an individual before. This isn’t something she can buy.”
I see the glint in David’s eye as it clicks. “Ingenious,” he mutters.
“I thought so. I mean, she likes fashion. High-end. Runway. I’ve commissioned a full line of custom-made products. Gowns. Heels and fabrics she can’t walk away from. I want to watch her try to pretend she doesn’t like fashion. And, I want her to impress me with what she wears.”
David whistles low. “Alright, that’s terrifying. What else?”
“She likes to volunteer. Like— a lot. Children, animals. Hell, she’s probably ridden on a whaler to save the whales. I’ll surprise her at the animal shelter. She has an adoption day event coming up. I will make a noteworthy and anonymous donation in her name.” I say quietly. “She loves to help others.It’s like she’s on a mission to share her light with the world. I’ve already doubled the funding for the children’s center she loves.”
David’s brows rise. “You’re an evil genius. That’s… sentimental. ”
“That’swarfare,” I smirk.
I take a long drink of water, thinking of her soft lips on mine, and how her green eyes light up when she smiles. I doubt anyone has noticed how her voice dips when she’s trying not to show she’s flustered when caught off guard.
Touching her sent a jolt through me, like a meteor that hit without a warning. It knocked the air out of my lungs. I kissed her to make her want me.
And she did, but I ended up with lust and desire I didn’t expect. And I walked away with a painful lesson. And that is that I’m on a slippery slope.
I’ll blow the entire plan if I lose control.
He whistles again. “Next?”
“I’m not sure—perhaps a charity event where she won’t see me coming. I’ll watch her from across the room. Women appreciate men who can express emotion and take a stand, y’know? I want to make her feel seen without touching her. I’m going to let her chaseme.”
David laughs. “Playing hard to get now?”
“No. I’m playing her.”
He grins. “Sounds good. What else?”
“Nothing’s final yet,” I say, setting the bottle down. “I have to roll with the punches. But I’m thinking of an extravagant extended weekend in a foreign country. I’m not sure where just yet. It’ll be whatever breaks her.”
He snickers. “Breaks herintoyou? You mean?”
I look at him. My great eyes are hard as steel. “No. Breaksheropen.So there’s no going back. I want her wet for me, and flustered. I want her to think of me all the time. I’ll be closebut out of reach. Nothing frustrates a woman more than an interested man who still hasn’t capitulated.”
David lets that hang in the air. Then he claps a hand to my shoulder.
“You’re not even pretending this is about strategy anymore.”
I give him a slow, cold smile. And that’s when I have an epiphany.
“It never was.”
David tidies up the work station and heads toward the door.
“If you need anything, call me,” he says. “And try not to get your heart broken. You’re a lot of things, Vukan—but emotionally stable isn’t one of them.”
“Fuck off.”
