Page 18 of A Soldier's Temptation
He watched his words permeate her tipsy brain and turned an even darker shade of pink. This dinner was not about seduction, it was supposed to be about ensuring her safety. Even if he was relieved that his feelings were finally out in the open. Now wasn’t the time or place to explain he was serious and that one night would never be enough for him. He had no doubt that once he had her, he’d never be able to let her go.
“I think you might have had too much wine.”
“Nope, I’m fine. The first day I saw you at the gym I knew you were special. You were so serious, so determined to get it right and do it all by yourself. I was worried you’d get hurt.”
“I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I just wanted to get stronger. To be able to protect myself…”
There, the opening he’d been waiting for. “Protect yourself? Wouldn’t a self-defense class be better?”
“Not really. Maybe.”
“What’s going on, Ariana?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered.”
“I’m not buying that. You said you had to protect yourself. From who?”
“I knew you would go all Neanderthal on me.”
“What?”
“You know, troglodytic? Like a caveman and I don’t mean the ones in the GEICO commercial.”
John chuckled and shook his head. “You think I’m a caveman?”
“Yup. Look how overbearing you’ve been about the door.”
“It’s for your safety.”
“And why were you worried about it? It’s why I keep things to myself. If you found out about the trouble I’m in you’d probably lose your mind.”
“You can’t say stuff like that and then not tell me. What kind of trouble?” He hated lying and manipulating her, but it was the only way. It’s how he’d planned for this to work, so why did it feel so shitty?
“I shouldn’t have had that last glass of wine. Damn. Two glasses don’t usually get to me especially when I’m eating.” He didn’t have the heart to tell her she’d had three or maybe close to four. He’d kept her glass-topped off and barely touched his. It made him an asshole, but she was so stubborn. If he could have come up with another way to get her to let down her guard he’d have done it.
“Tell me about this trouble.”
“Are you finished?” The server interrupted.
“Yes, thank you. It was absolutely delicious,” Ari said with a smile.
“Would you like me to pack up the rest to bring home?”
“Sure, that would be great. Thank you.”
“Can I bring anything else? Dessert? Our tiramisu is outstanding, but we also have gelato and cheesecake.”
“I couldn’t eat anything else.”
“Do you want to get something to go? We can have it with coffee when we get home.” He wasn’t ready to let her slip through his hands. He was a man on a mission, and he always finished what he started. At first, he thought she would say no, but she smirked as she met his eyes.
“Okay, fine. Do you want to share a tiramisu?”
“Sounds perfect. Could you pack one for us with her leftovers?”
“Of course. I’ll be back with that and your check.”
“Ariana, just because we were interrupted doesn’t mean I’ll forget.”
