Biting back a resigned sigh, I wait for my father to acknowledge me as he adjusts his tie in the mirror. Then he turns to face me.
“I’ll be keeping a close eye on you tonight,” he warns. “If you put a single toe out of line, I can promise you’ll regret it.”
“I’ll be on my best behavior,” I promise with a smirk.
“You’re already failing. Go make yourself presentable. The rehearsal dinner will start shortly.” He waves me off, cutting the conversation short as he turns his attention back to the mirror.
That might be the easiest lecture I’ve ever endured from my father, and as I step into the hall, Miko’s eyebrows lift in silent surprise. Shrugging, I head toward my room to change, and my brother follows without a word.
“Don’t ask me,” I mutter, responding to his unspoken question. “Apparently, as long as my toes are in the right place, Father has nothing more to say to me.”
“I recommend you keep your shoes on, then,” Miko states flatly, his delivery somehow managing to enhance his dry humor.
Snorting, I shake my head. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I take a quick shower and change into one of my tailored suits, adding a gold tie to the ensemble before heading to the lounge, where our guests have just started to gather for a pre-dinner drink.
Tomorrow, the reception will be hosted in our great room, but tonight, the company is small enough that we’re using the formal dining room.
As soon as I step into the lounge, my eyes are drawn to a slight, raven-haired figure dressed in rich crimson velvet.
To my surprise, Sora actually wore the dress I gave her.
My mouth goes dry as I catch sight of its open back beneath her long, dark hair that cascades nearly to her waist.
It looks as if she was attempting to hide her exposed skin with the thick curtain of locks, but all it does is draw my eye to the firm line of her spine and the hint of back dimples that peek out above the dress’s low cowl.
In this dress, her hips are fuller than I would have given her credit for, and they taper into a thin waist that the clinging red fabric showcases perfectly.
“Is that drool, Brother?” Raf teases as he and Sandro stop beside me.
“No,” I snap, ripping my gaze from Sora’s perfect figure to scowl at them.
“You might want to close your mouth, then,” Gio suggests lightly as he joins us, passing me a drink.
Rolling my eyes, I accept the etched lowball glass and lift it to my lips. It takes all my self-restraint not to check the corners of my mouth for any wayward saliva.
I know my brothers are just giving me a hard time, but to be honest, it’s hard not to appreciate my wife-to-be in that dress.
Her head turns as I approach, and the glint of her ruby earrings catches my eye, calling attention to her delicate features and the soft curve of her neck before she spots me.
Excusing herself from her current conversation with a polite smile, she faces me more fully, stepping away from the gathered guests so we can take a turn around the room.
As soon as she does, the fire in her eyes ignites, warning me that regardless of what happened after I left her, I’m guilty in her eyes.
Maybe she’ll call the wedding off, after all.
Even as my hopes lift prematurely, an unexpected hint of disappointment tinges my taste of victory.
“Nice to see you could remove your tongue from a woman’s mouth long enough to join us,” she says with sickly sweetness.
“Careful, Princess, you almost sound jealous,” I tease.
“I just hope you used a condom so I won’t catch whatever diseases you’ve been exposed to,” she says with enough venom to pack a punch.
I might have a lot of sex, but I’m very careful about using protection and choosing clean sexual partners.
No pleasure is worth an accidental child or STD. But I’m not about to tell Sora that.
