Mr Imperfect

by Savannah Wilde

  Begging her not to sleep with Anton.

  The way her heart had hammered when he told her that a man who truly wanted her would hold out for her? From anyone else she would have called it romantic nonsense, but she knew Mike. For him those words were God’s truth. And the heat those words built in her chest left an ache in its wake. Setting her phone down, Rori pressed a palm to her chest and gave herself a second.

  “Finished?” Anton asked from her doorway, speaking his native French. She responded in kind.

  “Yes. Just a quick call to let my mother know I survived another day without being mugged.”

  Anton laughed, and Rori watched him as he crossed the room to her. He was tall, lanky, and handsome in an Adrien Brody kind of way. On a less refined man, Anton’s looks might be considered unattractive, but Anton was a man with too much self respect to be perceived as anything less than desirable.

  “I do understand fretting mothers,” he said, the words dripping off his lips like silk. French wasn’t always a beautiful language, Rori knew. Depending on the age and the province of the speaker, it could actually be quite guttural. But when people described it at the language of love, it was because they had heard people like Anton speak. His voice was the embodiment of seduction.

  As far as men went, Anton had a lot going for him. And he wanted to get married.

  “Did you speak to her of my proposal?” he asked, reaching for her hand. Rori freely offered it.

  “No. I thought it too soon. And frankly, you surprised me.”

  “It was a bit premature of me, I know,” he apologized. “But emergency business calls me home on the next flight and I thought it best to float the idea before I left. We are of a similar mind, you and I.” He stepped so they stood face to face, his finger coming up to trace her cheek. “You will live in comfort,” he promised. “And you will raise clever children. I can see it in your eyes.”

  Rori had no doubt he could see that and more. A man with as much business sense as Anton reportedly had would need to be able to qualify people at a glance.

  “We are good in public,” he added. “And your name is very well respected. You are a woman who holds both beauty and honor in her hands, Aurora. That is rarer than you think these days.”

  Here it was. The proposal she had been waiting for—from a count, even. And yet, she couldn’t say yes.

  “But still,” she hedged. “We have known each other only briefly.”

  “I knew you were perfect within the first hour, my dear Aurora,” he said, his hand moving to her hair, wrapping her curls around his long index finger. “And that your sensibilities so perfectly match mine? That you speak French perfectly and other languages that would serve me professionally? You are a woman who makes a very positive impression. You would bring respect to my family’s name.”

  She nearly smiled when Anton said that, her mind automatically hearing Mike’s pronunciation of his family’s name. Loser. And thinking of Mike while listening to Anton propose was turning into quite the problem.

  “Now you’re just flattering me,” she teased and he smiled.

  “Is it working?”

  She studied him, her gaze locking on to his brown, shrewd eyes to see what might lie behind them. They had their fair share of goodness. He was a man of his word and he would care for their children. Rori didn’t need to ask about fidelity, though. She saw that in his eyes as well, and the way his hands studied and mapped her on a subconscious level. Anton was a lover of women. He would not be faithful, nor would he rub her face in his infidelity. Even still, in a world full of diseases, Rori would have to lay some ground rules there.

  “I would be a fool to answer you tonight,” she said as his lips dipped closer to hers. “You know this.”

  Again, he smiled. “It would be prudent for you to have me investigated, yes?”

  “Of course,” she said easily. “I thought you were too young to be interested in marriage, so it did not occur to me before.”

  That got an honest laugh out of him, and Rori saw the look in his eyes change from curious to hungry. “Oh, now it is you who flatters. Forty-three is a respectable age for a man to marry. Especially when the woman is such as you.”

  He finished the last word by pressing his mouth to hers, the contact light and exploratory. Rori let her eyelids fall as she processed the expert tease of his lips as he took the lead in their first actual kiss.

  It was hard to gauge her response because, while the kiss was seductive and smooth, her mind had been imagining a different kind of passion for the past five weeks. Each time she had envisioned what it might be like between her and Mike, Rori imagined Mike having a bit of urgency in his movements. In her mind, once they finally touched they would both be a little desperate, so Rori’s body wasn’t quite sure how to process the calculated finesse it was getting. It wanted passion and it was getting lazy exploration. It just felt... wrong.

  Using some finesse of her own, Rori urged Anton away.

  “Well, that gives me something to think about,” she said, sending him a teasing look.

  “As it should,” he said with a smug, all-male smile. “I take pleasing women as seriously as I do my business dealings. You will be very happy in my arms, Aurora. Let me show you now.”

  Rori stepped away when his mouth dipped to her again. “I’d rather not confuse the situation. I fear allowing that might unfairly sway my decision.”

  Such words might offend another man, but she knew Anton’s type. He wouldn’t see that claim as indulgent flattery. He’d see it as absolute fact. When he laughed again, he sounded very satisfied with her conclusion.

  “This is one of the reasons I like you,” he said, tapping his finger to her temple. “You are very shrewd.” He stepped away as casually as if they hadn’t kissed at all and planted a kiss on each hand. “Besides, my plane leaves in four hours. That does not give us much time.”

  Not much time? She raised an eyebrow at that, but played along. “No. Not nearly.” That seemed to please him as he moved from the bedroom back to the suite.

  “I return in October, but I understand your business is complete here in New York in September? Where do you go then?”

  If she said she didn’t know, Rori knew what he would say. He would invite her to France to stay in one of his homes. That shouldn’t have panicked her, but it did and she quickly said, “I will take a short trip with my mother. But following that, perhaps we can see where our calendars align.”

  “Indeed,” he agreed, then stepped in one last time. “Well, my beautiful Aurora. For now I bid you farewell. And I hope that when we next meet you will allow me to take you to a jewelry store to choose you a ring that befits you.” He didn’t wait for an answer before once again bringing their lips together in a sensual goodbye kiss.

  “Until we meet again, my sweet,” he said, and let himself out.

  Rori watched him go. And even after the door shut behind him, she stared at the spot.

  The man who was a perfect match for her on paper had just proposed to her. And she hadn’t said yes. Just three months ago she would have signed on the dotted line with Anton in a heartbeat, just like she had agreed to do with Luke before things went south.

  This was all Mike’s fault. Somehow, without ever actually touching her, he had imprinted himself on her psyche. Nobody else kissed right. No one else smelled right. When she took the arm of a man like Anton, she found his arm unsubstantial and lacking compared to Mike’s muscular frame.

  Yes, Rori had been out with her share of men since arriving in New York, but all she saw while she was with them were all the ways they weren’t Mike.

  What the hell was she supposed to do about that?

  Chapter 42

  He actually called the next day. Rori had not seen that one coming. She’d given Mike every reason to believe that she’d slept with Anton the night before, and the next day he was acting like everything was normal. No tension in his voice, nothing.

  “Hey,” Mike said
when she picked up her phone. “So I just got this email from some guy named Fredrik that my room fell through for my New York visit next month.”

  Rori bit her lip, glad he couldn’t see her face while she lied. She’d made a decision earlier that day. One that involved her seducing Mike when he came to film her exhibit. She wanted him, and was certain he felt the same way. If she was going to have a future with Anton, she needed to get Mike Cannon out of her system. Fredrik had been more than willing to help her give them ample opportunity to fall onto a mattress together.

  “Yeah. I’m sorry about that. I got the same message, but the good news is that the flat I’m subletting is a two bedroom. If we can’t find anything else in the area then you can just use my spare room.”

  “Oh, okay,” he said, relief obvious in his voice. “That might be perfect, actually. It definitely makes communication easier.”

  Communication… among other things. “Plus we’ll both be so busy. It’s not like you’ll be spending much time at the flat.”

  “True,” he said, then breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, well that’s a load off. We’re good for next month then?”

  “If that works for you, then yeah.”

  “Yep. That works. Glad I don’t have to stress about that anymore. It might have killed my buzz tonight.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” Rori said, as if just remembering his plans for that night. “It’s your celebration night, right? Your loans are officially paid off?”

  “I sent the check in last week and it posted. I’m officially debt free!”

  Rori grinned, proud of him. “That’s amazing, Mike. Congrats!”

  “Thanks. We’re hosting the party here in about an hour. Should be pretty memorable.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “Bummer you couldn’t show,” he said, sounding like he meant it. “That would be awesome.”

  “And maybe a little awkward with Luke and Kris there.”

  He laughed. “Nah. They’re happily engaged now. The wedding is going down on New Year’s Eve in Hawaii. It’s all set. Another working vacation for me. I might just get spoiled with gigs like this.”

  “You deserve it,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound too doting.

  “Thanks. Well, um, I should probably go. Lots to do. I haven’t even taken a shower yet.”

  Yes, that was definitely a good visual to leave her with. “Go. Have fun.”

  “You, too.”

  Then he was gone. Off to take a shower and party. With women. Rori knew what that meant. She could have repeated his own advice back to him from the night before and told him to let the girls suffer. But she hadn’t. She hadn’t said a word, nor did she know what she should say. Yes, she wanted him, but she wasn’t quite ready for the indignity of calling him back, announcing that she hadn’t slept with Anton and asking Mike to keep his night sex-free for her, because… why?

  What could she possibly tell him? What reason could she give for him to be faithful to their very platonic relationship?

  Pulling up Fredrik’s number, she called the person in her life that knew the most about dealing with men. He would know what to do.

  “Hey, sweetie,” he said picking up. “Did your boy take the bait about there not being a place for him to stay?”

  “Yes. He’ll be staying at my place while he’s here. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, but why don’t you sound happier about it?”

  “Because,” Rori said, pacing. “He’s been on this dating moratorium since I’ve known him. No dating, no sex until he paid off his student loans.”

  “No!” Fredrik gasped. “That’s cruel.”

  “Maybe, but as of today that’s over. He has officially paid off the loans. As of tonight the moratorium is over and he’s throwing a huge party. With women.”

  “As he should!” Fredrik said, then seemed to catch on. “Wait, are we jealous?”

  “Hell, yes, we’re jealous!” Rori said. “I could have gotten laid last night by Anton, but I didn’t.”

  “I see. So by that logic he shouldn’t be getting laid either.”

  “Exactly!”

  “I see. And you made it clear to him that you skipped out on Anton last night because you’re keeping a clean slate for him for next month?”

  “Well… I might have given him the impression that Anton and I got together.”

  Fredrik let out a slow breath. “Ah, it’s all coming together now. So your boy hasn’t had sex in ages and you’ve given him no reason not to have a ménage á trois tonight?”

  “Fredrik,” she snapped. “I called you to make me feel better, not so you could recount my missteps to me.”

  “Sorry, honey. What do you need? Freddy’s here.”

  “What do I do? There’s going to be women and alcohol. You’ve seen how hot he is.”

  “Mmm-hmmm.”

  “What are the chances of him not hooking up?”

  Silence.

  “Fredrik?”

  “I’m here, honey. I’m just looking for the silver lining in all this.”

  That was not what Rori wanted to hear.

  “Babe, why don’t you just tell him you want him?”

  Why didn’t she? Rori didn’t really have an answer for that.

  Fredrik sighed. “Honey, the way I see it you have two options.”

  “Which are?”

  “One, tell him you want him and ask him to hold out another month.”

  No way. That would basically be the same as telling Mike she had feelings for him and that was a can of worms she definitely wasn’t ready to deal with. “And option two?”

  “Let him know that you’re watching him and see what he does. If the party is everything you say it is people there should be uploading pictures all night. Comment on some of them, or text him about one or two. If he comments back or responds to your texts he’s thinking about you.”

  “But that doesn’t mean he won’t hook up with someone there,” Rori said, pressing her hand to her stomach. Suddenly she wasn’t feeling so well.

  “Is that really that big of a deal, though?” Fredrik asked. “So he has some fun tonight, and you have some fun with him next month. It’ll be good for him to clean out the pipes on someone else. You don’t want him to hit the sack with you while he’s all rusty and out of practice, do you?”

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way,” she said without elaborating. Did she want him “cleaning out the pipes” on someone else? Hell, no. She wanted him—all of him. And she didn’t want to share.

  “See? So there is a silver lining here. The crazier he gets tonight the better shape he’ll be in for your time with him next month.”

  Rori wanted to gag at the thought, but kept her mouth shut.

  “I have a party tonight. Want to come with me and get drunk off your rocker?”

  “Totally,” Rori said without hesitation. “When do I need to be ready?”

  “About ninety minutes.”

  “I’m in,” Rori said, and headed to her closet to find something off the shoulder that would look good and a little bit slutty when posted to Facebook. No way was she just going to sit around all night and wait to see pictures of the women Mike had his choice of that night. Rori had options, too, and she was more than happy to let Mike see it.

  Chapter 43

  “Bro, did you see this?” Kris said, holding up his phone. “She dressed up for you.”

  Mike didn’t have to ask who his sister was talking about. Even from a distance he could tell that the picture on his screen was Rori. Kris wanted him to believe that Rori had dressed up for him that night when she went to a party in New York?

  Please. Tiffany had dressed up for him, too, and she was right in front of him. She’d been flirting with him for months—ever since Mike worked her friend’s wedding.

  Tiffany was nice. She was funny. She was interested and less than an arm’s distance away. Rori wasn’t. Mike needed to start looking at realistic dating options. Rori was official
ly into Count Loser. She’d banged him last night and treated Mike like a little brother earlier today by offering to let him stay at her place. Like a friend. As if there wasn’t anything for her fiancé to worry about with the two of them sleeping in the same space.

  “Nice try, sis,” he said, pulling Tiffany in closer to their pose. “Just take the picture, will you?”

  Kris shrugged and turned the camera for a picture, snapping off a few. Then she hit a few buttons and handed the camera back. “There you go.”

  Mike didn’t mean to look. It was obvious his sister had pulled up the picture of Rori again and he meant to clear it from the screen. But his curiosity won out and he ended up looking at the picture of Rori she’d put back on the screen.

  Wow. Just wow. She looked amazing. Her hair was straight, which was a new look for her. Mike didn’t necessarily like it better, but it did give her a more sophisticated look. Plus the hair allowed him to see her shoulders in the strapless dress. Man, she had amazing shoulders. Completely kissable shoulders. Just like her neck, her jaw, and that absolutely spellbinding mouth of hers.

  “Who’s that?” Tiffany said over his shoulder.

  “A friend,” Mike said, clearing the screen.

  “Huh,” she said, not sounding totally pleased. “Where is she?”

  “New York,” Mike said. “What are you drinking? Looks like you need a refill.”

  Tiffany beamed then. “Whatever you’ve got in that punch bowl.”

  “Ah, excellent choice. Let’s get you topped off.”

  Gripping her hand, Mike led her over to the main table where a small group was gathered. Mostly guys.

  “Hey Brad,” he said, offering a fist bump. “Nate, Connor, Bryce. Have you all met Tiffany?”

  They all smiled at her as Mike let go of Tiffany’s hand to get her a drink.

  “Hi, guys,” Tiffany said while stepping closer to Mike.

  “Hi,” Brad said. “Tiffany, right?”

  She sent him a smile. “Yeah.”

  Mike was turning to hand Tiffany drink when Kris stepped in. “Bro, can I steal you for a sec?”