“Excuse me?” Rafe frowned, one word in her speech jumping out at him and it wasn’t a pleasant word by any means. “Belligerent? Why would you say that?”
“All right, maybe belligerent wasn’t the right word but you would have been…if I’d given you the chance.” The look Anya gave him was full of challenge.
Confused, Rafe sat forward in the chair, his frown deepening. “I don’t get it. When was I ever-”
“Oh, don’t give me that.” Anya threw him a disdainful look. “Don’t act like you don’t remember.”
When all he did was stare back at her in confusion, she continued. “That time you showed up at the seniors’ center. Because I didn’t want to stay and talk you actually lifted your hand to me. How could you?”
Now Rafe was past confused. “What the devil are you talking about? I would never lift my hand to a woman.” He drew back, suddenly feeling sick to the stomach. “Do you really think I would ever hurt you? Is that what you think of me?”
At his words a look of uncertainty flitted across her face. “But…but you did try. When you showed up and I asked if you didn’t take no for an answer you got so angry. I could see it on your face. And then you came toward me and you looked like you were going to raise your hand.”
“Anya, Anya, please. Never say that again. Don’t even think it.” It was all Rafe could do not to reach out and take her hand. He wanted desperately to reassure her, to make her understand how wrongly she’d judged him, but he knew that trying to touch her would be a big mistake. His words would have to do. “I have never in my life put my hand on a woman in anger. That’s not who I am. I was angry, yes, but not with you. I was angry with my friends for tricking me into going to the center to see you. And I was angry with myself for falling for it like a fool. I should have known not to trust those idiots.” He sighed. “Even if I moved toward you it wasn’t to hurt you. And I was only lifting my hands like this.” He raised his hands, palm upward. “It was an innocent gesture. I just wanted to explain.”
Anya was staring at him, the look of disbelief still lingering, her eyes narrowing as if she was trying to figure him out. And then, to his relief, her face began to clear. “Oh,” she said, just like that, her tone nonchalant. “I guess I jumped to conclusions. Sorry.”
“So…you believe me?” Now it was Rafe’s turn to stare as he sat there, trying to figure her out.
Anya gave a little grimace then she nodded. “I believe you. I guess I was too wound up when I thought you were defying what I’d told Khalil, about not having you track me down. I thought he’d told you but you decided to come anyway.” Then she sighed. “And I may have also used another man’s fat to fry you."
“Come again?”
She shook her head. “It’s a situation with my neighbor. I had to rescue her a few times from her abusive husband. I guess I was using his behavior to judge you. That wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”
Slowly, he nodded. “I’m just glad that’s cleared up. I want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt you.”
She gave him a tiny smile. “That’s a whole lot easier to believe after what I heard about you.”
“You heard something about me?” Rafe tensed again. He could only hope that what she’d heard was the truth and not some blown-out-of-proportion story like what Lion had fed her about the many women he had all over Europe.
She chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’s all good. Claire told me how good you are with Albert, how you’re drawing him out of his shell.”
“Oh, that.” He suppressed a sigh of relief. “It’s nothing.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head, “it’s something. Something really important. You’re making a difference in that little boy’s life. And do you want to know something?” She gave him an enigmatic look.
“What?”
“The only reason I asked you out was because of what Claire told me. That was what made me realize I might have misjudged you. That’s why I wanted to talk to you about that incident, to really understand what happened.” She gave him a cautious smile. “I just knew that couldn’t be the real you.”
He smiled back. “I’m glad Frau Rosner isn’t the type to keep things to herself. I owe her one.”
Anya’s smile deepened. “You owe her a lot. It’s because of her that I decided you may take me out on a date tomorrow night.”
Rafe cocked an eyebrow, his smile widening. “You decided?” Then he laughed. “Is that your way of asking me out on a date?”
“Maybe. You could say I’m the kind of woman who likes to take charge.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “Even if it means roughing up a man sometimes.”
Rafe shook his head. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that. Is it really safe to be around a woman like you?”
“Let’s put it this way,” she said, her look direct and bold. “You’ll probably be safer with me than with any woman you’ve ever met. I don’t have a black belt in karate for nothing.”
Raising his brows in mock fright Rafe drew back in his chair. “Ooh, I’m really scared now.”
Anya laughed. “Oh, shut up.” She pulled her notepad out of her bag, ripped off a piece of paper and handed it to him. “Now write this down. This is where you will meet me tomorrow at seven. And make sure you’re not late, or else.” She gave him what she must have thought was a stern look but to him it looked so cute.
And just like that he had another date with Anya lined up, not due to his pretense at ignoring her but because of something that, ironically, had been out of his control. Anya had come around because of his show of concern for a child, something he’d done without any intention of impressing her or anyone. He’d simply done it because he cared.
In the end, though, he was glad how things had worked out. And if things continued to work in his favor by tomorrow night he would get the kiss he’d been craving far too long.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
When Saturday evening came Anya dressed carefully, wanting to look so different she would take Rafe’s breath away. As she sat in front of the mirror she smiled at the thought. Maybe it was a bit presumptuous of her to think that way but she wanted to at least surprise him. So far all he’d seen her wearing were work clothes and sweat pants. Tonight she would wear an emerald-green cocktail dress, one she was told made her hazel eyes sparkle. It was a man who’d told her that, so who knew if he’d been telling the truth or had just been trying to get on her good side. Still, true or false, she was going to take his word for it and hope Rafe would see whatever it was that man had seen.