<em>"He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. "</em>
The negative connotation exists indeed because of the verb "to accost".
To accost means to <em>"approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively."</em>
To greet, though, do not have this connotation since it means: <em>"give a polite word or sign of welcome or recognition to (someone) on meeting."</em>
