Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 66993 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66993 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Towering.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
The air itself tightened.
Gravity bent to him.
Now that he was closer, I could see that I had been incorrect earlier. I thought that he had been watching me like I was the reason the moon had risen tonight.
But actually. . .he was looking at me more like I was his next breath and he hadn’t decided whether to inhale or devour every inch of me.
I didn’t know what to say.
What did one say to a dragon that wanted to eat you?
A second later, his gaze slid away from my eyes.
First, to the two gifts on the table.
Then down the line of my body—from the supple curve of my breasts down to the hem of my dress and even to the arch of my heel.
When he slipped his gaze up to my legs, he let it linger just long enough to make my skin warm.
Then he lifted his gaze to my face.
“Nyomi,” his voice came out deep yet laced with that velvet-soft Japanese accent. “Last night, you haunted my mind. I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to.”
My pulse throbbed in places I didn’t want to name.
“I kept trying to remember you exactly. Your mouth. Your laugh. The way those jeans hugged your ass,” he licked his lips so smoothly and hot that I got a little wet. “Now, I realize memory did me no kindness. It softened you. Made you appear safe in my head.”
I blinked.
His voice dipped lower. “You’re not safe. You’re devastating.”
Heat bloomed across my chest.
“Addictive.” His eyes dropped to my mouth. “Designed to undo men like me.”
My breath caught.
I wanted to say something clever. Something flirtatious, smart, or cool. But my tongue forgot the choreography.
My mind stalled.
He stepped closer.
Close enough that I could smell that scent that made my lungs ache in his office—smoked sandalwood and candied ginger.
I shivered.
Goddamn it.
He raised a hand.
And even though every instinct screamed to brace myself or rush away, I didn’t move.
Couldn’t.
His fingers brushed a cherry blossom petal from my hair.
Just that.
A whisper of contact.
It burned right through my entire body.
My skin sang.
My knees softened.
And there was all of this other stuff drumming inside of me that whispered words. . .
Touch.
Power.
Worship.
Fire.
Girl!! Calm the fuck down.
I gritted my teeth.
“Tora.” His voice vibrated through my body.
I shivered and somehow, I was able to speak. “Good evening. . .Kenji.”
A wicked grin spread across his sexy face. “I read your letter several times today. Your message that you gave the runner. It was very interesting.”
Suddenly, he walked to my side and then he got behind me as if he wanted to know what my ass looked like in that dress.
Stunned, I continued to face forward. “I’m glad you read my response.”
“I apologize for the unwanted groping last night.”
“Thank you.”
“I like to touch my woman.”
I blinked again.
“We’ll need to figure out a compromise like you said.”
I turned to face him. “Wait a minute. I think we have a misunderstanding.”
He smirked. “Do we?”
“In the letter, I didn’t say I wanted a compromise on the touching. No, I wanted to compromise on researching your district and—”
“Doesn’t matter. We should compromise on the touching too,” pure hot sex filled those damn eyes.
I swallowed. “I disagree.”
“Why?”
My jaw went slack for a beat. “Because. . .we just met. There’s no touching that should even happen.”
“That’s not your reason.”
“How would you know my reason?”
“Because I can tell from looking in your eyes that you want me to touch you. Badly.”
“That’s not. . .why. . .” I smoothed the fabric of my dress, needing something to do with my hands.
“Are you afraid of what you might feel if I touched you?”
I blushed. “I know what I would feel.”
“What?”
“Pleasure.”
A dark chuckle left him, “Pleasure? That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“It wouldn’t just be pleasure, Tora.”
“No?”
“When I touch you the way I want to, I will be trying to enter your bloodstream like ink in water. Rewrite your cravings. Wreck your soul like you’re already ruining mine.”
I clenched my thighs.
“Right now. . .” He studied me. “You’re breathing like you're afraid I might kiss you.”
I parted my lips.
“You should be afraid of that. I desperately want to.”
It was in that moment that I knew I should not have said yes to the date because Kenji was the very essence of fuck around and find out. . .just the hot, sexy Yakuza edition.
I was finding that my panties were wet, and my nipples were stiffening. . .and the damned door to get away was absolutely closed. . .in fact. . .there was no door.
I stepped forward.
That wicked smirk widened. “It’s too late to play it safe now.”
I narrowed my eyes, breath still shaky, but my mind finally catching up. “Are you saying I’m trapped?”
He tilted his head slightly. “You may have already stepped into the cage.”
“I don’t see one. I see a beautiful garden and I’m enjoying the garden and. . .you, but. . .”