Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
Naughty Tiger.
Chapter twenty-two
The Forge of Lovers
Kenji
The first touch of the ocean was perfect—warm but not hot, that ideal temperature that made you want to sink in and stay forever.
The water was so clear it looked like liquid glass, the bottom visible even twenty meters out.
White sand rippled beneath small waves.
Schools of fish darted in synchronized movements performing underwater choreography.
I waded in deeper, still holding Nyomi's hand, watching her face light up as the water rose to her waist.
The orange bikini against her brown skin was doing things to my concentration. The way the water made her skin glisten. The way her braids were tied back with a band, showing off the elegant line of her neck.
My sexy Tiger.
"This is unreal," She squeezed my fingers. "Kenji, this water is—God, I don't even have words."
"Better than a pool?" I pulled her closer, my free hand finding the curve of her waist.
She turned to me, and that smile—the one that made my chest tight—spread across her face. "Baby, there's no comparison."
She gestured at the endless blue in front of us. "This is like swimming in heaven."
"Good." I traced circles on her hip, feeling the water make her skin soft beneath my touch. "I want this to be perfect for us."
"It is. Every single thing."
She leaned in, pressing those soft breasts against my chest.
Our lips met.
It was a tender brush at first. Then, her kiss grew more insistent, escalating from a gentle touch to a deep exploration.
I pulled her closer.
Our bodies molded against one another, separated by nothing more than the thin fabric of our swimming clothes and the warm sea water enveloping us.
“Mmm.” Her hands came up, tangling in my hair, pulling me closer still.
Fuck yes.
I returned the fervor, my own fingers splaying across the small of her back, anchoring her to me.
Every inch of me was aflame with desire for her, a burning sensation that radiated from the point of our connection and spread out in waves, engulfing me entirely.
My hands slid to grip her ass and pull her tighter against me.
A soft hum vibrated from her throat into our kiss.
We broke apart slowly, gasping for breath, the world rushing back in to fill the silence.
Her face was flushed, and eyes glazed with a passion that matched my own.
The corners of her mouth twitched upwards in a satisfied smile. “Damn. I’m so glad we took this time for ourselves.”
I rested my forehead against hers, steadying my breathing, feeling the rapid pulse in her neck where my thumb pressed.
“Rest sharpens the blade.” I lifted my face away and brushed a water droplet from her cheek, watching it trail down to join the ocean. "There's an old saying among samurai, 'Even the strongest sword must return to the forge. Not to be broken down, but to be tempered. Made stronger.’"
She tilted her head, listening in that way she did when I revealed pieces of my culture and history.
"The forge isn't weakness, Tora. It's transformation." My fingertips mapped out the edge of her bikini bottoms, desperately wanting to take them off. "Fire and rest, heat and cooling—that's what makes steel unbreakable. That's what turns a weapon into a legend."
"So, this is our forge?" Her fingers drew lovely patterns on my chest, leaving trails of sensation. "This paradise you built?"
"This is where we temper ourselves before we go back to war." My voice dropped lower. "Tomorrow, you'll hunt the spy. We'll strategize. Plot. Maybe torch another corner of Tokyo if my father pushes us."
She blinked.
Darkness crept into my tone. "These next days. . .weeks. . .may get dark.”
“How dark?”
“We may be wading through blood and betrayal until we find the spy trying to feed information to my father."
Her breath caught, but she didn't look away.
"But today?" I moved my hands from that soft ass, brought them to her face, and cupped it. My thumb brushed her bottom lip. "Today we rest. We let the heat of battle cool so when we return to the flames, we're not brittle. We're forged steel."
"Two blades cooling in the forge before they cut."
"Exactly." I kissed her forehead, then her temple. "Even nature understands this. The ocean pulls back before the tsunami. The earth goes silent before the earthquake. The tiger sleeps before the hunt."
"And the Dragon?"
"The Dragon brings his Tiger to paradise." I turned us slowly in the water. Gentle waves lapped against our skin. "The Dragon feeds her. Loves her. Shows her every beautiful thing he's hoarded away. Not because he's soft, but because he knows. . ."
I paused, making sure she heard every word. ". . .the sharper the blade, the more carefully it must be cared for. And you, my deadly Tiger, are the sharpest blade I will ever wield."
She left my hold. "I’m ready, but this does scare me."
"It should. But that’s why we’re here too." I grabbed her hand and led her deeper into the water. "You're my partner. Which makes this rest even more critical. We're about to walk into hell together—tracking down a traitor who could be anyone, planning strikes against my father's empire, navigating a war that could end us both."