Every inch of him craved her and literally ached for her, but he took his time to appreciate her. The flawless vision of her angelic beauty, the slenderness of her perfect figure, the delicacy of her tiny waistline which was complemented by the gentle curves of her hips, her velvet hair and her caramel-colored skin. He wanted to remember everything about her.
His heart jolted and his pulse quickened as she turned slightly and his eyes rested on the outline of her fully rounded breasts that were completely visible now against the wet fabric of her dress. She practically stood naked before him.
This woman had driven him crazy from day one with her wild beauty, her hair and her body.
She looked from his overcrowded bookshelf, stacked with books on cars, to the sliding doors which held a great view of the cherry blossom and wisteria trees at the back of the manor and the lake. Her eyes then settled on his king-sized bed at the corner of the room.
He knew she was nervous; he was too.
Hiroshi moved closer to her and slipped his arms around her waist. At first, she leaned her back into his chest, but then she turned in to face him and reached up to touch the edge of his jaw, steering him down to meet her lips.
He tasted strawberries again and that sweet fragrance from her hair filled every inch of him, making him want to devour her. But he stopped. In the small part of awareness he still had left, he noticed that her hands were shaking and she didn’t seem to be shivering from her wet dress. Pulling away from her he took hold of her hands and gazed down at her.
“Your hands are shaking,” he said softly. A worried look crossed over her pretty face and drew at her brows. “Savannah…if I kiss you one more time I don’t think I’ll be able to control or trust myself to not go further.” He had to be honest with her because right now he felt like he was about to burst just from looking at her. “If you’re worried, we can grab some ice cream and watch a movie.” As long as he got to spend the time with her.
She shook her head. “I’m not worried.” Her voice was full of emotion. “It’s just…” Her voice trailed off as she looked away. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been in this position. I might not be that great.” She looked at him nervously beneath lowered lashes.
While it infuriated him to imagine her with another man, he felt relieved that was all she was worried about.
“Me too.”
She looked up at him quickly as he said that, probably surprised to hear.
It was true, though, and since the last time he’d slept with anyone happened to be with Jade he banished the thought completely out of his mind. The only image he wanted in his head right now was Savannah. Just her and the way she looked right now.
She looked to his chest and ran her fingers lightly across him, making his nerves go wild.
A glint of seduction and hunger flashed in her eyes when she looked back to him, and she no longer resembled the cute, adorable, shy girl he’d met months ago. A saucy smile lifted her beautiful lips when she said, “I want to kiss your tattoos.”
His knees actually weakened and felt like they might buckle. He didn’t think he’d ever experienced that before.
He managed to offer a small smile and released his hold of her to stretch out his arms to the side. “I’m all yours, Savannah. Feel free to kiss whatever tattoo you want. I have quite a few.”
At that, her smile widened, and she moved closer to undo the first button of his shirt then the next, brushing her fingers across his bare skin. By the time she worked her way to the middle buttons, he couldn’t bear it anymore. He took hold of her hands and kissed her ravenously running his hands all over her.
Fire coursed through his veins, and passion beyond words, as they kissed with raw desire. He backed her against the nearest wall where he ran his hands across her waist and up over her tight, taut nipples.
A soft moan escaped her lips as he squeezed her gently and lowered to suck her right breast through the soft, wet, satin material.
With his free hand, he undid the zip that held her dress together and lifted his head to watch it fall from her like blossom petals drifting to the ground.
She rested against the wall while he undid the white butterfly clasp that held her white, lacey, strapless bra together. It matched the thong she wore. He watched in deep fascination as that, too, drifted to the floor, revealing her beautiful breasts. He stared at her, scared to move, just in case this was a dream and she might disappear.
He always knew she was perfect, but now he had absolute confirmation. “God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed, looking at the tight muscles on her stomach and the lean definition of her hips. He ran his gaze down her smooth, slender legs and took hold of her once more.
The last time Savannah acted on her true feelings, and impulse, she quit her job at the Bay News.
She was acting on her true feelings and impulse now, but this couldn’t compare to quitting a job, or anything else she’d ever done in her life. She’d never met anyone like Hiroshi before, never experienced the kind of feelings she had for him with anyone else, and had experienced emotions she never thought possible.
Before she met him, she wholeheartedly believed that all she needed in her life to make her happy was her writing. But meeting him changed that belief drastically, making her see it was so very far from the truth.
It was what he said to her when they were outside. That he just wanted her, that a hundred years could pass and he would still want her. Just her.
That was what truly awakened her. Aside from what that revealed, his words did something to her and changed her. Breaking down any wall of protection she might have placed around her feelings.
It was then that she felt her heart, like it was beating for the first time in her life. She could actually feel it beating rapidly, and so full of life deep within her chest, and all that she felt for him flowed from it.
She felt exactly the same way about him.
In the throes of their passion her brain precipitously made a reappearance, warning her that she would never feel this way about anyone else besides him, and if she went down this path with him everything would really change for her.
Her heart would be entirely exposed.
It was a warning from the last shred of logic and reasoning she had left. But, not one she would heed, because she craved him so badly that nothing could stop her now.
Her body sizzled as he picked her up. Longing whispered throughout her and passion ignited within, making her mind go blank once more. She wrapped her legs around him and enjoyed the sweetness of his kisses as he carried her over to his bed where he gently lay her before him, wearing nothing but her thong.
He lowered again, covering his lips over her sensitive, swollen nipples and sucked her breasts with tantalizing possessiveness, giving her so much pleasure she thought she’d pass out. Her breasts surged at the intimacy of his caress as the gentle massage sent currents of desire throughout her, making her body arch toward him. He then kissed her everywhere, trailing a line of fiery kisses down her ribs to her stomach and down to her thighs.
She matched his urgency with her own lusty, unsated needs and backed off his jacket and shirt the first chance she got, revealing his amazing body.
Her eyes leisurely traveled over his rock hard shield of a chest and took in his perfectly contoured convex pecs and the tight ridges of definition that sculpted his ab muscles. She reached out to touch the inky-black Japanese characters tattooed down the left side of his chest and marveled at the hardness of muscles beneath her fingertips.
She moved towards him and lowered her lips to his chest, kissing the tattoo closest to his heart that she learned was the character for fire. His musky, woodland fragrance instantly filled her and sealed her to the enchantment of him. She kissed his chest under the quickened rhythm of his heart and was about to move to the character for earth when he stopped her.
“I won’t last,” he warned through a tense expression that made heat curl down her spine and pool deep within her.
She then watched completely captivated as he stepped out of his trousers and boxers, revealing an impressive erection that made her feel immediately hot despite the coldness that still lingered on her skin from the rain. She continued to watch as he retrieved a condom from the drawer of his nightstand and tore at the packet. He slid it down the full length of his long, thick shaft and took in a deep breath as he parted her legs and thrust into where she craved him the most.
Fireworks exploded deep within her soul when he entered her. She had to grab on to the sheets and arch her back as he started pumping faster and faster.
Harder and faster, and faster, for what seemed like a forever of bliss and mindless passion she had never known before. His demanding touch sent her to even higher levels of ecstasy and everything slowed around her as time held its place, refusing to move forward. Her body just melted against his and the world was filled with him.
Then, just when she thought she’d reached the epitome of happiness, he pumped even harder and sent her mind into oblivion. Her body blazed with heat from the passion that consumed them both and then she shattered into a million glowing stars.
He muttered something that she couldn’t quite hear over the lurid drumming of her heart in her ears and stilled against her, breathing heavily. She swallowed tightly as he dropped down next to her and felt the electricity in his touch when he pulled her close to him to kiss her forehead. She wanted to say something but found it difficult against her shallow breaths. Instead, she kissed him and slipped her arms around his neck, burying her face against the corded muscles of his chest.
“Get ready for the real thing,” he whispered playfully into her ear, resting his face just above hers.
She lifted her head to look at him wondering what he could mean. “The real thing?” She studied his handsome face and watched with satisfaction as that cheeky smile she loved so much lift the corners of his lips.
“That was just the warm up, California Girl,” he replied with a wink.
She giggled as he lifted her on top of him.
Chapter 17
Hiroshi’s arm was placed securely around Savannah’s waist.
She’d woken up about ten minutes ago and lay there listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest.
Turning her head to look through the sliding doors, she could see the pink and orange blend of sunrise beginning to light the sky, parting through the darkness as dawn broke.
Her head felt fuzzy and light, making her incapable of clear thoughts. All she knew right now was how she felt.
How she felt about Hiroshi.
She looked back at him, studying every detail on his face and chest. Looking over the chiseled definition of his muscles and the artistic talent that had gone into his tattoos.
He was just as breathtaking to look at when he was sleeping as when he was awake. But there was something more that made him even more amazing than when she’d first met him and thought he was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life. Back then she didn’t know him, and now that she did she could see the fascinating beauty that came from inside him.
She raised herself up onto her elbows and felt a slight tug on her hair. He’d fallen asleep with a lock of her hair twisted around his finger. Slowly, she unraveled it, being careful not to wake him.
Worry seeped its way into her mind the more awake she became, just like she knew it would. The gravity of everything was slowly beginning to unfold itself. She sat up, resting her hands on her lap as she continued to watch him.
There was no point suppressing how she felt, no point in denying that somewhere along the way she’d fallen for Hiroshi, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. He had unlocked her heart and her soul, and she didn’t know how to deal with that.
She might have chosen journalism against her parents’ wishes, but she was the kind of person to always take the safe roads, keeping away from the edge and never allowing herself to experience anything that sounded too far out of her comfort zone. When she left her job and decided to freelance, that was a big deal for her.
It was a big risk, but everything had fallen into place ever since in an exciting way. She’d worked hard and gotten down to business to make things happen.
Being with Hiroshi was different. It would be about taking a risk with her heart. Something she didn’t know how to do, and if it broke, she didn’t know what she’d do to fix it. It wouldn’t be the same as finding a new job, or a new path in life.
Her soul would be torn apart.
What should she do? What could she do? She’d fallen for him hard and fast. Maybe too fast, but how could she have stopped herself? Looking back now she saw that there wasn’t anything she could have done, or would have done differently.
Last night had been entirely magical, and mind blowing. They’d made love all night, throwing themselves at the mercy of passion until it drained them both. She’d never regret it, but being with him like that only deepened her already intense feelings for him, leading her so far past attraction that she didn’t know herself anymore.
Her gaze drifted to the dark wood of the mahogany bookshelf that was brimming with books on cars, then drifted again to the view outside as the cherry blossoms swayed lightly in the breeze.
What if he didn’t feel the same way about her?
How would she feel if he hurt her? And hurt was inevitable. It had to be. They were from two different worlds, with two different goals. Pretty soon they’d live in two different countries, or for her any country as she’d be traveling around.
Why fall for a guy you couldn’t have?
Maybe she was thinking too much, but she couldn’t help it. Right now her feelings for him terrified her.
Savannah slid off the bed and stood with her feet planted in the plush cream rug that caressed the soles of her feet. She should go before he woke up, better to leave now and gather her thoughts in her room.
Better to leave now and save her heart before it continued to venture into the unknown and uncertain. She indulged herself to one last look at him, absorbing the memory of him and of last night, never ever wanting to forget.
With that, she slipped back into her dress, which was still wet, and left as quietly as she could.
Once she got to her room, she changed into a T-shirt and loose trousers, then lay on her bed. Thinking.
It was right to leave…right? Then why did she regret it? Maybe…she should go back. No, that would be weird. And what would she say? Maybe he would expect her to leave before he woke up anyway.
Would he? What if he did?
A myriad of thoughts came rushing into her mind all at once, making her head ache. She found herself thinking about everything, even things she shouldn’t. Like Jade Fox. Then she thought of the meaningful things Hiroshi had said to her.
“…a hundred years would pass, and I’d still want you. Just you.”
Those words clung to her heart, and she felt it beating again, but she was too afraid to move.
Hours passed, and she realized that he must have been well on his way back to Washington.
She never got to say goodbye.
Savannah felt even worse hours later when she decided to go for a walk and found a beautiful oriental lily tucked in between the brass handle on her door. On its stem was a little pink tag stuck to it with the words From H.
The gesture reached the insides of her heart, and she immediately thought about the story he told her of his grandparents. Now she felt foolish for leaving him like that. Now she felt awful like she’d messed everything up and it left her feeling empty inside, robbing her heart of what made it truly alive.
* * *
“Bernie, can you please send in the other candidate?” Hiroshi spoke into the intercom on his phone and pushed his notebook across to the other documents on his desk.
Jake looked at him from the other side of the office with narrowed eyes, straightening up in his chair. The pen he’d been writin
g with dangled loosely between his fingers.
“What was wrong with Mr. Pete?” Bernie questioned him. Hiroshi sighed with frustration.
“Bernie please just send the other candidate in.” He was in no mood for anyone getting on his wrong side today, or any other day.
“There be nobody else.”
“Rosh, you know that,” Jake reminded him. “Pete and Cory were it. You said yourself they were a given, so I only scheduled them in. It’s just a matter of deciding who you’d like to take the lead.”
Hiroshi looked at him, wanting to give some answer, but he couldn’t think of what to say. He remembered saying that now, and it was no one’s fault besides his that he was in such a foul mood.
“Pete and Cory both go to church,” Bernie pointed out. “It couldn’t hurt to let the good Lord in from time to time,” Her voice resounded loudly, creating a bit of static. “It would certainly make up for your heathen ways.”
Jake roared with laughter.
“It’s not funny, Jake. Don’t you know that the higher the monkey climbs, the more him expose himself,” Bernie stated in a serious voice, as if what she was saying was perfectly understandable. “Did you see that devil woman in here the other day? Evil, with her duppy eyes. Who knows what bad spirit she might have brought upon the place. I had to burn incense to cleanse the foyer. You have Master Rosh to thank for that.”
“Bernie, for the last time I didn’t ask Jade to come here,” Hiroshi tried, although it was pointless. It would probably take him the next ten years to convince her.
“You watch your tone with me, boy,” Bernie warned. Jake laughed so much he was practically falling off his chair. “Or else I’ll be coming in dat office of yours. You’re flying past your nest.”
Hiroshi rolled his eyes. What did that even mean? Flying past his nest, and the stupid climbing monkey. He understood now how she got on so well with his grandfather. It was because they spoke in riddles, and they were the only ones who could understand each other.
“I’m going to ask Father Moses to come here and give you a blessing. You surely need it,” she added, abruptly disconnecting herself.
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