“Savannah you look totally freaked out. Don’t be. It’s me, and I’m completely cool with it. My guess is if Hiroshi didn’t care who saw you guys then you shouldn’t, either.” Sakiko offered a warm smile, but it didn’t make her feel any less embarrassed, or calm her myriad of worries.
Savannah gave her a small appreciative smile. “Thank you for saying that.”
Sakiko placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight over her heels. The curiosity intensified in her warm autumn-colored eyes as she fixed her gaze on her, appraising her. That only heightened her nerves. Savannah had to break eye contact and look away. She gazed out to the other side of the house where it branched out to the lake house that was being decorated for the fundraiser next week.
“My gosh, you really like him, don’t you?” Sakiko observed.
Savannah looked back to her quickly. Her heart raced at the thought of Sakiko knowing. “Please, don’t say anything.” She held the milkshake cup closer to her chest.
“Of course not. Hey, you kind of look like you need to talk. And, who better to speak to than me?” She nodded and smiled.
Savannah considered this. Sakiko was right. She did need to talk, and fast, too, before her head exploded. There was so much she had to get off her chest. Sakiko linked her arm into Savannah’s and tugged her over to the bench where she sat her down.
“Okay spill it. Think of me as a wall, but with beautiful ears and a mouth.” She chuckled.
Savannah smiled at the joke and sighed. “I’m just worried because I don’t think I’m his type.” There, she said it.
“Well, you’re wrong there because you’re beautiful. I’m a fashion designer, I have to be truthful, and I have nothing to gain by telling you that.” Sakiko nodded firmly with affirmation.
“Thank you.” It was nice of her to say that. “But I’m not exactly Jade Fox, am I? Or, like any of the other models he’s probably been with.”
Sakiko closed her eyes and squeezed them tight for a few seconds before opening them again. She then grimaced as if she’d tasted something bad. “No. You aren’t like them,” she replied.
Savannah looked at her askance. Wondering if that was her effort to help.
“For starters,” Sakiko straightened up. “Jade Fox is an evil bitch from hell who thinks the sun shines out of her ass.”
Savannah’s mouth dropped. She’d noticed the other day that Sakiko had the effortless ability to swap from lady to fishwife before you could blink.
“Really?” was the most Savannah could say, raising her eyebrows. Well, at least Jade didn’t sound like a nice person.
“Yes, and as for the others, well, I can’t speak for them but they’re probably just as bad. Savannah, you must never compare yourself to anyone. Doesn’t matter who they are. I never do, and I don’t care to.” Her expression softened. “Look, you’ve clearly read stuff about Hiroshi. I don’t blame you. I know I would do the very same thing if I were you, and I can’t tell you what to think. What I can do is maybe give you some more insight.”
“Insight?” Savannah straightened up, eager to listen.
“Yeah. Insight. Hiroshi was very different a few years ago.”
“He told me he used to be a little wild,” Savannah filled in.
“No, a little wild is stealing a car, or getting your tongue pierced, or flipping the bird to a cop.” She rolled her eyes.
Savannah couldn’t help herself. She had to laugh. “Sakiko, you surprise me sometimes, you know?”
“I know. Anyway, Hiroshi wasn’t a little wild. He was totally out of control. Remember I told you he jumped a car across a lake?”
Yes, she remembered, and she was still trying to work out how he did that. He added to that gallery of bizarre with the other stunts he’d told her about, but the lake was still the thing that stood out in her mind. “That was kind of unreal.”
“He used to do a lot of things like that just because he could. He was obsessed with car racing and would hang out with the worst types of women you could imagine. Yes, he still loves cars, but he changed completely when our grandfather died.”
That’s what happened to change him?
“We all took his death hard, but it definitely affected Hiroshi the most. Probably because he was always racing and never there towards the end of our grandfather’s life. They were very close when he was younger, but when he was racing he was just different. No one could reach him, and the obsession made him incredibly selfish.” Her eyes looked sad as she looked at Savannah. “Our grandfather hated him racing, but realistically we all did. I remember my dad used to wait up for him at night and never go to bed till he saw Hiroshi come in safely, and then my mom would cry all the time, as she was absolutely certain she’d get a call from the police saying something terrible happened to him. I joked about it the other day, but it was all quite serious.”
It did sound serious. Hiroshi had joked about it, too, but there was nothing funny about it, and it clearly affected his family.
Sakiko straightened up and rested her arm against the back of the bench before she continued. “He completely transformed himself after our grandfather’s death. He went from crazy, out of control, billionaire brat of a playboy, to the person you see today. Forever working, forever trying to be taken seriously, and forever trying to prove to everyone that he’s changed, which I guess in our family is a big deal.”
It was starting to make sense now. Savannah started to put it all together. “It’s quite strict isn’t it?”
“Yes, and sadly if it wasn’t for our grandfather, Hiroshi would be doing some kind of mundane job in the company. Despite how brilliant he is now, my dad and my uncle would have never given him a chance to run a company. Let alone Washington, the American flagship company. And that’s why he spends every day trying to show everyone that he can basically do his job. I feel that the training center is his way of showing everyone what he’s made of.” She pulled in a breath. “Now I’m starting to gossip. I guess my point in telling you all that is to show you that you have nothing to worry about. Aside from being beautiful, you’re different to anyone I’ve ever seen him with, and if he was anything like how he used to be then I would be the first to warn you away. I think you would be good for him, and I’m certain my parents would agree with me. So, why don’t you just empty your mind of your worries and go with what you like about him.”
And that advice brought a smile to Savannah’s face.
“Thank you.” The talk had helped. It definitely had helped. It explained a lot, too, and Savannah was grateful that Sakiko had trusted her with that information.
“You should go see his garage. Go make yourself familiar with his cars, his babies.” Sakiko smiled widely, nodding at the idea.
That did sound like a good idea. “Do you think he’ll mind?”
“No. Just go check it out. And give me that.” She took Savannah’s drink without warning.
“Hey, I have like half left.”
“No, I have like half left.” She giggled. “This thing is like a walking heart attack with pure fat. I am about to break up with my boyfriend. I need comfort food, and if I gain a pound or two people will understand.” She also took Savannah’s three shopping bags and her purse. “Okay. Bye girl.” She giggled and gave Savannah a little nudge to get up.
Savannah smiled, standing up to go, and proceeded towards the garage.
Chapter 14
She was happy she spoke to Sakiko.
Savannah still had her reservations, but that was her fault for looking up all that stuff online. The bottom line was she really liked Hiroshi, and she was curious to see where things could go with him. The best place to start was getting to know him more, and seeing more of what he liked.
So here she was outside his garage. She stopped at the entrance to the massive warehouse-looking structure, really hoping it was okay for her to be here. Mr. Fujita had briefly pointed it out to her on her tour. He said it started off being a storage unit for Yumi’s galle
ry, but she gave it to Hiroshi for his cars when she got a bigger facility in town. He then expanded the place to what it looked like now.
The large wooden double doors with the pewter latch going across it were open. Closed doors would have certainly meant keep out, or ask my permission first before you enter.
So…maybe it was okay to go in.
She made her way inside, proceeding with caution, and was quickly enthralled by the mass of colors that came from all the cars. It was almost too much for her eyes. There were metallic blues, bright yellows, forest greens, scarlet reds and a host of others.
And the place was huge. This wasn’t a garage. A garage fit maybe one or two cars. This was more of a parking lot. There were at least twenty cars inside, at least. Cars of every description, type, shape, color, and size. Just like at the racetrack, except these cars were all his.
A sleek glossy-black convertible was closest to the entrance. Next to it was the Porsche he’d used to take her to the tracks and Kyoto, along with four more Porches in different colors. She walked around observing it all, stopping at the ones that caught her interest. Like this one. It was dark red with deep hues that looked so smooth she had to touch it.
The cool metal seeped into her fingers tips, and the glossiness of the car made her want to run her hands all over it. She liked it.
A shuffling sort of noise made her jump, and she realized that someone else was in here. Before she could even take her next step, she saw Hiroshi sliding out from under the dark blue car in the corner. The car had been placed just above the ground on one of those hoist things mechanics used.
Savannah’s heart stopped in her chest as she watched him.
He was shirtless. Just like the pictures she’d seen online, and there—oh wow—there were those alluring tattoos that left her breathless, lifeless.
Just less.
He also wore low-slung Levi’s that gave her a good view of the definition of every single muscle across his ridged abs.
The online pictures were great but didn’t do the real life Hiroshi any justice. He was more muscular and his chest wider. The perfect specimen of what God must have intended when he made man.
It just had to be sinful to look that good, as if he’d just stepped out of some forbidden sexual fantasy.
He was just about to reach for the bottle of water on his work table when he saw her standing across the room.
Standing across the room practically gawking at him, and ogling, and she couldn’t move. A slow easy smile slid across his sensual lips making her knees tremble worse than they already were.
“My lady,” he said softly, making his way over to her. His eyes filled with desire.
She swallowed hard and pulled in a breath to clear her head as her dream man walked towards her. All she needed to do now was regain the function to talk, or even form some kind of word.
“The.” Well, that was a start. She pulled in another breath. “The door, it was open, so I came in to look.”
He stopped just in front of her and her eyes took in the inky-black Japanese characters on the left side of his chest. Slowly, she looked up into his rich brown eyes that stared down at her with deep captivation, his look so galvanizing it sent a tremor through her.
She opened her mouth to try and say something else, but the words left her as he reached out and tilted her chin towards him. He covered her mouth with a hungry kiss that sent spirals of ecstasy throughout her body, singing through her veins.
His masculine presence immediately enveloped her with that woodland scent that sent the butterflies in her stomach into a wild frenzy.
The world receded around them just like it did yesterday, fading out of her existence as he took her to dream world. She stood on the tips of her toes as he swept her up, weightlessly gathering her up into his big strong arms and pulling her close to his bare chest.
She thought she just might pass out.
When she could feel his muscles under his shirt yesterday that had been something else, but this was indescribable.
Suddenly he lifted her up and placed her to sit on the hood of the metallic yellow car, leaving her mouth burning with fire. She rested her hands on his shoulders, enjoying the warmth of his skin beneath her palms, while he placed his hands either side of her and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
A lopsided grin lifted the corners of his full sensual lips. “I’ve been dying to do that all day,” he whispered into her ear in a low husky voice that just made her melt.
Sakiko was right. Savannah needed to forget all she’d read and just go with what she liked about him. Right now there was a whole host of things to like.
With that thought, her worries evaporated.
She smiled at her dream man standing before her and melted at his touch. “Me too.”
The sexy smile returned to his face, and he moved closer to steal her breath away with another kiss. This time she allowed herself to thoroughly enjoy him and smoothed her hands over and up the thick muscles in his neck and into his slick, spiky, black hair. Every inch of her craving him as heat and longing coursed throughout her.
She could have easily stayed right here forever, enjoying being with him like this.
Easily.
Her senses heightened when he ran his fingers over the edge of her skirt and across her thighs. She would have allowed him to do whatever he wanted to her, but somewhere in her mind the reality lights turned on and she remembered that the door was wide open. And, she remembered that Sakiko had seen them making out just last night. On that thought, she pulled away from him quickly.
“No, come back,” he protested, coming back to get her. She giggled, moving away, but he still managed to kiss the hollow of her neck, which she felt the effect of in the base of her spine.
“Hiroshi, the door is wide open, someone could walk in and see us,” she said, trying to steady her breath.
“Well then we’ll tell them to go away.” He kissed the edge of her jaw. “The perfect woman just walked into my garage. I can’t be expected just to sit down and keep still.”
“You think I’m the perfect woman?” Her lips parted, and she narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
“No, no. I know,” he said with a definitive nod.
She could attempt to try and be composed, but she knew she was blushing uncontrollably.
She smiled at him. “How do you figure that?”.
“Look at this.” He lifted the ends of her hair and allowed it to fall through his grasp. “Hair that feels like silk and smooth like velvet, and this,” he ran his fingers along her arm. “I didn’t know skin could feel this soft. And here,” he touched the curve of her waist and rested there. “Is the perfect shape. I could continue but we’d be here for the rest of the day.”
Forget being swept off your feet. Hiroshi could sweep you out of the world with his charm.
She’d have to give her personal thanks to Paul Mitchell for his amazing hair products, the woman at Nordstrom who sold her Rituals new body soufflé, and she most certainly would never stop running and doing squats.
“I—” she began, but he took her hand and kissed it, then trailed a line of kisses up her arm and stopped at her neck. She couldn’t remember what she wanted to say, and as he smoothed his lips over hers again, all her thoughts drained away.
“Go out with me tomorrow night,” he whispered against her lips. She pulled away from him slightly so she could see his face properly.
Had she heard right?
“Out?” Her eyes widened as she stared at him brightly.
“Yeah out.”
“Like…a date, out?” She shifted under his curious gaze.
A smile danced on his lips. “Yes, I’m asking you to go out with me on a date. Will you?”
“Yes.” Of course she would. If he asked her to go to the moon and back her answer would have been the same.
She couldn’t believe he’d asked her out. Wait till she told her friends. They most likely wouldn’t believe her after the last st
unt, but who cared. This was for real.
“Yes?” he teased, leaning his head to the side.
“Yes.” She smiled, reaching out to touch his handsome face, but he caught her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss.
“Savannah.” His expression softened as concern filled his eyes. “I’m going to be away a lot for the next three weeks. I have to go to Washington Sunday morning, and I won’t be back till the fundraiser. Then I’ll be gone again for two weeks.”
That was a lot of travelling for anyone to do. It exhausted her just to think about the journey.
“I know you’re busy.” And yet the thought of him not being around got to her.
She’d actually forgotten about his schedule, and now that he’d brought it up she realized she might not see him as much as she hoped. Was it going to be like how it had been the last couple of weeks? She’d hardly seen him then.
He shook his head. “It’s just not ideal. But I managed to arrange something with my dad, so I don’t have to worry so much about Washington.”
“What does that mean?” she asked with a hopeful smile.
He took both her hands into his and returned the smile.
“It means that I’ll be around a lot more. At least for a few months.”
“Really?” She couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice.
“Yeah, so maybe if you don’t get too tired of me you’d let me take you to Mt. Fuji.”
She gasped, unable to hide her excitement at the prospect of going with him.
“You’d want to take me?” Their talk on the plane instantly filled her mind, along with the magic she’d felt as they gazed at the mountain from the air.
“I’d love to, and we could go to some other places, too. I owe you for yesterday,” he said with a cheeky smile.
She remembered yesterday with perfect clarity. “Yeah,” she replied dreamingly, remembering how he kissed her. They never even finished that lunch, and dinner never entered their minds.
“Okay less talking, more lip action.”
“Yes.” She nodded in complete agreement. This time when his lips met hers she immersed herself in the full enjoyment of him. Never mind the door being open.
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