"New York City, the big apple, the empire state, the city so nice they named it twice, and some other slogan bullshit. The town of Broadway, Wallstreet, and loads of heinous crimes. I have called this lovely city home since I was in diapers. When I...
I couldn't comprehend why Matsuo wasn't in love with Nanomi. Ever since she's been here, he has been so flustered by her presence. How they looked at each other on the dance floor convinced me they were lovers. Past lovers, maybe, there was something there that was undeniable.
Matsuo sat up, and I remained sitting on his lap, "Don't make me repeat myself."
"I don't understand; the two of you look good together. You can't keep your eyes off her when she's in the room." I try to make sense of the situation.
A stupid grin tugged at his lips, "Were you watching me?"
My cheeks heat up when he points that out. I really did tell on myself just now; that is embarrassing.
"That is beside the point right now," I try to change the subject.
That doesn't do anything but spur Matsuo to tease me about the situation further. You'd think after having his ass handed to him by Kenji; he wouldn't have the energy to tease.
"But isn't it? You were watching me with Nanomi. Were you jealous, my mistress?" His hand came up to cup my cheek gently.
"I must still be drunk."
Trying to get up and off Matsuo, he pulled me back to his lap. His big hands held my hips in place, keeping me from moving. I glared at him, yet that didn't seem to faze him. This is not what I pictured happening after breaking up the fight.
"You really want to know why I won't marry Nanomi?" Matsuo's question hung in the air for a moment.
I wanted to know so badly that I nodded. Matsuo's face came closer to mine, hovering just a hair away from my lips. So, the air between us thickened with temptation that I almost forgot what we were talking about. The sigh that escaped him brought me back to my senses from that moment of want.
"Nanomi wants to marry because of the obligation to her family, and I can't bear to trap her in a loveless marriage."
Matsuo's reason was more sensible than I thought it would be. I'm actually shocked he would take another's well-being into consideration to that extent. It is heartbreaking to hear Nanomi is stuck in this predicament by force.
"Her family is forcing her to marry?" I asked in shock.
"Yes, it was an arranged marriage that was planned long ago when I lived in Japan. When I left, it naturally broke off, and she wanted to stay back in Japan. I couldn't go back because of my father, and I didn't want to be forced into a marriage because of a contract, so we would have never worked out." Matsuo explained without breaking eye contact.
I had nothing to say when he gave me the entire rundown of the arranged marriage. He said he didn't want to trap Nanomi in a loveless marriage, which means he doesn't romantically love her. For some sick reason, it was a relief to hear.
"Why do you look happy? Were you worried I was going to marry Nanomi?' Matsuo smirked at me.
My mouth opened and closed pathetically when I try to speak. "No, I wasn't."
Wow, that wasn't convincing at all. I need to get a grip and come to my senses; sitting in Matsuo's lap isn't helping right now. I keep forgetting what is really going on when Matsuo gets like this; he confuses my judgment so much that it's annoying. I am a detective held captive and forced into an agreement with a mafia leader. However, he's been treating me as anything but a prisoner.
Matsuo raised his hand to my cheek, slowly caressing it, and I shamelessly leaned into his touch. There must be alcohol still lingering in my system. Still, I gazed into his brown eyes, noticing the longing in his eyes. It scared me what he longed for, and I knew I couldn't give that to him if I was right. But Matsuo is sure as hell convincing by the way he looked at me.
I closed the gap between us without thinking, gently pressing my lips against his. Didn't take long for him to react and take control of the kiss. When his tongue probed at my lips, I opened, allowing the kiss to deepen. Our tongues danced, unlike wrestling with each other as we had done many times before. There was no rush, no pushing or fighting taking place between us. But then, I tasted blood coming from Matsuo's lip and broke away from him. He still wanted to carry on, but the metallic taste killed the mood for me.
"You need to be seen by a doctor." I could feel my cheeks heat up when I pushed him off of me.
I could finally stand now that Matsuo's hands had released me. A weak laugh came from him that turned into a horrible coughing fit. Yeah, it was time to get patched up. I held out a hand to help him up, which surprised him. He placed his hand in mine, and I assisted him.
"You know," Matsuo began to speak, gazing down at me. "You've come a long way, cop."
"Yeah, yeah." I got down from the ring first and waited for him. "I think you have a concussion."
A pitiful chuckle came from Matsuo when he climbed down and threw an arm around my shoulder. He was using me as support, but he held me closer than need be. When we made it outside the gym, Zhen was waiting outside by the SUV I had driven earlier. I glanced around and didn't see Nanomi or any of the others still around.
Zhen didn't speak to us and held open the back door of the car for us. I got in first, then Matsuo, who scooted across the seat to be next to me. The entire right side of my body is pressed against the door, and my left side is connected to Matsuo. Eventually, his head lulled to my side, resting on my shoulder with his eyes fluttering closed.
We both fell asleep on the way back to the penthouse and were rudely awakened by Zhen, who had pressed on the car horn until Matsuo and I both jumped. Zhen turned around in the seat to glare back at us.
"Oh good, you're up, we're back."
I muttered, calling him a ass when I threw open my door and stepped out. Matsuo followed, stretching his arms. I peaked at him as his muscles twitched and the veins bulged in both his arms. He was still very much shirtless, and I was soaking in every second. Then, Zhen rushed us out of the garage and into the hotel.
Shortly after, all three of us exit the private elevator to the penthouse. In the living room, Len was waiting with another man I've never seen before, but by seeing he was holding a large medical kit, I assumed he was a doctor.
Len unexpectedly approaches me with a gentle smile, "Your room is cleared out, so you be able to use it again."
At that news, I couldn't stop myself from looking at Matsuo. However, he was already watching me. Zhen cleared his throat, breaking that moment and drawing attention to himself.
"Toma." Zhen motioned for him to follow and began to speak in Japanese.
I rush to my room, throwing the door closed behind me. Like Len said, my room had been cleared out, and all that remained was the furniture that was originally there. I sighed, walking around the bed, and stopped in front of the window that was no longer obscured by crates. A thousand thoughts were floating in my mind, making it impossible to concentrate on one. However, the source of every thought came from Matsuo and the feelings that have been stirred. My lips still burned from earlier. I ran a hand down my face and made my way to the bathroom because right about now, I needed a cold shower.
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