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."
Please, God. . .protect us.
"We need this moment of peace before the storm. Because when we return to the main island, when you start hunting. . ." My grip tightened on her hand—too tight, maybe, but I couldn't loosen it. The thought of her walking into danger, hunting a traitor who could strike first. "I need you sharp. Focused. Unbreakable. And I need to know that I gave you this first—this perfect day where nothing could touch you."
She was quiet for a long moment. "You're preparing me."
"I'm preparing us both. Tomorrow we're weapons. Today we're just Kenji and Nyomi, swimming in heaven."
"Just two people. . .in love."
"Yes." The word came out rough. "Two people stealing peace before they wage war."
She shivered. "Then let's make it count. Every second."
"Every second," I agreed, already drowning in the black amber and plum of her scent mixing with salt water. "Because when we return, there's no mercy. No hesitation. We find the spy, eliminate the threat, and remind my father why he should have let a sleeping dragon lie."
"And tiger."
"And tiger." I grinned. "God help anyone who underestimates my Tiger."
