She licked her lips. “And why … why all of that, those promises and that exposure, for me?”
Santino reached over and let just the tip of his finger trail across her cheek, mimicking the path he’d glazed with his tongue only minutes earlier. He held her stare as that beautiful pink bloomed on her skin once more. “Because you are my treasure.”
Chapter six
Scarred pt I
His words knocked theair from her lungs.
Again.
Reiko really needed to stop letting him do that, but the man kept over-delivering. The harder she looked for signs that he was playing her, manipulating her in any way, the clearer he made itthat he was not. That, or he’d missed his calling. She rolled her lips between her teeth.He could be lying about saying he won’t lie to me.
Objectively, it wasn’t like putting the words out into the universe held him magically accountable. She just didn’t believe he was playing that deep a mind-game. For one thing, she could not comprehend why he would.
She only wished she could comprehend why he would do any of it.
Guerra pressed his thumb to her lip and pried it gently from the grip of her teeth. “I’m teetering on the brink, here, beautiful. Don’t torture me like that.”
Reiko blinked at him as his warm, faintly calloused touch fell away once more. Her heart was beating too loudly. His eyes were too bright.
Since when was she anyone’s treasure?
She swallowed, too many questions rolling around in her head. She still wanted to know the answers to the questions she’d tried asking as they’d left the parking lot. But perhaps it was more important to ask something else first. Even if that only helped her to find her psychological footing. “Help me understand,” she said, her voice too soft at first, “what it is you’re after?”
His pale brow pinched at the question.
Reiko hurried to elaborate. “What kind of ‘treasure’ do I represent? You said you aren’t interested in my father’s company, butIdon’t have any value, and I’m struggling to understand what else—whyelse—” Her throat constricted at the crucial words.
What could a man like him, with his resources, his charisma, and apparently even the ability to casually stroll away from a dead body in broad daylight, possibly have to gain from spending any time with her? What could he want from her?
Why would he need her?
Every one of those questions felt poised to do nothing but rip apart the fragile hope she’d only started to build. She didn’t even know how she always did that to herself.
Guerra exhaled, the sound loud enough to carry but not quite achieving a negative tone. “Since you refuse to accept thatyouare ‘what I’m after’,” he said, “I’ll be more … explicit.” Something in his eyes sparked. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
For a split-second, she had the wild urge to retract every question she’d ever asked him.
He didn’t give her the chance, reaching out and pulling her nearest hand into his larger one just to curl his fingers around her hand as he spoke. “I want you in my life, in my bed, and in my future for every single moment that remains of it. I want you wearing my ring, signing my name, and I can’t fucking wait to see you pregnant with my babies. Little Japanese-Italian hellraisers. You’ll teach them public manners and I’ll teach them how to conquer the goddamn world. They’ll love you and respect you because family fucking matters in my house—which will beourhouse by then.” He paused, and his stare remained unyielding. “So, when I say I wantyou, and you are my treasure, I mean exactly that. Every goddamn word.” He tightened his hold on her hand as if she might disappear otherwise.
She might. She was fairly sure she was on the verge of fainting, just as soon as the blood stopped cascading through her ears.
His smile widening as if he’d been struck by inspiration, then, and he added more when she had thought he was finally done with the bizarre poetry he’d been speaking. “You have kanji, right? I know you were born in the states, but you’re first-generation, so I assume your parents assigned specific kanji to your name? Or however that works. I should have looked it up.”
Reiko blinked, the oddly simple question and endearing muttering at the end helping her brain restart. “Yes, of course,” she said. “It’s tradition.”
He stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. “When we get the chance, I’ll have you draw me the characters of your name. Your given name.”
“Why?”
Guerra raised their joined hands, adjusted his grip, and pressed her palm over his heart. “So I can get the most important tattoo of my life, right here.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You want … my name … tattooed on your skin? In a language you don’t even read?”
“I’ll learn it,” he said. “And yes.”
She didn’t realize she was crying again until she heard the sob that choked out of her. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt and she clapped her other hand over her mouth, emotion rushing through her and making her skin burn.
