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“Shopping.”
“And this shopping requires your presence?”
I temper my urge to snap at him. “I require it.”
He sighs at the other end of the phone. “Take Riu and two other guards with you. For your safety, let them know exactly where you plan to go. And have him show you where we stored your weapons.”
“That’s it?” I can’t hide my incredulity and scowl at Riu when I’d rather glare at Takeshi.
“Were you expecting resistance?”
“Well…yeah. You made me stay here all day yesterday.”
His low chuckle travels through the speakers and my body. “Chiisai senshi no megami, you had a delivery.”
I ignore the warm flutters in my stomach at the Japanese term. Although I have no idea what he said, the warmth in his voice gives me enough context. It’s an endearment and after last night, I’m not prepared to deal with everything the sweet words may entail.
I stiffen my spine. “But you never denied that I would be a prisoner here.”
“Would admitting or denying change anything? I’m very aware you can slip your security whenever you want, but we can agree that wasting time to find and retrieve you won’t benefit either of us.”
“I see your point…”
“You still have doubts,” he says, his voice flat.
I sense his disappointment, and a pit opens in my stomach. I glance at Riu and avert my eyes, uncomfortable with admitting the words I’m about to say in front of an audience, but needing to revive the liveliness in Takeshi’s voice before I’d killed it with my suspicions.
“Why don’t I have a phone to call you directly? Must everything go through Riu?”
Surprise fills the silence. My heart beats to fill the emptiness while I hold my breath for his response.
“You want to hear my voice during the day, chiisai senshi no megami?” A seductive note enters his tone and all I can think about is the way he handled Shinji in bed.
I open my mouth to protest and clear my head, but nothing comes out, not even air. I can’t fight the image of Shinji with his beautiful wavy hair stuck to his skin while Takeshi orders him not to come.
Why am I behaving this way?
“Look on the nightstand. You’ll find a new phone with my and Shinji’s numbers. Call anytime. Even if you don’t need anything.”
“O…kay. If there’s nothing else, I guess I’ll just go about my day then.”
“There is one thing.”
I knew there was a catch!
“I require you to keep your guards with you. Your safety remains a priority for me and Shinji.”
I breathe a relieved sigh. “I can live with that.”
“And chiisai senshi no megami…?”
“Yes?”
“I like to hear your voice while I’m at work, too.” Takeshi hangs up before I can disabuse him of his notion.
Serenidad is very new to me and I only intend to call him if there are things Riu can’t tell me. I return Riu’s phone and retrieve the one I’d overlooked in the bedroom, sitting exactly where Takeshi said it would, but I question whether I’ll call him or resort to Shinji.
With Shinji, I expect flirtation. He’s a charming rogue with an unending supply of sexy smiles that stir my emotions. I do not expect Takeshi to match his energy. Takeshi holds my life in his hands, so for him to admit to liking…no, wanting to hear my voice. I shake my head, unable to fit my two impressions of the man together and not wanting to obsess over him more than I already have.
