Page 129 of The Dragon 2
I returned my view to him. “Youdon’t know?”
“I have no idea.” Reo tilted his head, considering me. "But it is clear that she is about to tap into a side of you that I don't know. And that—" he smiled, not kindly, but curiously, "—is the beauty of intimacy with the right woman."
Then, he grabbed the knob, twisted it, and pulled the door open. There, he held it and smiled at me. “Enjoy your date, Kenji.”
I didn’t walk in right away. Instead, I stared at the dark opening, and then back at Reo. “Did she cook for me?”
“You’re already at the date.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
I exhaled through my nose, irritation prickling beneath my skin. “You know I don’t like walking into things blind.”
“I know.”
“And yet here I am.”
“Yet, here you are.” A beat passed. His posture didn’t shift. He was a damn statue—one carved from logic, secrets, and ruthless calm.
I narrowed my eyes. “I make the plans. I give the orders. I am not meant to be. . .handled.”
Reo cocked his head slightly. “You’re not being handled, Kenji. You’re being gifted. There’s a difference.”
“I don’t believe in surprises.”
“That’s because you believe control is the only way to feel safe.”
I said nothing.
He continued. “But some things, especially the ones that matter, only unfold when you don’t get to script them. A kiss. A confession. A woman deciding she wants to show you something romantic, her way.”
I clenched my jaw. “I don’t like being caught off guard.”
“You’re not. You’re just being asked to trust.”
“I don’t do trust.”
“Then you don’t do intimacy?”
Silence.
It landed between us like a final note.
He let it settle, then added, softer this time, “There’s power in surrendering—when it’s done by choice. And with the right person.”
I frowned and hated that he made sense. “I just want to know if she cooked for me.”
Reo smiled. Not smugly. But with something close to affection. “You’ll find out soon.”
My heart boomed in my ears. “What about security? Is everything in place?”
Reo nodded. “Every camera. Every exit. The surrounding streets have been swept. Seven Scales inside, Ten outside. Your weapons are within reach. Mine are already on me.”
“And the staff?”
“Screened, cleared, professional.”
