Page 11 of Blossoms of the Heart
He turned so that he was walking backwards while he faced me.
“Was that a statement or a question?”
I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. “It’s… whatever you want it to be.”
“Statement. The way I remember it, you seemed to like me as a free spirit, and looks like you still like what you see.”
God damn, my stupid body betrayed me and took in the purely sexual look he gave me as he looked me up and down. Heat flushed my cheeks.
We stopped and he just stared at me. I wasn’t sure what he expected me to say, but he was looking at me like he wanted some kind of response. He’d always thrown me with his openness.
At least with Tai there were never any hidden surprises. He was open and forward, said whatever was on his mind and didn’t care about the end result.
“I can see you haven’t changed one bit.” Better to say that.
“No not a damn bit, maybe just got better at it.” He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, drawing my attention to the strong athletic definition in his legs. “Newsflash, I like what I see too.Dr. Phoebe.”
A slow, easy smile inched across his face as he observed me. It was that sexy smile I remembered very well, except his boyish looks had become manlier and sharper.
That smile on him now did things to my body that I’d rather not acknowledge.
“Phoebe, no one calls me Dr. and please don’t start calling me Dr. Phoebe. Sounds likeDr. Philor something.” I glossed over the compliment, or rather his obvious flirting, opting for safer grounds.
He chuckled. “If I had a title like that everyone would have to call me Dr.”
I rocked back on my heels. “Does everyone call you lieutenant? Lieutenant Tai?”
A satisfied glint came into his eyes making them gleam as he gazed at me.
It was Dad who gave me more context to how well Tai did as a Marine, and that he became a lieutenant. He didn’t say much more than that but it was enough.
I was proud to hear he’d accomplished so much.
“They don’t. Lieutenant doesn’t have the same ring to it as Dr.”
“Lieutenant sounds better”
“Doesn’t sound better.”
“You don’t think so Lieutenant Tai?”
“Came natural to me. Like adventure.” His face brightened.
“Adventure. We used to use that word to explain everything.” Because Dad and Akito threw it around like it could explain everything indeed. Everything that meant something.
If one of them had gotten some accomplishment during the course of their work it was all down to adventure. If one of them had done something outlandish like seeing how many time they could climb Mt. Fuji while we were here, it was because adventure made them do it.
“That word got us in trouble.”
“You more than me.” I pointed out laughing. When the laughter escaped my lips it felt so effortless.
“Yes, because of you.”
I grimaced even though I knew that was true. “No …you didn’t.”
His smile widened. “Great, she doesn’t remember how much my ass got in trouble for her craziness, and ability to break bones with ease.”
I opened my mouth to protest but couldn’t. He was right again, but I didn’t want to admit it.
