As she reached the antechamber, Kaori found Oroshi waiting for her, the very picture of the perfect gentleman. He had not waited long, for she was quite punctual, but he had waited nevertheless, and she apologized. He gave her a friendly smile and bowed with practiced elegance. She answered in kind. The niceties out of the way, he took in her appearance. One by one, his gaze found and noted the details of her attire. He smiled approvingly, a gleam of admiration in his eyes. She felt truly validated and any lingering doubts over her bold fashion choices vanished.

  It’s remarkable what some men can convey with a simple glance. Most were entirely oblivious, barely noticing a new haircut. Oroshi missed nothing.

  He wore a pair of immaculate white pants and a tight-fitting navy shirt highlighting his broad shoulders and large chest. Oroshi exuded raw power and unambiguous masculinity, a rare quality in modern Japanese men. She returned his smile—the man was looking good.

  He bowed lightly, accepting the unspoken compliment and headed toward the elevator.

  “Aren’t we going out?”

  “Of course, but my helicopter is on the roof. Or we could take a limousine if you prefer, but I’m afraid the traffic is quite dense at this hour.”

  “Helicopter it is. Where are we going?”

  “Shh. It’s a surprise.”

  He lead the way to the roof without the slightest bit of hesitation. Oroshi is very familiar with father’s mansion, she realized. He must have visited her father more often than she thought.

  Surprise was the keyword indeed, for when they arrived at the helicopter, she was shocked to see him climb in the pilot seat. He gestured for her to join him in the copilot seat and placed the helmet on her head, making sure it was tucked tight, but not painfully so. His movements were deliberate and precise, filling her with confidence. Oroshi knew what he was doing. He strapped his own helmet and spoke into his microphone. The noise of the rotor vanished and she could hear him as clearly as if they were alone on a desert island. No sound but his deep voice. This felt intimate in a way she had not anticipated.

  The helicopter took off, and he gave her a lazy tour of Tokyo. Looking down, she could see he had been right about the traffic. Instead, they soared in the skies, admiring the city in the soft lights of the afternoon. She quickly realized they were headed toward the shore. His control of the helicopter was impeccable, and as he flew them to their destination, she took the opportunity to steal a good look at him. He truly was a handsome man, with broad shoulders and a square jaw. Unlike most Japanese men, he wore a neatly trimmed mustache and a well-groomed goatee. She didn’t particularly like facial hair, but for him, it worked.

  He felt her gaze and smiled. She blushed slightly and turned her attention to the sights below. They were now above the ocean.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We are almost there. Do you see that yacht down below? That’s our destination.”

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  They landed smoothly on the helipad at the front of the yacht and he removed her helmet, his hand brushing lightly across her lips as if by accident, and he didn’t seem to notice. Perhaps it was accidental, she thought. He alighted onto the ship in one smooth motion. He didn’t just look strong. He unquestionably was. She followed suit with little difficulty—she was quite the athlete herself.

  “Welcome aboard the Emerald Eyes, my lady,” he said with a genial smile and an exaggerated bow, prompting her to reciprocate.

  “Thanks you so much, good sir.”

  He laughed frankly. Seconds later, a valet arrived to guide them to a salon overlooking the sea and they sat, ordering cocktails.

  Oroshi was not the first rich man to try and woo her with opulence—in fact it was the most common approach as far as she could tell, but he did it with style and seemed completely oblivious to the luxuries around them, as if such was the natural order of things. That was a welcome change from some less opulent celebrities who tracked and weighted their expenses against the chance of gaining her favors. Oroshi was every bit as rich as she was however, and these things were natural to them both.

  They were barely through introducing themselves when the ship bucked, hitting a wave. She heard a scream and a loud “flop,” as if something heavy had fallen in the water. Her gaze scanned her surroundings and she noticed that an old man with a cane was missing. She screamed in realization, pointing toward the sea. Oroshi reacted even faster, springing to his feet and rushing to the side. Twenty feet below, the old man was splashing water frantically. Oroshi seized a buoy and tossed it a short distance from the man. He screamed “Man overboard” as he tore the shirt of his back and plunged in the sea below just as Kaori arrived by his side.

  His arms pierced cleanly through the water and seconds later, his muscular back surfaced a short distance from the buoy. He grabbed it and swam energetically to the old man, securing him just as he was about to go under. He threaded the man’s arms through the hole of the buoy, and having secured him, held the rope firmly in his left hand. The sea was a bit choppy, but he had everything under control. Kaori released a sigh of relief, captivated by the action below.

  His move had been foolish but brave and resolute. She was used to sailing, and “man overboard” was a well-known contingency. You never jumped, for if you did, you now had two men overboard, making the situation that much worse. However, as the old man was clearly not up to the task of swimming to the buoy, his reaction might have been the right one, and it spoke volumes for his character.

  By now, the crew had rushed to the rescue, lowering an emergency raft next to them and a few minutes later, they were back on board. The old man was shivering with cold while Oroshi carefully dried him off with a large fluffy towel. Oroshi’s torso was still bare and wet. He looked every bit like a fitness model from the cover of a magazine, only better, for he didn’t need Photoshop to look amazing.

  The rest of the date was spent caring for the old man and listening to his stories. Back in his days, if a man had done what Oroshi did, he would have certainly received a citation for bravery, the man rambled. Oroshi seemed mildly embarrassed by the praise, which she found extremely cute. By the time he took her back to the mansion, she almost felt like resting her head on his shoulder.

  For the first time ever, she got the sense that she had some catching up to do. The man was just... amazing. They bowed to each other to end of the date, and he left politely, ever the perfect gentleman. A slight smile illuminated her visage as she recalled the afternoon.

  That was the man her father had found? She was a lucky girl indeed.

  I wonder what he'll do for the next date, she thought with a grin. It'd be hard to top saving a man's life.