No Ordinary Love (9 page)

Fuck you, old man.

I blew out a long breath.

Kenji said he’d give me alternatives to his commands, but how far would he go? If he asks me to do something I don’t want to do, I just won’t.

I tapped my foot and considered the deal again. He'd offered me access to his club and others in the district as long as he stood by my side. That didn’t sound bad. I doubted anybody would want to bother me with him around. And I'd probably get even more information than I would have without him. It could be stuff that might blow the world away.

If that happens, then panties wouldn't be a bad cost.

Kenji had also claimed we would only be dating.
Sure.
And then he asked me for my panties. I returned to pacing. Getting involved with a gangster would be dangerous
.
Yet, excitement shivered through me. He was hot. Sculpted perfection if I was dead serious with myself. Zo would probably cheer me on.

Maybe. Hmm. No way. Not Zo. He would just say that I needed to deal with my daddy issues and give up the book, or some equally stupid psychological crap like that. I guess what I need to figure out is if I could date Kenji.

The dating would only be temporary. Three weeks, at the most. We’d probably go out to eat, see the city, and maybe, if he continued to behave, have sex. This wasn’t the first time I’d visited a country and had a fling with a hot foreign guy. I was no virgin or prude, guarding her vagina from the big bad penises of the world. I enjoyed a man’s attention, relished in a confident lover, and adored the feel of a man moving inside of me.

This can’t be that bad. I would be safe. I think. If I didn’t feel safe, I’d end the dating instantly. No problem. Right?

I looked at myself in the mirror, shrugged at my reflection, and considered what Dad used to say, back in the day, when Mom didn't drown in tears and Dad was Dad, not a monster.

“No success comes from the fear of losing, so just jump in and try to survive.”

Yanking up my dress, I slipped off my panties, folded them in as tiny a square as I could, put my shoes back on, and went outside to hand my silky undies to the Dragon.

Chapter 9

NYOMI

How do you give a man your panties in a restaurant without seeming like a slut?

Here I was, heading to Kenji, that bit of silk concealed in my closed hand. With each step, cool air brushed against the area between my legs, tantalizing my center. Had he hoped for a thrill to skitter against my flesh? Was the act of giving him my panties some sort of dominance rush that he relished in? I had no doubt Kenji enjoyed pushing people's limits, or maybe he just did what he wanted and didn't care about the other person's reaction.

What do you get out of this?

He sat there at the table and sipped his sake as if it was a regular night. His men stood close. Their gazes followed me as I headed back. How many times had they watched a woman offer her underwear to their boss?
With his looks and swagger, I bet a lot.
Panties meant sex, and I was demanding that there wouldn't be anything more, while giving him my undies. The words “bullshit” and “contradictory” spun around in my head.

I guess I'm a twister of reality just like Dad.

Kenji rose when I approached. His gaze shifted to my closed hand as I tried to conceal the panties as much as possible. Once I got in front of him, I raised one finger. “I’ll date you, but if I don’t like the situation or feel unsafe, then we’re done dating.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched. “Okay.”

“If I’m doing this, then I want my money back from Jun.”

His face transformed to an angry mask. His eyes filled with rage. “What money?”

I inched back and swore heat rose in the room. “The money I gave Jun to do the research in the first place.”

“He charged you?” Kenji asked.

“Yes.”

Seething, he rubbed his chin as, second by second, the calm man from earlier zipped away at the center and revealed the monstrous creature within.
Shit.
I edged back some more. What a thing to behold, a mad Kenji. Like a dragon, he rose in the air. I could imagine hisbright gold scales pushing out of the surface. Blood-red glazed over his eyes. Smoke pushed out of his nostrils. My flesh trembled as the place heated and filled with thickening smoke.

Thank God Zo can’t see this. He would be pissing himself.

Even Kenji’s voice rushed out in a rumbled tone. “How much did you give Jun?”

“Five thousand dollars.”

“When?”

“The day before yesterday. He promised me access to Castle in the Sky.”

Kenji no longer stood before me. I talked to the Dragon now as he exchanged glances with a short guy, dressed in black and standing a few tables away. Kenji blew fire as he spat out Japanese to the man in black. The guy smirked and left.

“What's going on?” I asked. “What is he going to do?”

“Get your money back,” Kenji said.

“In a nice way?” I watched the man storm off. My heartbeats increased and boomed in my ears.

“Yes. In a nice way.” Kenji's relaxed expression returned. Just like that, the Dragon had left. In its place stood the succulent man that had been seducing me ever since I met him.

“No one’s going to hurt Jun?” I asked.

“Of course not.”

“I don't believe you.”

“Many don't.”

“Look. I don't want anyone to get hurt.”

He slanted his face to the side. “What do you mean? Why would you think someone would get hurt?”

I bit my lip. “I'm just saying that I wouldn't want Jun to get injured because of me.”

“He won't.” Kenji moved his attention to my hand. “Can I have what belongs to me?”

I twisted my lips in confusion. “What?”

“Your panties.”

“First tell me what you're going to do to Jun.”

“I already told you.” Step by step, he took his time coming to me. “Nothing is going to happen to him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” He lifted my hand, gently opened it, and slowly pulled the panties away from my fingers. The silky material skimmed along my skin and delivered a nice shiver through my core. The whole time he gazed at me with hungry eyes.

“I think I would love this color of red against your rich skin.” He glided his thumb along the silk and let it travel along the lacey outline.
Mmmm
. With each second of heat pulsing between us, I wished he would caress me like he touched my panties.

“They’re damp,” he whispered.

I blushed. “Don't you think that's rude to say when holding someone's underwear?”

“That depends. What made you so wet, my Little Tora?”

“None of your business.”

“Next time I hold your panties, I want to be slipping them off.”

I swallowed in my nervousness. “We won’t have sex.”

“No?” He stepped closer to me. “Surely we can compromise.”

“Maybe.” Every cell in my body begged to move in and slide my frame against his, but I ignored my hormones and edged back. “There won't be any compromising unless I decide I want it.”

“You will.” He lifted my panties to his nose and breathed in my scent. “Oishii manko.”

“What does that mean?”

He stuffed the panties in his pocket. “Wear panties every date and give them to me, please.”

“That’s a lot of panties.”

“I’ll buy you new ones.”

“I don’t know about all of that.”

“Can I kiss you?”

My mouth dropped open. He was moving too fast, stirring fog up in my head and not giving me time to think his actions through.

“No kissing,” I said.

“Why not?”

Why not? Umm
…
remember, Nyomi. You don’t know him and
…
something else. Oh yes, he’s dangerous.

“I don’t want to.”

“You do.” He stepped toward me. “Your panties are wet. You’ve already let me kiss you before, and I know for a fact that we both enjoyed it. You whimpered.”

“I don’t whimper. I'm from Brooklyn. We roar.”

He smirked. I was starting to hate that little confident expression of his.

“Then maybe you let out a tiny moan instead?” he asked.

An image of that kiss washed over me. Those sensations returned—his tongue gliding so skillfully along my mouth. So quick, I had no time to flee. So hot, I yearned for him to keep his mouth on mine.

Why am I not going to kiss him again?

“Surely, you can kiss a person without danger or consequences arising.” He licked those full, delicious lips. “I’m gentle, and with you, I would take my time and make sure to pay attention to all of your needs.”

“Are we still talking about a kiss?”

“Maybe.” He captured me with those solid arms and kissed me for several long, delicious seconds. My mind went dizzy with him. My breathing increased to panting. Every cell in my body yearned for him to never stop, to just keep kissing.

There were particular things that really good lovers possessed. Rhythm was one of them, and Kenji’s tongue danced along my mouth as if he’d been exploring my lips for years. In and out, his tongue swirled and then dived back in, triggering the area between my thighs to moisten some more. At this rate, I’d need to rush to the bathroom and clean up.

Who am I kidding? I’m probably going to have sex with him. If he can kiss like this, what else can he do?

When he came up for air, he slipped his face along the side of mine and nibbled my earlobe. “Will you wear the tiger around your neck?”

“Yes,” I murmured, still trying to gain control of myself.

“I don’t want you to date anyone else.”

“Fine. I’ll only be here for a few weeks anyway.”

“Maybe, or maybe not.” He seized my lips and kissed me so hard I thought I would melt into a puddle of lust.

I can't keep kissing him like this. I can't.

But his lips pushed against mine in soft brushes that thrilled my mouth and toyed my nipples. I'd kissed others after knowing them for only short amounts of time. Traveling as much as I did for small journals and magazines kept me in short relationships with many men. I'd barely be living in my apartment for longer than a month before flying off to this place or that, in an effort to find a great story for a freelance article or get some inspiration for a book. I'd picked up men in bars, taken them back to a nice hotel on neutral ground, and then made carefree love until my body couldn't take anymore. Some numbers I kept. Others I threw a way. I loved, like I lived, with reckless abandon and no overthinking.

So why am I so scared with this one?

Sure, he was dangerous, but they all were. Every man that made me swoon had a dark past and a threatening light radiating from his skin. Each one reeked of power. All took their courting of me farther than the average man. It was what turned me on. Zo claimed I had a weakness for bad guys. Daddy issues and all that other jazz.

But this one is more lethal than the rest. The others played at being gangster. This one is the real thing.

It thrilled my body and bogged my mind down with fear. Kenji's presence was too intense, but for whatever reason I couldn't talk myself out of keeping him at bay. I could see our future laid out ahead of us. There would be no happy ending, no Cinderella story, not even
Beauty and the Beast
. Sure, some unknown magic ran between us, but it flowed out dark and erotic, and twisted my insides into hot, sensual knots that would never be undone.

I can’t take this too far. No way.

I could see it all. Him and I deserted in this battered land, where secrets remained buried, and tears hid under lies. He would be the beast that this city had nicknamed him to be—a dragon roaring in front of me, pushing out bright orange flames from his nostrils, and stomping my way. And I wouldn’t run. I knew me enough to admit that to myself. If he came in full form and sexual power, I would just stand there like a statue, the rising temperature sweltering my skin as desire flooded my core.

God, this isn't a good idea.

And when he came close enough to gobble me up, still I wouldn’t flee. He would be too much. Those gold scales would glimmer. His claws would be too sharp and dotted with blood. And instead of freaking me out, it would all turn me on even more. I imagined his mouth open, fangs glowing in the moonlit sky.

Is this book really worth it all?

Lust would rumble from his monstrous throat as he soared down on me. My nipples would pebble while want drummed through to my hungry pussy.

How bad could dating him be?

And he would devour me whole and lather my flesh with pleasure, the whole time the earth vibrating under him, and I, screaming out moans.

Fuck.

Clearing my throat, I stepped away from him and walked over to our table. “I don’t want to kiss anymore.”

“Anymore tonight, or ever?”

“Ever.”

He frowned. “Is there a reason for this?”

“The kiss just didn’t do it for me.”

A chuckle escaped his lips. “Interesting.”

“I’m serious.”

“Of course.”

We sat down right as the waitress brought out a large tray of lovely pieces of raw fish.

The rest of the evening went well. It seemed Kenji and I had some things in common. We both loved hip-hop and fancied ourselves rappers when we were kids.

He tapped a cloth napkin on his lips. “So tell me about Brooklyn.”

“How did you know I was from there?”

“You mentioned it earlier and”—he shrugged—“I’ve been reading your book.”

I dropped one of my chopsticks. “Why?”

“Why not?” He pushed our now empty tray to the edge of the table. The waitress hurried to our area and picked it up. He spouted something to her in Japanese and then returned to me. “I figure you have a sweet tooth. She’s bringing over a dessert menu.”

I leaned back in my chair. Unease sat in my stomach. “Why are you reading my book?”