by Staci Hart
“I promise.”
Her face softened, and a tentative smile passed her lips. “Then I suppose the only question is your place, or mine?”
Kim stepped into the elevator of Katsu’s hotel, her pulse thundering in her ears as he stepped in behind her.
I cannot believe I’m doing this.
She twined her hands behind her back and squeezed until her knuckles hurt.
Katsu could feel the anticipation in the air around them as the elevator climbed. He couldn’t believe that she had agreed. His guilt over asking so much of her hung over him, pressed down on him, but he had to ask, not ever really believing that she would say yes.
The elevator doors opened, and he reached for her hand. When she looked up at him, his worries and guilt fell away. All that was left was her.
He led her down the hallway to his door, unlocking it swiftly. They stepped in, and he closed the door behind him.
She walked into the dim suite and laid her purse on the couch, taking in the beautiful space. The lights of the strip were bright beyond the wall of windows, and she could see the dark silhouette of the mountains in the distance. She felt him behind her and turned, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. He pushed her hair over her shoulder and trailed his knuckles down her arm.
“Are you sure, Kim?”
“I’m sure.”
He cupped her face, searching it as he leaned in. “I am a selfish man to ask this of you. But I must. I will give you all that I can, everything in my power. I will give it all to you, if you will be mine.”
She tilted her face to his and whispered, “I already am.”
He closed his eyes and brushed his lips to hers, and she wound herself around him as his heart opened, and he gave himself to her.
His hands moved down her body as they kissed, and all of her doubts faded. None of it mattered. In that moment, she knew for certain that she would take whatever he could give her, whenever he could give it. She didn’t know why, and she didn’t care.
She broke away from him and took a step back. “Sit,” she said, and he did. He watched from the couch as she reached around to unzip her dress, dropping it down her long arms and legs to fall to the floor in a heap. His eyes climbed from her black high heels, up the line of her legs in black stockings, to her black garters. The curve of her white hips ended in black lace, her breasts heaving in her lacy bra, her lids heavy as her eyes sparkled behind thick lashes.
She stepped toward him and slid her knee next to his hip, moving her other leg between his. She ran her hands from his shoulders to his chest, then slipped them under his suit jacket and pushed it down his arms. As soon as the jacket fell away, his fingers skimmed her stomach, then moved around to her back as he looked up at her.
Her lips were full, and he wanted them, barely able to wait as she slid the knot of his tie down. The sound of the silk running through his collar was all he could hear. She unbuttoned his shirt slowly, her eyes widening as she saw his tattoos. When she touched the skin on his chest, his heart pumped so hard he thought he might pass out.
She ran her hands under his shirt and around his shoulders, baring his chest and arms, and her breath hitched at the sight. His entire torso was covered in tattoos, with the exception of a small strip of skin down his sternum. She traced her fingers along the swirls and clouds, across the black scales, the dragon on his ribs, his shoulders, winding around his arms to stop at his wrists. It was like magnificent armor, and she wondered if that was its intention, to protect him.
Her hands found their way back to his face, and she ran them up his jaw and into his hair as she bent down, her hair a curtain all around them. He slipped his hand into the curve of her neck, his thumb on her cheek as he pulled her to him.
Their lips touched again, and she straddled him, lying all her weight on him, grateful that he held her up as her legs went weak. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close as he leaned forward, tipping her back to kiss her neck.
He shifted and stood, and her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her to the bed, laid her down and climbed up to hover over her, their eyes locking as they caught their breath. He cupped her cheek, then ran his hand down her neck, his fingers skating across her collarbone, his gaze following his hand with appreciation. When he grazed the edge of her bra and dipped his finger in, skimming her nipple, she closed her eyes and gasped.
His hands moved down her body, memorizing every inch of her, not wanting to wait but taking his time all the same. He laid soft kisses down her torso and slipped his hands under her garter straps, clenching his fingers as he dragged them to the hem of her stockings. He unclipped one and rolled it down her long leg, down to her heel and made his way down, trailing slow, hot kisses from her thigh to the inside of her knee, down her calf to her foot, lingering on the arch. Her toes curled against his cheek.
He moved up her body again, unclipping the other stocking, watching her as she watched him and wound her naked leg around him, flexing to urge him on. But he wouldn’t be rushed as he removed her stocking, reverently kissing her leg in the wake of his fingers until he’d had his fill, and climbed up to meet her.
She reached for him, pulling him close as their lips found each other again. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him to her as they moved together. But she didn’t want to wait. She twisted and rolled them over, then sat straddled across his hips. Her eyes never left his as she reached back and unclasped her bra, slid it down her arms, and dropped it off the foot of the bed.
She ran her hands down the muscles of his chest, the ridges of his stomach, all covered in his beautiful tattoos, to his belt. She pulled it open, unzipped his pants, and saw that the tattoos kept going. She slid her hands down his hips, and he lifted his body as she pulled his pants off, tossing them onto the floor. Her hands ran all the way up his thighs as she climbed up the bed, her fingers skimming across his length. She brought her lips inches from him, her breath heavy.
He looked down at her, her eyes hot, her hips in the air behind her, and when she ran her tongue up his shaft, a moan passed his lips. She took him into her mouth, and he dropped his head back. His fists wound in the bedding as she pulled his legs close to her, and she took him, her breasts pressed against the insides of his thighs. It was too much. He slipped a hand into her hair and said her name, and she released him to crawl up his body.
He grabbed her face with both hands as she hovered over him before rolling her onto her side. He kissed down her chest, taking her soft breasts into his hands, into his mouth as her fingers ran through his hair. When he broke away to kick off his pants, she wiggled out of her garter belt and panties, and when their bodies pressed together again, they were whole.
He touched her as they kissed, his fingers moving down her body, gliding across the soft skin low on her stomach, around to the inside of her thigh. And when he touched her, slipped his finger inside, she gasped, rolling her body against his hand.
When he let her go, he shifted to lay between her legs.
“Wait,” she gasped.
His heart fell. “What is wrong?”
She smiled as she panted. “Nothing, hang on.”
He watched her cross the room to her purse. She dug around and climbed back into bed, holding up the small foil packet.
He smiled back, relieved, and took it from her.
“Lie down,” he said, and she obeyed.
Her pale body lay curved on the bed, her knees to the side. Her hair fanned out around her, her hands tangled in it, and he knew he would never forget the way she looked in that moment, not as long as he lived.
He knelt before her on the foot of the bed, his face unreadable, full of emotion. Her eyes traveled down the bare strip of skin on his chest, the rest of his tattooed body dark against the night. His hands moved to place the condom on his crown, and her pulse raced as he used both hands to roll it down his length.
He leaned forward, pushing his hand into the bed beside her as his fingers trailed down
the planes of her stomach, down the length of her thigh to her knee, and moved her legs apart, laying his body between them, touching her softly again. When he pushed himself into her, she gasped, eyes going wide before they rolled back, her lids heavy as her body arched, her chin tilted to the ceiling. He bent to kiss her neck, his heart banging against his ribs, and as they moved together, came together, he knew he wanted only her, forever.
Good Luck
DITA DANCED AROUND HER LIVING room to her favorite Prince song, her high ponytail swinging as Bisoux nipped at her legwarmers. The elevator dinged, and Perry bounced into the room, giggling.
“We’re not gonna let the elevator bring…us…down,” Dita pointed at her as they sang, “Oh no, let’s go,” and they went crazy all over Dita’s living room.
When the song ended, they collapsed onto the couch, giggling.
“Will there ever be a time when I don’t love this album?” Perry asked over the music.
“Gods, I hope not.” Dita yelled.
Perry turned down the volume on her boom box and picked up the cassette case, inspecting Prince’s motorcycle. “He is so hot in a weird, skinny way.” She smacked her gum and turned to Dita. “By the way, Katsu and Kim are so totally awesome.”
“I know. I’m going to have to watch my back though. Once Hera figures out what’s going on, she’s going to flip out.”
“What do you think she’ll do?”
“I don’t know. Probably something useless and definitely something brainless. But I need to keep an eye on Kim and Katsu, and Yuki too. If I’m not paying attention, Hera could do some damage.”
Perry shifted, pulling her fishnet legs into lotus. “I’m so glad that you got Katsu with Kim. But I feel sorry for Yuki.”
“What? Why?”
“She’s obviously a product of her environment. She never had any rules, was never told no or made to mind. That only breeds ugliness. Like Ares.”
“True. And it doesn’t help that Hera has made Yuki’s lovelife a personal crusade. But honestly, she’s done some really horrible things.”
“Now, this I haven’t heard.” Perry settled back into the couch, making herself comfortable.
“Well,” Dita said eagerly, “like when they were first married, they were together all the time, and as long as he was paying attention to her, everything was fine. But as soon as he got busy with work, her psycho came out. Like, one time, she stormed into his office yelling and screaming, looking for his ‘mistress.’ They were in a board room with a half dozen business associates.”
“Oh my gods.”
“Yeah. And from that point, Katsu started to see. The last straw was when she faked a pregnancy.”
“No,” Perry breathed.
“Yes. When he started to pull away, she freaked. It was so painful to watch. Katsu was so happy that she was pregnant, making a huge deal over her. He insisted on going with her to the doctor, and wouldn’t relent, so she tried to pay the doc to lie to him. A clan doctor.”
“Fucking idiot.”
“The doctor called Katsu and told him the truth. He was so crushed, so hurt. He went straight home and confronted her. It was awful. He left and stayed in a hotel for a week, and when he came back, he moved into a spare room. They never slept in the same bed again, though not for lack of her trying. She’s constantly trying to get close to him, throwing tantrums, trying to seduce him. She’ll do anything for his attention, good or bad. It’s the closest thing she knows to love. It’s the only way she was able to get any response from her parents.”
“See? I still feel bad for her.”
“But Perry, you have to understand that she could have made a choice. She knows. Deep down, she knows that she’s wrong. She’s spoiled and childish, a narcissist. She won’t take responsibility. She’s been working hard every single day to manipulate Katsu and his feelings, since the day she first met him.”
Perry’s brow furrowed. “My feelings are very confused.”
“I know. He really did try. At first, there was a spark of love there. I saw it. But I knew it wouldn’t last. Yuki doesn’t know how to love. Katsu was sympathetic, caring, always trying to understand her, to give her what she wanted and needed. But she’s an emotional black hole. I don’t think she knew how to handle having someone in her life who actually treated her with respect, so she shit in her Easter basket. Ruined it on purpose.”
“What took you so long to help him?”
“He wasn’t ready. He needed time to make peace with his situation. Plus, I didn’t want to pick on Hera unduly.”
Perry snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“I know you all think that I have it out for her.” Perry eyed Dita, and she backpedalled. “Okay, I mean, if I’m being honest, I do have it out for her. But only because of our baggage. She has it out for me, for sure, but my beef is more with Zeus. Hera just gets the unfortunate byproducts. Plus, she stands for things I don’t believe in, like marriage. ”
“And monogamy?”
Dita rolled her eyes. “Having respectful relationships doesn’t necessarily require sexual exclusivity. It works for some people, but no one inspires that in me. I’ve lived forever, but I don’t have a forever person. I’m just not sure that exists for me.”
“Well, I know Ares isn’t your forever person. But Adonis?”
“I don’t really have him, do I?”
Perry lay a hand over Dita’s and squeezed. “That’s up to interpretation.”
“Anyway, it’s Katsu’s turn for happiness. Let’s just hope that Hera doesn’t go nuclear when she finds out.”
“Oh, she’s going to go nuclear. Just make sure you’re watching so you can airdrop gas masks.”
———— New York ————
Katsu gazed out the Town Car window at the buildings rolling by. New York felt different. Everything felt different. He hadn’t wanted to leave Las Vegas. Really, he didn’t want to leave Kim.
He spent every moment with her that he could, and the fates had smiled on him. Nakano had calmed down. Nothing eventful happened, and the crew spent the remainder of the week lounging by the pool or sleeping. Katsu, in turn, spent most of the week in Kim’s arms.
His driver pulled into the parking garage, and Katsu made his way up to Tanaka Hayate’s office.
Katsu pushed open the heavy, wooden doors, and Tanaka sat at his mahogany desk with his secretary in a chair across from him. He stood when Katsu entered.
“Ah, Katsu.” He waved of his secretary. “That’s all, for now,” he said, and the young man stood and bowed before leaving the room.
Tanaka sat on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. “Come, son. Sit.”
Katsu was tense, though he was certain his outward appearance revealed nothing. Tanaka smiled, as Katsu took a seat in a large, leather chair.
“Tell me about Vegas.”
“Fine, nothing to note. Did you receive my reports?”
“Yes, yes. Disappointing.”
Katsu’s eyes dropped to the ground.
“Oh, not you, Katsu. I just hoped that we would see more from Nakano. Would you like to know why you were sent to watch him?”
“If you wish to tell me, yes.”
Tanaka opened a box of cigars on his desk and pulled out a trimmer. “Nakano, I suspect, is dealing behind my back. I have contacts in Las Vegas who say he is feeding information to another clan about our business, using the city as a cover for their meetings.” He clipped off the end of the cigar, picked up a shiny metal lighter, and flipped it open with a snick. “I need someone I trust to find out for sure. Naturally, I thought of you.” Tanaka struck the flint and puffed heavily on his cigar as it caught. “I had hoped that he would be stupid enough to act out in the open, but it seems that you will need to dig deeper.”
Tanaka took a puff and blew the smoke out in a cloud. “He frequents Las Vegas, and will be there often. Find a condo there. Get a car. Use whatever resources you need to set up an operation. Follow him and find out who he i
s sharing information with. And once that is discovered, you will collect them both and retrieve as much information as you can.”
Katsu resisted the urge to swallow hard. “Yes, boss.”
“I hope that Kimberly Riggs will not be an issue for you.”
His numb hands were his only reaction as adrenaline shot through him at the sound of her name. “No, boss.”
Tanaka’s face softened along with his voice, full of empathy. “Katsu, I know my daughter. No man would want her, not even in his bed, as beautiful as she is. She is far too much trouble, and I understand your marriage. Mine is much the same. It is not easy to live in a marriage without love. Have your fun. But keep Yuki quiet. If she finds out you have taken a lover, never mind a mistress, she will be … displeased. She is now yours to handle. You have released me of her responsibility.”
“Yes, boss.”
Tanaka stood and gave Katsu a smile bordering on pity. “Good luck. You will need it.”
As Katsu rode back to his apartment, he felt lighter, glad that Tanaka knew about Kim. He would see her again, soon and often. If he were in Japan and took a mistress, there would have been consequences, and he was still shocked that Tanaka hadn’t been displeased. Comfort women were the norm in Japan, not finding a woman to love. And he did. He loved Kim, as crazy as it was in such a short time. He needed her. And he would have her, as long as she was willing to make the sacrifice for him.
The Masks We Wear
KATSU STEPPED OUT OF THE Town Car and extended his hand to help Yuki out. Her white, satin-gloved hand slipped into his, and she slipped out, the red velvet of her dress sweeping behind her. She tucked her arm into the crook of his, and they made their way up the stairs of the Met.