“Come inside,” she urged gently, taking his hand in hers. “Spend some time with us.”
“Us?” he said raggedly, unable to hide the crack in his voice. He wondered again if she was indeed married and now he was going to have to face her husband. He couldn’t do it. He felt like he’d lost so much in his father passing and now he was going to lose his best friend to some unknown man before he’d ever had a chance with her.
“Us. Your mother, Edo, his wife Aiko, and their baby boy,” she explained, smiling up at him. “I want to cheer you up a bit and thought I would do it American-style.”
“What?”
“Aaron let’s go inside,” she urged, pulling him towards the boardwalk. His legs began moving of their own accord as she walked beside him. He didn’t even watch where they were walking, but rather stared at her profile feeling such longing – knowing it was probably a waste. She had a large flower pinned to her head that had a cascade of little bells and tiny flowers down behind her ear. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was but they were suddenly inside the house.
…And he was trailing sand inside.
His mother would be highly upset!
“No- I can’t,” he said quickly, backing out and tugging her with him. Stepping back out onto the boardwalk that surrounded the house, he immediately dipped one foot into the hot spring that ran along the house feeding into the pool, and then the other. Jemma grinned at him and grabbed the post to keep her balance, quickly mimicking him.
“I didn’t even think about the sand. You must have done this a few times before, haven’t you?”
“Yes, my mother keeps a very tidy home for my…” his voice trailed off and Jemma immediately smiled encouragingly.
“She does indeed. C’mon inside,” she said again, taking his hand.
She slid open the doorway once again, grinning over her shoulder as an array of scents filled the air. He saw his mother was there, pouring tea and chatting with a few people. He recognized his personal driver, Edo, nearby and didn’t think anything of it. He’d been instructed to take Jemma wherever she wanted while she was in Japan. The woman and child must be Edo’s family. Each cushion had someone on it and there were two empty cushions beside each other… for Jemma and her husband, he thought and felt a burst of pain in his heart.
“Jemma,” he whispered, knowing he couldn’t do this while his emotions were so raw. He couldn’t see her smiling and laughing at some man right now.
“What’s wrong? Come have dinner with us,” she whispered. “I made something from home. It’s a chicken, noodle, and cheese casserole. We do this back home to comfort the family when there is a loved one that passes.”
“What is the C for,” he asked bluntly, his dark eyes raking over hers as they stood there in the doorway. “JemC1995”
“Candace, my middle name. Why do you ask?”
Chapter 15
Her heart was pounding in her chest when she saw Aaron standing there all alone in front of the turbulent ocean. It was as if his environment knew what he was feeling or thinking. The wind was whipping him occasionally and causing the pick to wobble in her hair, slapping her face with the small flowers that hung down. He needed to be comforted, to find his place, and realize he still had people around him that cared.
As she brought him to the house, he seemed to hesitate a few times – pulling back as if he was afraid. It was breaking her heart knowing that this strong, handsome man who’d always been there when she needed to talk felt like he couldn’t walk into his own house. The memories must be absolutely shattering his soul and how do you recover from that? she wondered silently.
“What is the C for,” he asked bluntly, his dark eyes raking over hers as they stood there in the doorway. “JemC1995”
“Candace, my middle name. Why do you ask?”
At her words, he caught his breath and simply stood there motionless. Jemma was fully aware that in that moment there were two different environments around them. One was warm, welcoming, full of family and friends… the other was turbulent, lonely, isolated and rugged. It was simply a matter of which one Aaron wanted to be a part of and if he was ready to begin healing.
“And Hastings?” he murmured, his expression stony, but the intensity in his eyes was telling, making her melt in supreme satisfaction. He was trying to ask if she was married!
“I’m not married, Aaron,” she whispered, looking at him directly in the eyes. His brown eyes seemed to melt before her and she felt a warmth blossom in her body, knowing that he was interested in her. “Come sit with me if you want to.”
Jemma dropped his hand and stepped into the house. It was only seconds before she heard the door being closed right behind her. She fought the urge to turn around and see if he was there or if he’d remained outside, separating them. She didn’t have long to wait as she moved to take her seat on the zabuton cushion, joining everyone else.
“My mother used to make this for dinner when I was a girl. I haven’t had good old comfort food like this in such a long time.” Margaret’s eyes were on her son, smiling.
“Mom still makes it but sometimes she’ll put tuna in there instead. She will usually make a large pan for themselves and freeze leftovers or send me home with half of it to snack on during the week.” Grabbing a large serving spoon, Jemma dug into the casserole and put several scoops on each person’s plate. Aiko looked at the meal curiously as Edo translated Jemma’s words to his wife.
“Back home, when there is a funeral – American families will bring fried chicken, hearty pasta dishes, or barbeque to the family. We feed grief for some reason, and it tends to work. Nothing like a good ‘ol food coma to make your body rest so you can cope with things,” Jemma explained quickly, feeling nervous at how quiet Aaron was beside her. She was keenly aware of him being there and how large his presence was in the room to her. He picked up his fork and took a bite, chewing silently. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Well?”
“It’s good.”
“Aiko said it’s really delicious,” Edo interrupted and picked up his own fork. At that point, it got silent in the house and everyone seemed to be focused on their plates.
“I was kinda nervous at how it would turn out and trying to find the right ingredients. Aiko helped me with most of it and allowed me to use her kitchen to make this and a dessert for us.”
“You are welcome here,” Aaron said quietly beside her, taking another bite and not looking at anyone. His mother glanced up in surprise at her son and then at Jemma. Edo translated for his wife and Aiko’s face widened as she smiled happily at her husband’s words. She started to speak to her husband who quickly hushed her.
“Yes, Jemma – you are welcome here at any time. In fact, I know it’s getting late. You are all welcome to stay for the evening. You left last time and I appreciate you giving us a bit of time to ourselves.”
“Of course! I didn’t think you would want a bunch of guests hanging around or underfoot.”
“Certainly- thank you again, but I agree with my son. You should all stay the evening and enjoy our home.”
Edo spoke with his wife, who pointed at their son quickly. Margaret spoke up and then smiled at Jemma.
“They wanted to know if I had a crib for their son.”
“I didn’t think about that. None of us have toiletries or changes of clothing. It’s not that far of a drive back to Kyoto,” Jemma countered, and felt Aaron suddenly touch her hand.
“Stay… please,” he asked quietly.
Dinner finished up quickly and everyone remained around the small table enjoying a bit of hot tea as well as a chocolate chip cookie. She and Aiko had made them, experimenting with some chopped up Kit-Kat bars they’d found at a small grocery. It was different, giving it a crunchy texture, but Jemma found that she really liked it. Apparently Aaron did too because he didn’t say much, but helped himself to another cookie.
Jemma found that Margaret had taken a definite interest in her, a
sking her about her work and her parents. It was a little unnerving to have the mother of the man she liked asking her so many questions while he sat there silently. She wished that she could take a peek in Aaron’s mind to see what he was thinking. Online, he was so chatty and friendly but in real-life… he was so silent.
Aiko had little Kaito propped against her shoulder as his dark head rested there. The poor toddler was completely exhausted from his day. She said something to Edo and Jemma recognized the word bedroom in Japanese, causing her to glance down at her wristwatch. It was getting late in the evening. Edo thanked Margaret and Aaron for their hospitality but announced that they would be heading out for the night to return home.
“We only have one diaper left and while they have a crib, I do not think it would be wise for us to stay,” he explained politely. “Jemma, I will pick you up when you are ready to depart. Mr. Ichiyo, if you’ve a need, please call.”
Aaron gave a sharp nod of acknowledgement and Margaret followed them to the door. She was suddenly left there with Aaron alone.
“I could head back into town,” Jemma said quietly, feeling nervous.
“My mother would be insulted if everyone rejected her kindness once again. Stay one night, you’ll be safe, and I can show you the town tomorrow,” he explained. “You’ll have this entire building to yourself. We live in the outbuilding that runs beside the boardwalk.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
“Aaron,” Margaret said politely, interrupting them. “I’m going to gather a few things and get a room ready for Jemma. She might like to see the rest of the property.”
“Of course,” he said, getting to his feet. Jemma felt so ungainly as she watched him get up from the cushion in a smooth, solitary movement. He held out his hand and she was grateful for it, and as she got to her feet, she realized that her leg was asleep, giving her a pins-and-needles sensation in her toes.
“I think I was sitting a bit too long.”
“Let’s go for a walk,” he offered, smiling softly at her. He took her hand and lay it on his arm formally, as he slid open the door to allow them out onto the deck.
“Tell me about the hotel,” she encouraged, and listened aptly as he practically recited the history of the building. Due to the age of the structure the ceilings were low, making him look that much taller in her eyes. They circled around the building, walking along the plank walkway that ran the length of the building. It was dark outside but the lanterns that hung every fifteen feet gave off a warm golden glow. She could hear the hot spring gurgling as it bubbled along a creek bed, and shadows of moss clung to the stones.
As they got to the end of the building, instead of walking around the corner, Aaron sat down, pulling up his pants legs. He hung his feet over the boardwalk and put them into the pond. Jemma did the same, taking a seat near him. The feeling of warmth from the water crept into her limbs making her sigh happily. She’d done quite a bit of walking today and the water felt great.
“Each room has a private onsen. If you are sore, you’ll like soaking in it but don’t stay in too long. You can get overheated easily.”
“Thank you. This feels pretty amazing right now.”
“When I was a boy, I used to get upset that the pond didn’t have any fish in it but as I grew, I realized that I was the only kid with something like this in their very backyard,” he admitted and chuckled. “Isn’t it funny how the grass is always greener somewhere else?”
“I understand.”
The two of them got quiet and just sat there, swinging their feet in the warm water that fed into the pond from the hot spring. The house in the distance was in the shadows and served as a windbreak from the ocean air, making the temperature a little warmer as heat seeped up from the water. Jemma felt like this was utterly perfect and realized it was kind of romantic too, but she quickly brushed that thought aside.
“I’m glad you are here,” he admitted softly, staring into the dark water.
“Me too,” she responded easily, glancing at him. Aaron was still staring at the water and looked deep in thought. She was mesmerized by his profile and how attractive he turned out to be. Part of her felt like an idiot wanting to trace his nose or ears with her fingertips, but it was more just the fact that she wanted to touch his face to see if he was real.
“I feel so silly insisting on keeping things a secret from each other for so long. Whenever I needed to talk, I always knew I could reach out to my best friend.”
“Same here.”
“So why is this so completely awkward now?” she asked, smiling shyly.
“Maybe we are trying too hard?”
“Or what if it’s the wrong time,” Jemma countered. She felt like such a Negative-Nancy by always pointing out the downside, but there was an actual downside to trying to have a relationship! “I mean, we are going to work together so all of this,” she said waving her hands in the air, “Isn’t the smartest business decision whatsoever by either of us.”
“This,” he repeated, waving his hands with a smile, “was long overdue.”
Laughing lightly, Jemma nodded and easily put her head on his shoulder casually like it was nothing. As she did so, she tensed until he suddenly rested his head on hers. It felt like this meeting between them was always meant to be. It wasn’t that she wasn’t attracted to him, she absolutely was! It was more that there was something in their friendship that reached a deeper level in her soul.
“What if we screw things up?” she whispered, staring into the darkness and seeing the moon reflect onto the water ahead of them.
“And what if this is how it’s meant to be?”
“Watashiachiha shin’yudesu,” she said quietly into the night, repeating the phrase that she’d asked Aiko and Edo to teach her earlier in the day. Jemma felt extremely proud of herself and it had taken several tries to get the dialect right in his foreign tongue. She wanted to be able to tell him that they were the best of friends in Japanese, and now seemed like such an appropriate moment.
“Watashi wa anatanimuchuda,” Aaron breathed softly. Jemma jerked her head off his shoulder as he waved to his mother. Margaret walked along the boardwalk opposite of the pond and disappeared into the small home across the way.
“What does that mean?” she asked, looking up at Aaron and catching her breath. “I had Edo teach me how to say that other sentence. I don’t speak Japanese in the slightest.”
Jemma felt her heart hammering in her chest and found herself staring at him. His dark eyes held hers and everything in her wanted to reach up and touch his face. His square jaw had a bit of stubble on it. His sculpted lips were so close, yet so far away. She adored the way he looked at her or smiled – even if she hadn’t seen him smile much in the last two days. She felt frozen as she watched his own eyes move across her own face. The side of his lip upturned, revealing a little dimple in his cheek as he leaned forward towards her.
“It means I’m crazy about you,” he breathed and captured her lips in a brief kiss, there in the moonlight. Jemma closed her eyes and simply breathed in his scent, mixed with the ocean breeze. The feeling of his lips on hers was like what she imagined heaven tasted like. His mouth had the faint taste of chocolate still on it from the cookies she’d made for them. When he broke the kiss, he leaned up and kissed her gently on the forehead.
“If I know my mother, there is plenty of clothing in your room and toiletries. She might have put chamomile tea in there too. Get some sleep and we’ll talk more tomorrow. I thought I would take you to see a few sights if you are feeling up to it.”
“I will be fine…but will you?”
“I think it will be cathartic to take you to the places my dad loved.”
“Then I will see you bright and early in the morning.”
“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call my phone or come knock,” he offered politely.
“I’ll be fine.”
Jemma stood there awkwardly as he slowly backed away
from her, turned around and walked off into the darkness. She could see his shadow moving along the walkway up towards the other building where he’d grown up.
Turning, she saw that the door was slightly ajar and slid it open, stepping inside. It was extremely traditional and made her smile as she remembered how frustrated Aaron used to get about it. A pallet bed was on a small dais and the covers were turned down. Sure enough, there was a small cast iron teapot next to the bed with a single cup. A simple nightgown lay on the bedding, along with towels and a cream-colored kimono that had flowers sprinkled all over it. Looking over, she saw there were two other kimonos hanging on hooks along the posts that comprised the walls.
She found that the bathroom did indeed have a private onsen inside. A small stone bath had a wooden ladder that led down into its depths. It looked to be only about two foot deep but looks- she knew that looks could be deceiving. The onsen was to soak in and a shower stood nearby to wash herself first.
Everything was simple, elegant, and functional… comfortable. Undressing, she quickly washed up and climbed down into the hot waters of the onsen. Sure enough, it comfortably went up to her shoulders. Two feet of water was actually closer to four easily. The heat seeped into her body, making her aching muscles feel so relaxed. Oh yes, she would sleep hard tonight regardless of it being a simple pallet.
A while later, she had gotten out of the bath -wrapping her hair in a towel- and heard a splash in the distance. Throwing on the kimono for a robe, she slid open the door and stopped dead in her tracks. Aaron was in the pool that the hot spring fed into. He’d apparently thought to also relax in the heated mineral waters. Jemma was surprised that he’d boldly jumped in for a swim when anyone could have spotted him in the area. He moved to stand up and hesitated. Mortified, she saw his face in the dim light from the lanterns. He was naked and she was caught red-handed!
Tempting the Billionaire Page 10