by Gia Dawn
“Homey?” His brow practically disappeared beneath the fall of bangs above his eyes. “Are you going to woo me with a freshly cooked meal, Miss Nakao?”
She laughed. “Oh no, I don’t cook. But I do know a good burger place just up the street. Papa tells me you haven’t been back to the States in several years, and I bet you dream of ketchup and fries.”
“We have fast food in Japan,” he pointed out.
“But they don’t taste the same. You going to argue that, or shall I order you raw fish and rice?”
His mouth tried to turn down at the corners making Sakura wonder if she’d finally overstepped her bounds, but his voice was pleasant when he answered. “A burger it is…with Nakao-san’s permission, of course.” He gave her father a respectful bow of his head.
Her father had been plotting for weeks to find some way to get her to share Ian’s company, and she was giving him a ripe opportunity now. She had no intention of telling him she needed to get the man alone and make certain he knew she had no interest in marriage—at all—even if he was young and rich and amazingly handsome, she acknowledged, pursing her lips together thoughtfully.
Marriage might be out but other adventures sprang to mind.
Then she remembered her Bakushi and the way he’d seduced her at the Red Mask Club and decided it wouldn’t be wise to take on another lover. She really wasn’t a woman who slept around, and just thinking about the logistics terrified her. Last night had been her first sexual encounter in more months than she could count and it had been so beyond her expectation she couldn’t imagine being with any other man, especially since she was seeing her mysterious new teacher again tomorrow.
She blushed to the roots of her plum-streaked hair as she remembered the way he’d made her feel. His hands on her breasts. His fingers in her—
“Hello?” Ian was studying her much too intently. “Are you still here?”
Sakura’s cheeks grew even hotter. “Sorry.” She shook her head to clear the want away and turned to her father. “I will have Jiro’s deliver you lunch if you don’t mind that I sweep Mr. Shoji off his feet.”
“You wish this, Shoji-san?”
Ian smiled. “If you don’t think I mean any disrespect, Nakao-san. Your daughter seems to know exactly what I need.”
Sakura shivered when he took her hand, his fingers trailing over her palm in what was a decidedly sexual gesture, hoping her father had not picked up on the innuendo. Ian might be a bigger challenge than she’d anticipated.
All the more reason to have a private chat.
Still, her father hesitated before waving them out the door with a frown. Even though he wanted them to be thrown together, she knew Papa would have sent a chaperone with them if he thought he could get by with it, although she was well over twenty-one and more than capable of taking care of herself.
Twenty minutes later she and Ian were sitting in a booth, biting into the best burgers Charleston had to offer. “Told you so.” She smirked as her companion closed his eyes in bliss.
Throughout their meal Sakura had tried not to notice how elegantly he’d held his burger or the supple length of his fingers as he worked his way through an entire platter of fries. She blinked and finally looked away as he wiped his fingers in his napkin before folding the paper into a perfect square and placing it over his empty plate.
“I have missed American food,” he admitted. “And iced tea,” he added, draining the last of his glass. “But I do appreciate Japanese cuisine.”
“I appreciate Japanese food, too,” Sakura agreed, “but I swear I cannot eat it at every meal. How did you survive the change in diet when you moved there as a teenager?”
He gave her an odd look from across the table. “You seem to know quite a bit about me. Should I be worried?”
“That depends.” She decided this was as good an opening as any. “Papa has been in constant contact with your grandfather for weeks. My guess is they want to merge more than the family businesses.”
“So you picked up on that, too?” Ian pushed his plate aside. “I was meaning to talk to you about the situation. I hope you haven’t put any serious consideration into the relationship. I don’t want to disappoint you or lead you on in any way, so I will tell you now I have no intention of marrying for duty.”
Disappoint her? Lead her on? And was he really giving her that condescendingly apologetic look?
“Don’t worry on my account.” Sakura was more than ready to burst his arrogant bubble. “I am already involved with someone.” Where did that come from? But she wasn’t about to correct herself when she saw Ian’s jaw snap shut in annoyance.
“I’m glad to hear it.” His expression settled into indifference once more. “How long have you been dating this someone? I assume you haven’t told your father, or he would not be begging Shoji Senior for the match.”
“Begging? Are you joking? Papa never begs anyone for anything. From what I was told your grandfather is desperate to find you a wife. All of the pure-blood Japanese families have turned you down already because your father is as American as apple pie.”
His head jerked back as if she’d smacked him, his mouth thinning into a perfect imitation of her father’s and she instantly regretted the insult.
Damn it.
“Ian, I am sorry.” She reached over the table to grab his hand as he stood. “Please, wait.” To her relief he sat back down, purposefully removing his hand from hers. “Why don’t we start over? Look, I understand you’re against this marriage idea as much as I am, but our families are going to throw us together every chance they get. So why don’t we agree to enjoy each other’s company until their merger is complete? After that we can go back to our separate lives. No dishonor. No feelings hurt. And in the meantime I will be happy to show you around town. I know some great nightclubs if you like to dance or I can take you sailing. We have a boat at the marina and the weather is great this time of year.” She smiled to show she was serious about making his trip entertaining. “I’ll be your very own tour guide. I come cheap,” she added as their server brought the check. “All you have to do is pay for the food.”
To her relief he chuckled as he pulled out his credit card and handed it over with the bill. “You drive a hard bargain, Sakura, but I know a good deal when I see one.” She was almost too pleased when he said her name. It sounded exotic on his tongue, the pronunciation perfectly Japanese.
“Great. Where shall we start?”
The rest of the day passed quite pleasantly once they’d gotten their main argument solved and tucked away. Ian was actually a great guy, she realized as he beat her for the second time at the basketball hoops. After Sakura had taken him on a quick tour of the marina, they’d spent several hours at the arcade, dueling in everything from the traditional sport of Skee-Ball to virtual racecar driving. When she demanded he buy her pizza and ice-cream as per their agreed upon arrangement, he did it without complaint, even when she flat-out refused to let him order anchovies on the side.
By the time they made it back to Nakao Enterprises it was pushing eleven, and Sakura knew her father would be pacing the floor with worry. She’d fended off several of his calls to her cell already and knew he had no intention of going to bed until he heard every detail of her first night together with Ian.
“Thank you for the evening.” Ian bowed his head slightly as he pulled up to the curb and moved to open her car door. “I enjoyed myself.”
“Me too.” To her chagrin Sakura found herself stalling, unwilling for their time together to end. But when she caught him staring at her with an expression that made her want to find the nearest posh hotel, she shook her head and pulled out her cell. “What’s your number? Don’t you want me to call and take you out another time?” she added as his brows tucked together in a fascinating glower.
“Give me your number instead.” He took out his own phone. “I’ll call you.”
“Right. Like I haven’t heard that before.”
He grinned at
that, squinting at her in the dark as if he were trying to decide whether she was serious or joking. Sakura opted to keep him guessing as she rattled off the digits in her very best computer imitation.
“Good.” Before she understood his intent, he took her face between his hands, gave her a grin that took her breath away, and kissed her soundly. “It was an honor to meet you, Sakura Nakao—despite whatever our families have arranged.”
Before she could say another word, he let her go and got back in his car. Sakura spun and headed for her own car, refusing to turn and see if he was still watching as she rounded the corner, finally taking a breath of relief when she knew he was out of sight.
Wow! That had been one of the best dates she’d ever had…or not, she corrected herself, remembering their platonic arrangement. Still, Ian was excellent company and they had a ton of things in common.
You have things in common with your brother. And that’s exactly how Ian wants it. You know the let’s-just-be-friends routine, and that’s the only thing you have going on here.
“I know.” Sakura froze when she realized she’d said the words aloud, then felt like stomping her foot on the concrete as she found herself already trying to figure out a way to modify their understanding.
But that kiss…
Surely that kiss meant something more than—
“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she stated in a loud voice for the record as she unlocked her car and headed for home. Suddenly she wanted to date Ian Shoji for real despite their families’ machinations. He just might turn out to be the catch of a lifetime, and she’d been idiot enough to throw away her only chance before she’d taken the time to get to know the man.
But how would he be in bed? Another wicked thought rose up from her subconscious. Could he make you come like you did last night? Do you think he’d ever tie you down to the bed and fuck you so hard you can barely breathe? Or call you beautiful and make you scream in pleasure?
“I am psycho,” Sakura muttered, the sound driving out all the other voices. How could she desire two men tonight when she’d never met either of them two days ago? Just when she thought her luck with men was beginning to change, she’d stumbled into an entirely different dilemma. Too much of a good thing brought its own particular brand of chaos and she was careening headfirst into misfortune’s gateway.
Sakura’s mother yelled at her from the kitchen as soon as Sakura walked in the front door. “You need boob job. Ian half-American. American men like big boobs.”
“No boob job, Mama.” Sakura shouted just as loud. “No nose job. No lip plumping. I have no intention of changing anything, not for Ian or any other man.”
Aiko Nakao was finishing the last of her late-night tea when Sakura joined her at the kitchen table. “Here.” She shoved a small pouch in her daughter’s direction. “Onamori. En Masubi,” she added as if that explained everything. “Good luck charm for finding and catching a man,” she finished in exasperation as Sakura continued to stare blankly at the object.
“A good luck charm for catching a man,” Sakura echoed, her lips twisting in disgust. “Really? Where did you get this silly thing?” She moved to toss it in the garbage but her Mother grabbed her hand.
“Very bad luck to get rid of,” she stated with a stern shake of her head. “Throw away, you never find husband. Bring dishonor to whole family.”
Sakura thumped her head on the table. “Someone save me from my crazy parents’ superstitious nonsense.”
“No nonsense.” Her father poked his head into the room and joined them, tightening the sash of his bathrobe. “Fuku. Very good luck. Made by Shinto priest. Put in your purse and carry with you whenever you meet Shoji-san. He will propose just like that.” He snapped his fingers for added measure.
“I already told you I don’t have any plans to marry Ian Shoji.”
“Why not?” her mother demanded. “He not good man? Not treat you with respect tonight?”
Sakura sighed, knowing his was going to be an utterly futile discussion like so many they had had before. “Ian was very respectful,” she answered, choosing her words carefully to keep her parents from calling his family and complaining of his behavior. “He was polite, had good manners and was very concerned with both our families’ honor.”
“Then you did discuss wedding,” her father stated in satisfaction.
“No, Papa, we did not discuss a wedding.” Sakura tried to keep her patience as both her parents stared at her as if she were the one who’d lost her sanity. “Ian has no plans to marry me…or anyone else,” she finished when she saw her father’s face turn nasty.
“He will obey his grandfather like any good heir.”
“He has a mind of his own and every right to choose who he wants to marry without his family’s intervention.” Sakura stalked to the fridge and poured a glass of orange juice. “The same as I do.”
“You will marry who I say you marry,” her father retorted, his skin taking on an ugly shade of red. “And if you defy me, I will disown you.”
“I know, I know.” Sakura bent to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Papa, and would never do a thing to make you feel I have treated you with disrespect, but this is the twenty-first century and we are living in America. I am not a bargaining chip for your business ventures and I am certainly not a piece of property you can sell to the highest bidder.”
Now it was her mother’s turn to intervene as Katashi stood and placed his hands on his hips like a bull getting ready to charge. “Calm yourself, husband. I am certain our most grateful daughter will make right decision when the time comes.” She jerked her head toward Sakura’s bedroom. “Sleep. We will speak again in morning.”
“Not if I make it out the door before you catch me.” Sakura muttered the last to herself, vowing to set her alarm at least an hour early. She was so upset with her parents she didn’t even notice as her hands tucked the marriage charm deep inside her purse.
And sleep proved as difficult as her father’s personality. It refused to visit her until the wee hours of dawn, and even then her dreams were tormented by images of her Bashuki’s hands upon her skin…with Ian Hideo Shoji’s face superimposed across the mask.
Chapter Three
Ian found himself staring out the window of his hotel far past midnight, watching the sea rolling beneath the light of a waxing moon. His day hadn’t gone anything like he’d planned.
When his family had first suggested the match with Sakura, Ian had flat-out refused. Her parents hadn’t raised her to be a woman of pleasure, and he was certain it would be more than difficult to train her. She had no previous experience, even though her parents had assured the Shojis their daughter just needed the right master to bring her under control.
She had, however, submitted to him at the Red Mask—albeit stubbornly and with more questions than she had a right to ask, which gave him hope she might become a proper and willing companion, even if he didn’t intend to take her hand in marriage.
Miss Nakao was also a much more interesting companion than he’d expected. Today she’d looked him straight in the eye on numerous occasions, wasn’t afraid to laugh or curse, kicked his ass at video car racing and tossed a mean basketball.
In fact, he’d enjoyed her company so much he was already itching to call her to arrange their next outing. But he spiked his hand through his hair as he realized the predicament he’d gotten himself into. He’d already pushed the role of Bakushi too far to think of turning back, and he had every reason to believe Sakura would flat-out refuse to listen to any form of reason if she ever found out how he’d tricked her into his bed.
Not that he had any intention of stopping his tutelage at the Red Mask. She had the Tea Ceremony she needed to learn, and he had many more things to teach her about how he wanted her to behave…starting with their next session tomorrow night.
And he had to decide if he could mold her into a worthy mate.
He already had his rope laid out, a sleek strand of nylon he’d p
urchased to match her hair. Her silky, exotic, purple-streaked hair that had captured his interest both times they’d met. And she was as beautiful as he’d imagined, her sky-high cheekbones framing a face that he knew would haunt his dreams this night.
The entire day he had fought against the need to run his fingers through her hair and every time she brushed against him or touched his hand to show him some interesting sight, his body had responded with alacrity. He hadn’t had a hard-on last this long since he was seventeen, and he relished the return of his desire with abandon.
He stroked himself as he headed for the shower, the throb in his cock enough to make him surly. But he would have her soon, he vowed as he stripped and turned the water up to a scalding temperature that left little room for enjoyment.
Very, very soon.
* * * * *
The next evening at the club, Sakura stared at the mask in her hands. “It is lovely. Thank you, Madame Brisson.” Covered in cherry-red silk, it was made to look as if worn by a geisha, the delicate eye-openings almond shaped and tilting up at the corners, with kanzashi—traditional hairpins—rising from each side, covered with perfectly shaped cherry blossoms in shades of pink and white. It needed no other adornment, its simple design fitting in with both her heritage and personal taste.
“You are most welcome.” Manette held a great black cat on her lap, the feline blinking as if he were indeed emperor of the palace. “It is perfect for you…and your situation.”
When nerves caused her fingers to tremble, Sakura set the mask on the couch beside her so she would not damage the wispy creation. “What can you tell me about the manI am to meet?”
“That he is wealthy and well-respected among his peers. And that you will be absolutely safe in his company.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.” The woman gazed at Sakura steadily, no hint of deception in her eyes. “I have known him for quite some time. Despite his reputation as a stern master he does have a compassionate side.”
Sakura snorted. “I haven’t seen that side of him.”