Crossing the Line

by Naomi Aoki

  “No. None. I just didn’t stop to consider how big a risk we were taking. And it’s fucking massive... but then so will the payoff.”

  If this succeeded, the financial windfall to the gang would be huge. Risk didn’t matter anymore, not now the ball was already rolling. Brian just needed to make sure he didn’t get flattened by it.

  Chapter Twelve

  This was so not a good idea. Kennosuke stood in an airport, nine thousand odd kilometres from home, rubbing at his face as he tried to stay awake and wondered why he’d let Jamie drag him here. Except Jamie hadn’t twisted his arm to get him on the plane, Kennosuke’s sense of honour and duty had done that quite nicely. His name sitting next to Jamie’s on the documents associated with the deal they’d made hadn’t given him much choice either. Not to mention, there was no way he or his uncle would have entrusted Jamie’s safety to anyone else. Kennosuke just wished it didn’t throw him back in the path of one Brian Cooper. Hell, the man alone was a good enough reason as to why Kennosuke shouldn’t be here.

  Kennosuke needed to move past these annoying lingering feelings he had for Jamie’s best mate – a cop and a cold-hearted bastard. His attempts weren’t being helped by the bastard himself with all the teasing photos Brian sent him. Some clothed. Some... Fuck, that’s the last thing he should be thinking of right now.

  “Who’s picking us up?” Kennosuke grabbed their suitcases and followed Jamie. “I don’t see your mum.”

  “She’s not. Getting a hire car instead.”

  Kennosuke nodded. It made sense. They would need a car to get to the various appointments lined up for their fleeting visit to the city and Jamie’s old banged up car wouldn’t create the image of wealthy international businessmen. Though truthfully, all Kennosuke cared about right now was getting to the cottage and collapsing into bed.

  A blast of cold wind hit him as he stepped out of the terminal and he shivered, surprised by it. Kennosuke knew it would be winter when they arrived, staring up at the grey clouds dominating the late-afternoon horizon, but he didn’t expect the wind. Sharp gusts filled with a promise of ice and snow toyed with the puffs of white steam escaping his mouth. He hurried after Jamie, eyes scouring the half-empty car park for danger out of habit.

  “Fuck, we’ve still got a forty-minute drive ahead of us,” he moaned, shoving the suitcases into the back of the sleek new sedan. “And I need to eat... now. Hope your mum has something good cooking.”

  He glanced at Jamie as he slid into the passenger seat and waited for a reply. But Jamie stayed silent, his hands gripped the steering wheel tight. Ken turned away, head thudding on the seat not sure if he wanted Jamie to answer now.

  “We’re not staying on the farm, are we?”

  “No. We’re staying at Brian’s.”

  Ken snorted. “I’m surprised he agreed to it.”

  Jamie let out a strangled laugh and Kennosuke cursed. This wasn’t going to end well.

  PULLING INTO HIS DRIVEWAY next to the flash car taking up the usually empty space, Brian grinned. He looked forward to getting inside, removing his uniform and collapsing on the couch with a beer. Still the car made him chuckle, climbing out of his own and walked around it, so very different from the barely road legal almost-a-family-heirloom Datsun Jamie usually drove. Brian thought it should have gone to the wrecker’s years ago, but Jamie was attached to it. This car was much better suited for the rich businessman image Jamie needed to present for the next couple of days.

  Not that it would make much difference. The men who’s hoops they needed to jump through to get the milk powder plant set up were all ex-classmates. Easy to control; to bribe and threaten if necessary to make sure they bought the lie that Jamie’s sudden access to wealth was because of a rich boyfriend – not that Gou wasn’t rich, and he should really remember to refer to Gou as Jamie’s husband. None of them would ever believe Jamie capable of walking in a world where laws were treated as guidelines and hardly ever followed, so it shouldn’t be hard to convince them.

  “Game started yet?” Brian closed the door behind him and stared at the shoes sitting next to the door. Shoes? There were two pairs when he’d only expected one. Brian shrugged his shoulders, it wouldn’t be strange if Jamie had been sent with a bodyguard given his penchant for attracting trouble, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the shoes had looked familiar. Okay, not so much the shoes, but the haphazard way they’d been left.

  “Nah... You still good. They just analysing last week’s games,” Jamie bellowed back.

  Brian padded down the hall and ducked into his bedroom in a hurry to strip out of his uniform. He dumped his clothes in the hamper and pulled on a warm pair of sweats, glad Jamie had already got the fire going. Walking back out into the living area, still tugging his t-shirt on as he skirted the couch heading for the kitchen to grab a beer. He didn’t make it far, coming to a rapid stop as he spied the one person sitting on his couch Brian had not been expecting to see.

  “Why the fuck is HE, here?” His whole body tensed; thrummed with an energy Brian wanted to deny. “You never said... where the fuck is he going to sleep? I can’t imagine Gou would want him to share your bed... and I only have the two bedrooms.”

  “Your room.”

  Brian stared at Jamie wondering if his friend had finally lost his marbles. “Like fuck he will.”

  Sharing a bed with Kennosuke? Like hell was that going to be a good idea. Too dangerous. Too damned tempting. And did he really want memories of Kennosuke sprawled across his sheets. Fuck, he’d rather Kennosuke wasn’t even in his house.

  “Fine. He can take the couch tonight. Tomorrow he can have your bed... you are still on night shift then, right?”

  “Yes.”

  How the fuck would he manage to stay focused at work with that knowledge running around in his head: Kennosuke-fucking-Kitayama asleep in his bed. It didn’t matter if Brian was in it with him or not... it couldn’t happen. He should make Jamie grab a room at the motel down the street.

  “Motel is full,” Jamie answered, though Brian knew he hadn’t uttered the suggestion out loud.

  Brain scowled, storming into the kitchen and yanked the fridge door open. He grabbed out a beer, slammed the fridge shut hard enough to make the bottles inside rattle and made his way over to the living area. His scowl deepened when he realised Jamie had taken his seat – his favourite comfy chair and Jamie knew it – leaving him to sit on the couch next to Kennosuke. The awkward tension in the room grew.

  “Bastard! Fine. Kennosuke can have the damned couch on one condition.”

  “Oh? What’s that?” Jamie cocked his eyebrow and bringing the beer to his lips.

  Fuck. Some days Brain would quite happily knock his mates block off. Cheeky, scheming, bastard. “You’re paying for dinner.”

  Jamie laughed. “Pizza is already ordered. Should be here in ten.”

  Not much was spoken after the pizza arrived with their attention squarely focused on the game. Brian couldn’t hide his surprise when Kennosuke chimed in with his own comments, especially when none were to ask, ‘which team are we cheering for?’ or ‘what the hell’s a scrum?’. Jamie laughed at his confusion before explaining he’d gotten Kennosuke hooked on rugby and though while Gou still didn’t understand it he’d taken Jamie to the Sunwolves games when they played in Japan. Brian, while impressed at Kennosuke’s interest, was equally pleased the topic had moved on from the night’s sleeping arrangements.

  But the tension between him and Kennosuke remained. Hot sexually-laden tension that had him noticing every shift of Kennosuke’s body or the way his breathing hitched whenever their bodies touched. Fuck, he needed to move away from Kennosuke, unable to even muster the ability to tease the man with his presence. It was so much more palatable to do, less tempting when Kennosuke was nine thousand kilometres away and out of reach.

  “Bugger you all, I’m heading to bed,” he said, jumping to his feet when the last hooter sounded. He glanced around, and realised Jamie hadn’t pu
lled blankets out for Kennosuke when he’d last stumbled past the linen cupboard. Either he hadn’t thought to... or he’d just been dead certain Brian would change his mind. “I’ll grab Kennosuke some blankets first, though.”

  “You know... you could always just-” Jamie began to say, but Brian wasn’t in the mood.

  “Not a fucking word, Jamie.” He fixed his friend with a steely glare that had most men quaking. Pity it didn’t work on Jamie. Not anymore.

  It was going to be a long fucking night.

  KENNOSUKE ROLLED OVER, groaning as he stared at the time on his phone. Two-fucking-am and he’d yet to fall asleep. He could try and blame it on jet lag; the four-hour time difference between Japan and New Zealand or on the couch which he’d been promised was comfy. It was not. The springs dug into his back and squeaked with each attempt to try and find a comfortable way of lying on the lumpy thing. But no, the main reason why Kennosuke couldn’t sleep was because of Brian-fucking-Cooper and the knowledge he slept only a few metres away from Kennosuke – in a comfortable bed – along with the annoying to itch to join him. God did that infuriate him more. Kennosuke didn’t want to be thinking of Brian. He was supposed to be trying to move on from him... Fuck he wanted to laugh at himself for believing to would be easy to do.

  At least he wasn’t cold.

  But he still wanted to sleep.

  Kennosuke tugged at the blankets Brian had given him, trying to keep the assorted layers of wool and feather down tight around him. Rolling over once more – the couch really wasn’t comfy at all – the blankets slipped and Kennosuke hissed as cold air hit his skin. Cursed at the squeaking springs that echoed through the stillness and he could have sworn it was louder than hum of the fridge.

  “Why the fuck couldn’t Jamie have booked a damn motel room? It’s not like we can’t afford it,” he muttered.

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  Startled by the voice, Kennosuke dropped his hand between the couch cushions searching for something that wasn’t there. The voice chuckled from where it hid in the shadows, wrapping its deep sound around Kennosuke. He shivered, glad the room was dark and hid his heated blush.

  “Idiot. Unlike you, I don’t keep weapons stashed in my couch.”

  “What do you want, Brian?” He ignored the voice in his head that longed to hear Brian say, I want you. “I’m trying to sleep.”

  Brian snorted. “The couch isn’t comfy for sleeping on... and I can hear you tossing and turning from my room.”

  “And what? You decided to come out here and complain about it?” Kennosuke snapped, sitting up fast and glaring at Brian not caring that the blankets now pooled in his lap. “Fuck off, Brian.”

  “Get up Ken.”

  His hackles rose at the command. Kennosuke refused to let Brian order him around. “Why the fuck for? I’m not interested in fighting you.”

  “Then get off the damned couch.” Danger sung through Brian’s words and sent arousal surging through Kennosuke – and he wished it wouldn’t.

  “No.”

  The tension between them grew tight. Kennosuke held his breath waiting for Brian to speak, unsure of what might fall out.

  “Look. You’re not going to get any sleep out here... I’m not going to get any sleep listening to the damn couch squeak every time you move. My bed is more than big enough to share.” Brian paused and Kennosuke’s mind stuttered. Sharing a bed with Brian would be torture. “... I even promise to keep my hands to myself,” Brian sniggered.

  Kennosuke had gotten it wrong. It wasn’t going to be torture. It was going to kill him.

  “You know, Jamie is going to give us shit in the morning, if I walk out of your room.”

  “He knows how awful the couch is.”

  “It isn’t that bad. Quite comfortable actually.”

  “Kennosuke, stop being a fuckwit and get in my bloody bed.”

  Not a good idea at all. Arguing to remain on the couch wouldn’t achieve anything except stoke his stubborn ego and make sleep near impossible. The couch really was that shit. Kennosuke stood, grabbed the blankets and stormed after Brian. Just to sleep. Just sleep, he reminded himself and his fucking libido which wanted a hell of a lot more than platonic bed sharing.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Get off!” Kennosuke shoved at the heavy weight curled around him. “Fucking hell, Brian. Get off. I need to get up,” he growled in frustration as Brian squeezed him tighter and showed no sign of waking.

  But as much as parts of him enjoyed the closeness, Kennosuke needed to get out of bed, already hearing Jamie pottering about in the kitchen. Giving Brian one last shove, he managed to extricate himself from beneath the bastard. He shivered, bare skin not liking the chill in the air and Kennosuke grabbed the blankets he brought in with him last night, wrapping them tight around him.

  “Morning,” he muttered heading for the couch and tried not to look at Jamie.

  “Good night, was it?”

  “Fuck off. The couch is uncomfortable and seemingly I was keeping him awake.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Nothing. Happened. Jamie.”

  “Un-freaking-believable,” Jamie mumbled, slamming cupboards shut and pots clanging as they hit the range elements.

  Kennosuke didn’t bother to stare in Jamie’s direction, not wanting to face anymore of the sneaky-matchmaking-bastard’s scrutiny. He knew if given half a chance, Jamie would bait him into spilling about waking up in Brian’s embrace – to tell him that he wanted to crawl back there. Instead he huddled into a smaller ball on the couch, pulled the blankets tighter around him and stared at the flickering flame of the fire.

  “Fuck, it’s freezing, Jamie.”

  “I know. Isn’t it nice. I’ve already been out and stomped on the frost.”

  “You what? It doesn’t get this cold back home.”

  Jamie snorted. “Kyoto is colder. Just drier. Winters here are wet, windy and frosty. You might get snow, especially out the back of the farm.... but most of the time it’s only hail.” Listening to Jamie talk, Kennosuke couldn’t tell if Jamie was proud of the weather here or not. But at least the topic of conversation had moved on from him and Brian.

  “Go have a shower, Ken. The fire will have warmed the house up a bit more by the time you get out.”

  “Fine,” he grumbled not really wanting to move from his toasty warm cocoon. Kennosuke stood, dropped the blankets to the floor and wandered over to his suitcase, rooting through it for his toiletries and clothes. He rubbed at his cold arms as he stared at his clothes, realising he had no idea what the plan for today was nor what would be best to wear. Jeans would fit in with the laid-back atmosphere of the city, but not if they had meetings to attend and truthfully, he never felt entirely comfortable out of a suit.

  “Put a suit on,” Jamie yelled from the kitchen. “Showers down the hall. Can’t miss it.”

  Kennosuke rolled his eyes, grabbed his stuff and headed for the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, he hung his suit up hoping the steam would remove the worst of the wrinkles it had gained and turned to stare at the shower. It wasn’t like anything he’d seen before, something from a bygone era where plumbing had been an afterthought or not one at all with the shower head hanging over the top of the bathtub and a shower curtain strung on rail that looked like it had seen better days. At least, as he turned it on, the water got hot quick.

  Standing beneath the water as the heat pushed the cold away from his bones, Kennosuke realised he’d forgotten to grab his body wash before stepping under it. He cursed, pulled back the curtain enough to spy the offending bottle sitting on the floor to far for him to lean out and grab it. Not to mention he didn’t fancy stepping out from beneath the now hot water to brave the steam-hidden cold air. Closing the curtain, he noticed another bottle, Brian’s, sitting on a shelf in front of him but Kennosuke couldn’t bring himself to use it. The idea of spending the day smelling of Brian appealed on so many levels, yet Kennosuke knew it was a torture he shouldn’t subject hi
mself too. He would just make do with...

  “Need this?”

  Kennosuke shrieked as a hand clutching his body wash pushed its way through the curtain. He flailed about in shock banging his leg against the side of the tub and scrabbled at the tiled wall to stop himself falling over. “What the hell, Brian?”

  Brian chuckled. “Just giving you a hand.”

  Kennosuke closed his eyes, willed his blood to remain circulating and not take an ill-timed detour because of Brian’s loaded words. He accepted the body wash as Brian passed it to him, trying not to let their fingers brush. Tried hard to ignore his desire for those fingers to be wrapped around something that wasn’t body wash.

  Plastic scrapped on metal and Kennosuke’s eyes snapped open to find Brian standing in front of him, shower curtain wide open. “You know... I can give you a hand with that.” Brian’s lingering hungry gaze leaving no doubt in Kennosuke’s mind what he was suggesting.

  Kennosuke wanted. Fuck did he ever. But he shouldn’t.

  “No.”

  “No? Are you sure, Ken? Because your cock is sure telling me something different.”

  Brian’s words might have been pushy however he made no attempt to physically press him further, and for that Kennosuke was grateful. A single touch from Brian and he would have caved embarrassingly fast.

  “Yes. I fucking want you,” he snarled. “But the answer is still ‘No’.” Kennosuke didn’t think he was shouting, not to his own ears, but still prayed Jamie didn’t hear the commotion.

  “Why?”

  “Does it matter.”

  “Your words and-” waving at Kennosuke’s aroused state. “-actions are conflicting.”

  The fucking arrogance of him. Brian didn’t just look confused but affronted at the idea of someone telling him ‘No’. “Are you after a relationship or a quick convenient fuck whenever we’re both in the same country?”