The only differences between this one and the one in the women’s guest bath were that it wasn’t surrounded by fake rock formations to make it look like it was carved out of a mountain, it was smaller -- big enough for three or four people instead of fifty -- and it was surrounded by a thick straw rope suspended between barrier poles. Strips of white zigzag cloth -- it could also be paper, she wasn’t sure -- hung from the rope at even intervals. Was that the Japanese version of a “Do Not Enter” sign or something?
Maybe the pool was being cleaned. Or maybe this was the employees’ only pool. That would explain why it looked more like a small swimming pool than a hot spring. That also made sense. But why all the secrecy? And that still didn’t explain the hallway only she could see… well, she and the woman who had caught her.
Lulu looked around for anything else that would explain away the weird phenomena. The room only held the pool. She walked over to the rope and peered over it into the pool. Nothing special about it. Clear blue water. That was it.
The light scent of musk and incense wafted under her nose. The staff had scented this pool. They should do the same with the others. The aroma was nice. Though they probably didn’t because of those guests with perfume allergies.
The sound of something hitting the floor made her whirl and face the door, prepared to make up an excuse for her presence in the room. No one was there. The sound had come from outside. Was the person headed for the room? She needed to hide in case they were. But where? The only place was the pool and it was clear water. Not a very good hiding place… unless the person outside only glanced around quickly and then left. The depths of the pool couldn’t be seen from the doorway.
Lulu decided to chance it. She trotted around the edge to the side farthest away from the door and stripped out of her robe. After wrapping her book in the robe, she shoved them inside the trunk. There was muted beeping as someone typed on the keypad.
Those few seconds were all she needed. She moved her foot past the barrier. An electric shock coursed up her leg, making her slap her hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. She’d received worse shocks from touching the doorknob after rubbing her feet on the carpet, but it still hurt and she hadn’t expected it. There was nothing metal in or around the pool so she didn’t know what had caused the electrical discharge.
Lulu ignored it and dipped one foot into the water with the intention of easing in so she didn’t cause ripples. Sliding under the rope barrier and trying hard not to disturb it, she slipped into the water. She sucked in a deep breath and ducked under the water just as the door opened. The person must not have seen her because she didn’t hear anything that sounded like a commotion. Not that she could hear much in the water. She couldn’t see anything outside the pool. But that meant they couldn’t see her either.
All the same, she stayed near the edge of the pool closest to the door. If the person who had entered decided to check the pool, they would have to look straight down to see her.
She felt every beat of her heart as she waited for some telltale sign the person had left and it was safe for her to surface. None was forthcoming. The decision would be made for her soon because she needed to breathe. Being caught trumped drowning.
After another few seconds, she opted for air. She reached one hand above the surface and waved. No one grabbed her, so she surfaced and looked around. The room was empty and the door was closed -- both good signs.
That was enough investigating for her. It was one thing to play guest and gather information that way. It was something different to sneak around and chance being charged with trespassing.
Lulu retrieved her robe and put it on before leaving the pool room. Whatever the purpose of the room, it didn’t have anything to do with the hotel’s success. She still had no answer for why the hallway was invisible to everyone but her, but that would have to remain one of life’s mysteries.
She decided to make her lie the truth and visited the hot springs for a quick dip to help her relax after her near miss. In the morning, she planned to be a typical guest and forget all about invisible hallways and mysterious pools of scented water.
A scent that must be stuck in her nose because she could still smell it. If it was possible, it smelled stronger now than when she had been in the secret pool room. That made no sense. There was nothing in the hot springs that could be causing the smell.
She looked around to be sure. The room was empty except for her.
Then why did it feel like a hand was caressing her stomach? Lulu stared at the empty water in disbelief. There was no mistaking the feel of a hand -- a male hand -- sliding up her belly to her breasts.
She didn’t believe in ghosts or phantoms or anything else like that. She also knew she wasn’t imagining the fingers that circled one of her nipples, making it stiffen. When a second hand cupped her thigh, she’d had enough.
Lulu scrambled out of the water and ran, half slipping, for the locker room and her robe. It was time for bed. A good night’s sleep would make all the secret hallways and invisible men go away. If it didn’t, then she would be asking her boss for a real vacation away from any and all hotels.
Chapter Two
Lulu could still smell it -- musk and incense. A good night’s sleep and almost scrubbing herself raw trying to get rid of the scent hadn’t helped. It lingered. If this was an elaborate booby trap set up by the staff to catch trespassers, it was working. It also had her more than a little freaked out.
“Lulu.”
She glanced over her shoulder and almost cursed. Richard. He headed her way with a Japanese man in a business suit following him. She forced a smile. “Good morning, Richard.”
“I’m glad I caught you. I was telling Mr. Mizuno that you were the one who suggested the tour.” Richard held a hand out to her. “Masato Mizuno, this is Lulu Swade, the woman I was telling you about.”
Mr. Mizuno offered his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Swade, and I thank you for the innovative idea. Onsen was looking for a community service project to fund this year. Your suggestion couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Lulu shook his hand. “You’re welcome, Mr. Mizuno. It just seemed like the right solution at the time.” And her boss would wring her neck if he found out she’d given it to the competition.
“That is an interesting perfume you’re wearing.”
Oh, crap, Lulu thought, trying to hide her panic. If he recognized it, he would know she had been snooping. She smiled with a small shake of her head. “I’m not wearing any perfume. It must be the hotel soap. You have such fragrant products.”
Richard said, “They do. I’m happy the gift shop sells it. All original Japanese recipes. Completely natural and organic.”
Mr. Mizuno chuckled. “Richard, I think you missed your calling. You should stop teaching and come on at Onsen as a sales rep.”
“I’m passionate about what I love, and I love Japan.” Richard shot Lulu a winning smile. “I was regaling Lulu about the highlights of the hotel and its history last night before your call. I’m hoping she found it interesting enough to want to pick up where we left off. I’m extending my visit two more days to talk shop with Mr. Mizuno.”
Lulu’s face was starting to ache but she kept her smile in place. “That’s great.”
“Isn’t it? We can meet for dinner tonight, and I can tell you about that painting.”
Mr. Mizuno asked, “Painting?”
“The one in the hall on the way to the hot springs.” Richard gestured over his shoulder in the general direction of the hot springs. “It’s a beautiful piece. Lulu was staring at it like she might fall in.”
She forced a small laugh. “I wasn’t really looking at the painting. I was just thinking about something, and the painting happened to be in front of me when I got lost in thought.”
“Well that was lucky for me, because it gave me a reason to strike up a conversation. So, dinner tonight?”
Stupid friggin’ vacation and nothing else better to do
, Lulu grumbled in her mind. “Sure.”
“Great. We can meet at seven again.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“See you in the lobby at seven.” He moved a step closer to her and dropped his voice. “Or I can pick you up at your room?”
“Lobby at seven,” she said with a nod.
Richard took the hint because he backed up to his previous position. “I’ll see you then.” He turned his attention back to Mr. Mizuno. “We were on the way to your office?”
“Yes, we were. It was nice meeting you, Ms. Swade.” Mr. Mizuno nodded to her and walked away with Richard.
Only when they were out of sight did Lulu breathe normally. Mr. Mizuno suspected something. He had to. He must have recognized the scent. Unlike Richard, Mr. Mizuno had to know the hotel soap didn’t smell like musk and incense. The hotel made everything out of green tea.
Or maybe Lulu’s guilt was making her paranoid. She needed to relax. The sign pointing the way to the hot springs caught her attention. She stared at it, debating if she wanted to chance running into the invisible man again. The scent hadn’t been a figment of her imagination. She doubted he had been, either.
But maybe it was because she had been alone last night. Right now, the hot spring would be full of other women. The invisible man might turn his attention to them and leave her alone. That sounded like solid logic in her mind.
She headed for the hot springs, determined to spend more than a few minutes soaking. It was a little crowded -- the most she’d seen since arriving at the hotel -- but she managed to find an empty locker and a robe. After twisting her shoulder-length black hair into a tight bun she hoped wouldn’t get wet, she stripped out of her clothes.
Several giggling women passed her, headed toward the door that led to the hot springs. At least someone was having fun. Lulu fell into step behind them. The group of women went left so Lulu went right. She wanted to be alone. The hot springs was large enough to accommodate her.
She found a little cubby tucked away in the far corner of the room and enjoyed her semi-solitude. Or she tried to. The giggling women were too loud to ignore. Whatever had them so happy was contagious, because it sounded like every woman in the place was enjoying the same joke.
Peeking around the edge of her hiding place, Lulu tried to determine the source of the amusement. All of the women lounged around the edge of the spring with their heads back. Most of them were giggling. One woman sucked in a sharp breath before letting out a purring moan.
Lulu’s eyes widened before she ducked back into her cubby. What the hell? Had she been right and the invisible man was entertaining the women? That would explain the crowd. That might also explain the popularity of the hotel. Come for the relaxation, stay for the orgasm.
She didn’t know how Onsen was doing it and knew Voda would never be able to repeat it. She also knew she had to be losing her mind to think an invisible man was pleasuring the women visiting the hot spring. Stuff like that didn’t happen in real life.
And she would keep thinking that until the hands circling her ankles went away. Strong fingers massaged their way over her calves and up the insides of her thighs, moving her legs apart. She stared at the water, not seeing anyone or anything.
But not seeing the man didn’t make his touch any less real. He kneaded her thighs, one leg at a time, like a professional masseur. For all she knew, he might be one. Each time he switched legs, his hands moved higher and he spread her legs more.
When he passed a single finger between her pussy lips, she found herself reacting the same way as the woman from earlier -- gasping and then letting out the breath in a satisfied moan. Hearing her voice made Lulu slap her hand over her mouth. She didn’t just do that.
Except she did, and she repeated her reaction when the finger returned and started circling her clit. This wasn’t happening. She needed to leave. She needed to call for help. She needed to stop sinking into the water to get closer to the invisible man’s touch.
He flicked her clit, making her jut her pussy forward. She dropped lower in the water. He repeated the motion a few times, and she found herself rocking her hips in silent invitation for more. She bit her lip and let her head fall back when he moved his finger from teasing her clit to slipping in and out of her slick hole.
He cupped his hand under one of her breasts, rolling her nipple around with his thumb while his lips trailed over her collarbone. He trailed kisses up to her neck and then stopped. She moved deeper into the water and the kissing resumed.
When her mouth entered the water, she felt his lips on hers. He placed gentle kisses on her lips as though testing her, or tasting her, before he took it further. It struck her as equal parts sweet and silly since he already had his finger buried in her pussy. And his finger felt so good as he twisted it side to side.
She didn’t remember ducking beneath the water, but she soon had to surface for air. Musk and incense filled her nose as she drew in a deep breath. She looked around in confusion, not quite understanding what she was seeing. The straw rope sporting zigzag white cloths surrounded her.
The hot spring had been replaced with the pool room. How? When? What the hell was happening?
The invisible man’s touch left her body. Lulu’s need to get out of there overrode her disappointment. She grabbed the edge of the pool but jerked back with a cry of pain. The same electric shock that had hit her last time got her again.
“I was right. It is you,” said a man with a heavy Japanese accent.
Lulu whirled to face him. She whimpered with fright at the sight of a man made of water floating in the pool with her. Only his upper body was visible… as visible as a man made of water could be.
“Those other women were fun, but it’s you I want.” He reached out a hand toward her.
She cringed back against the edge of the pool. “Don’t touch me.”
“I won’t hurt you. Never would I hurt you.” He cupped her cheek and smiled. “You are my salvation.”
“What?” She met his watery gaze and found his expression of reverence confusing. “What do you mean?”
“You awakened me.”
“I didn’t.”
“When you touched the barrier, you weakened it, allowing me to wake. You did it again just now, giving me the ability to take on this form.”
She glanced over her shoulder then looked back at him. “You mean getting shocked? I didn’t do that on purpose. It just happened.” And why wasn’t it happening now? She was touching the edge of the pool but it wasn’t shocking her.
The man trailed his fingers past her neck, over her shoulder, and down her arm until he cupped her hand in his. With gentle coaxing, he moved her to the middle of the pool and then to the edge across from where she had been. She didn’t understand what he was doing or why she wasn’t fighting him.
He guided her hand to touch the edge. Another shock elicited a cry of pain from her. She whirled on the man. “You said you wouldn’t hurt me.”
“It is the barrier hurting you, not I.”
“What barrier? What are you talking about? What are you?”
“I am not a what. I am a who. I am Hotsuma Mizuno, the eleventh head of the Mizuno family.” He looked down at himself and sighed, except the sound came out as a kind of gurgling noise. “When I was a man, I was the eleventh head. Now I am this.”
“And that is what?” Lulu needed to keep him talking while she figured out an escape route. She needed to get closer to the door so when she jumped out of the pool she could run for it. An explanation as to why she was running around naked would have to be a spur-of-the-moment thing if someone caught her.
She inched around the perimeter of the pool without touching the edge in case it shocked her again. The third time had hurt worse than the first two. She didn’t want to go through a fourth.
Hotsuma said, “I am a water spirit now. Trapped in this form by my family because I inherited the powers of an ageman.”
“An ah-gay-huh?”
&
nbsp; “Ageman -- a woman who brings luck to those around her. My mother was an ageman, but she had no daughters. My family thought the power was lost until they realized it passed to her eldest son instead.”
“I take it you were the eldest?”
“Yes.”
She stopped moving when he faced her. She even managed what she hoped was an innocent smile. Nope. She wasn’t trying to escape. Just enjoying a nice lap around the pool.
He said, “My family forced me to marry early so I could beget heirs and pass on my powers to them.”
“Tough break.”
He raised his gaze to somewhere over her shoulder and his voice took on a far off quality. “I didn’t love my wife. She married me for the prestige it would bring her and her family to be joined to a powerful house. The three children she bore didn’t inherit my powers.”
“That’s too bad.” Lulu started moving toward the exit again. A little bit farther and she could jump out of the pool and run.
“My family procured concubines for me next. Four beautiful women from around Japan who came from spiritually powerful families.”
“Sounds rough.”
“Each bore me children, but none of those twelve had my powers.”
Lulu made a sympathetic sound but her attention was focused on her goal. All she had to do was climb out and she was free. The second she touched the edge, she regretted it.
The shock that coursed through her body ripped a scream of pain from her before it threw her back into Hotsuma’s arms. He cradled her against his chest as she panted and waited for the pain to subside.
“Are you okay, Lulu?”
She nodded but made no move to leave his arms. He was the only thing keeping her above water since she couldn’t feel her body. “How do you know my name?”
Wet: Undercurrent Page 2
