He offered the other man his hand. When Ryo took it, he pulled him into a warm embrace. “I welcome you back to the fold. May you never regret your decision to join us in the fight.”
Ryo gave him a soft grin, casting him a coy glance up past heavy lids. “I cannot imagine ever finding a reason for regret, my warrior.”
As the other man rose on his toes to place a hot kiss on his lips, Eric jerked awake. He panted, rubbing his hands across his face, trying to scrub away the lingering bits of dream. Damn, Ryuu Saitou affected him more strongly than he’d thought if he was invading his subconscious. He needed to get this last job over with quickly and get out of here.
He needed to concentrate on Janice and their future together.
Chapter Thirteen
The sun barely rose the next day before Ryuu stood fully dressed in the center of his living room, a giant grin splitting his face. Excitement and joy warred with the need for careful planning. He had to time everything perfectly. It was like planning a hostile takeover but even more delicate and detailed an operation. He couldn’t rush them but he needed them so badly. Not just for San Francisco but for himself. And here they were, fate dropping them in his lap. Now that he knew where to focus his attention he could track his Two more easily and plot accordingly. Of course, when dealing with his own future, nothing was certain.
But they were here, sleeping under his roof. Finally.
Katashi stepped in with a matching smile on his normally stoic face and a stack of paper in his arms. The little old man’s anticipation almost mirrored his own. Ryuu had never seen the man as happy as when he found out that the visitors were Ryuu’s two lovers.
Ryuu couldn’t help but share in the pleasure. “I take it you have news for me.”
“Yes,” Katashi replied with a short bow. “First, our new employee, while being a very colorful individual, seems to be a hard worker. Logan should actually make a fine addition to Zen.”
“That’s good to know.” Ryuu tilted his head and continued in a teasing voice. “But I doubt that’s what put on the smile I see.”
Katashi’s grin grew for a moment before he wiped it from his face. Donning his normal austere expression, he said, “Ms. Thompson has opted to sleep in this morning, sir, followed by a bit of private time in the atrium. Afterward, Ishi plans to see if she wishes to go to one of the kimono stores and pick something to wear for dinner at Teien at eight o’clock. Mr. Malcolm is taking advantage of our spa treatments. It seems he pulled a muscle in his back sometime last night and has asked to try out the skills of our masseuse.”
Ryuu closed his eyes for a moment to relish a memory of the past. Erich’s battle-hardened body stretched out before him like a sacred offering, his own hands rubbing soothing oils into that tight, twitching flesh. The groan of pleasure from Erich that never failed to arouse him. Which, of course, led to a prolonged bout of mind-blowing sex. It was simply too tempting an offer to pass up. A man could only be expected to resist so much. “I think I should pay a visit to the spa to make certain everything is running right.”
Katashi handed him a folder. “I’ve already spoken to my daughter and she’s made ready for your inspection.”
“I’m certain Ishi has left nothing to chance,” Ryuu replied, not even bothering to open it. “She is a Yoshida after all.”
Keeping his head down, Katashi bowed again. But Ryuu could tell he was pleased with the compliment to his family. “Thank you, sir. I will let her know that you have the utmost confidence in her. And allow me wish you good luck.”
With the lack of time I have to convince them to join me, I just might need it. “Thank you, Katashi. For everything.”
The old man’s face softened again. He reached out to give Ryuu’s arm a friendly squeeze. “Your father would’ve wanted me to make certain you had all that you needed.”
Ryuu clasped his shoulder in return. “I know but thank you all the same, old friend.”
* * * * *
The soothing sounds of soft music mixed with the patter of water in the dimly lit room. Eric lay facedown and naked on the table as an ox of a woman did wonderful, evil things to his poor muscles. While it might have been worth it, the night with Janice had left his back with sharp spasms, reminding him that his thirties weren’t as forgiving as his twenties had been. Even the vast amounts of warm, premium sake he’d enjoyed in the waiting room hadn’t eased his aches and pains. Hopefully the present pummeling would take care of it. He wanted to be in top form for dinner tonight. He didn’t have long to convince Janice to stay with him.
The woman paused in her kneading and he heard someone else approaching. Switch-off time. Guess his shoulders were more than his ox woman could handle. He smirked a little. Damn but he was buzzing hard. That sake packed a punch.
Harder, stronger hands took over where the woman left off, leaving his shoulders quivering. Gotta be a guy. No woman, not even Brunhilda, had hands this strong. It’d been so long since he’d had another man touch his bare flesh that he practically wallowed in the hard caress. He’d been tempted a couple of times but not enough to risk breaking his vow. No more men. They got to be too damn competitive or too damn clingy. Then Janice came along and all bets were off. He knew that man or woman, it didn’t matter. She was it for him.
A moan tore from his throat as the other man hit just the right spot with just the right amount of pressure. Whoa, that had muscles in his ass twitching. So good. Between this and the alcohol, he’d be a big pile of jelly in moments.
A puff of warm air caressed the side of his neck and suddenly Eric thanked God he was lying belly down. Otherwise he’d have embarrassed himself. Still, the goose bumps running across his skin would be hard to ignore.
“What do you think of our amenities so far?” a familiar, deep but musical voice whispered in his ear before strong teeth took his earlobe in a sharp nip then lapped gently.
His eyes widened as his cock twitched. Memories of his dream last night mixed with the feel of the other man’s mouth. Shit!
Eric resisted the urge to flip over and confront Saitou. Showing the other man exactly how affected he was by his blatant invitation wouldn’t exactly be the best idea. He wasn’t that stupid even in his drunken state.
Saitou dug into the muscles right below his shoulder blades, zeroing in on a particularly wicked knot. Eric groaned louder, melting and arching into the pressure at the same time. Did the bastard have to be so damned good?
“I’ll take that as a positive answer.”
If what Saitou was doing hadn’t felt so wonderful, and if he were an ounce more sober, Eric would have rolled over and decked the smug bastard. But it did feel good. Something about it felt right and he was buzzed enough not to care much more than that.
It wasn’t like the man was blowing him. Though, to a part of him deeply hidden and ignored, that didn’t sound too bad either.
Eric closed his eyes and lay still. Saitou might be one hell of a businessman but the guy could make serious bank as a master masseuse. If the hotel business ever crashed he had a great fallback.
It wasn’t until he heard the soft chime of the timer that Eric realized he’d dozed off under the man’s skillful hands. The drag of terrycloth across his hips brought his eyes snapping open. Saitou covered him with a towel, tucking it around his waist as he sat up on the side of the table. If Ryuu’s fingers lingered overly long, Eric wasn’t going to mention it.
Eric gripped the fabric and started to stand when Ryuu sat next to him waved him back down. “So I must know,” he asked, turning toward Eric. “How do you like my hotel?”
Eric relaxed his already tensing shoulders. Business. He could keep things under control as long as they talked business. “It’s superb. But you know that. The service is fantastic. The decor is amazing. You’ve done a terrific job of creating a…sanctuary in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities. It’s quite an accomplishment. There’s no wonder that any company would be interested in bottling that up and selling it elsewhere.”
“But do you think such a thing is possible, really?”
Eric opened his mouth to start his usual spiel but the words wouldn’t come. Something about Ryuu made it difficult to lie to the man. And what his job required Eric to say would be an outright lie.
Instead he looked Ryuu dead in the eye and told the unvarnished truth. “No, I don’t think it’s possible. There’s too much of you in the place to have it really work for anyone else.”
A bright smile crossed Ryuu’s face, turning him from a stoic competitor to a bright compatriot. “Good. You didn’t look like an idiot or a hypocrite and I’d hate it if my first impression was wrong. I pride myself on the ability to size a man from one meeting. But you still have to do your job, so you will continue to try to convince me, yes?”
The other man’s humor was infectious. Eric couldn’t help but grin in return. “Of course. I never said I’d stop trying to talk you into signing on the dotted line. My job is to get an agreement. It’s someone else’s headache to try to make it work.”
Eric couldn’t take his eyes off Ryuu as he laughed, the merry sound annoyingly attractive. He moved a bit closer to Eric, not enough to make him feel uncomfortable but close enough to be noticeable. “Don’t you feel the slightest bit guilty about trying to saddle your company with a franchise acquisition that it couldn’t possibly replicate?”
“Maybe if I planned on staying with the company I would. But this is my last job with them.”
“Oh, disgruntled ex-employee.” Ryuu sounded almost disappointed in him.
“No, I’m leaving on my own terms.” Eric surprised himself with the amount of pride in his response. “But I still have a perfect record to uphold.”
“So once you’ve gotten me to sign, what’s next?”
“Actually, I’m relocating,” Eric confessed despite himself. The words seemed to tumble out in Ryuu’s presence.
“Where to?”
“Here.”
Ryuu leaned close enough for Eric to feel the heat of his body, crossing over into a more uncomfortable area. “Really?”
Eric nodded, finding it difficult meeting the other man’s gaze. “San Francisco.”
Scooting even closer, Ryuu smiled. “So we’ll be neighbors of a sort soon. When the time comes, perhaps you’ll allow me to show you some of my town.”
Suddenly the room stopped feeling so companionable. Eric resisted the urge to put more distance between them, not wanting Ryuu to misinterpret his action as cowardice. “Maybe. I’ll have to see how everything pans out.”
With one hand Eric reached back to hold his towel secure as he shimmied forward to hop off the table. Ryuu grabbed his free wrist, allowing him to stand but not to leave.
Eric turned on him, hand fisting, but not certain if he really wanted to hit Ryuu. Not that he had any time to do anything. In one smooth motion Ryuu stood and slid his free hand through Eric’s hair, pulling his head down enough to meet his mouth.
Eric started to push away but the sudden movement threatened to dislodge his towel. Not a good idea. And no matter how he pulled Ryuu trapped his other hand in a surprisingly tight grip.
Then Ryuu’s tongue teased the edges of Eric’s lips, warm and enticing. The heat of that mouth shot a little zip of temptation rippling through him. Eric couldn’t resist opening to have a quick taste.
It couldn’t hurt, really, he told himself.
The tip of Ryuu’s tongue slid between Eric’s teeth and upper lip, caressing the tender flesh. A soft whimper filled the air. Eric wasn’t sure but he feared it might be his own voice. Still, temptation flooded his blood. He fell under the other man’s spell, opening his mouth wider and inviting Ryuu in. A quick thrust and his tongue plunged in Ryuu’s mouth, savoring the dark, forbidden flavor of the other man’s desire.
Ryuu let go of his wrist to wrap his arm around Eric’s hips and clench his ass. Eric took advantage of his newfound freedom to grab the man’s shoulder and pull him in. Teeth clashed as tongues dueled.
It wasn’t until Eric started to let go of the towel around his waist to pull Ryuu closer that sanity snapped back into place. What the hell did he think he was doing?
“Janice,” Eric gasped as he tore his mouth away from the other man’s.
“What about her?” Ryuu asked, panting and looking around the room for the interruption.
Eric forced Ryuu’s hands from him and stepped back. “We’ve got a thing going. Not ruining that for any fling.”
Tilting his head, Ryuu considered Eric’s words. Even his look of confusion was freaking attractive, damn him. “Who said anything about ruining your relationship with her? And who said anything about a fling?”
“If you weren’t hitting on me, what the hell was that all about?” Eric growled.
The other man grinned, his almond-shaped eyes glittering with a mixture of amusement and lust. He leaned against the table, ankles crossed, and let his eyes rove over Eric from head to foot. “Oh I was hitting on you. If you couldn’t put that together I’m more out of practice than I thought. I only meant that I have no intention of pulling you and your beautiful coworker apart.”
Eric felt his skin heat under Ryuu’s careful perusal. “She’s not just my coworker. We’re dating.”
“I understand that.” Ryuu chuckled. “I’m simply saying that you don’t have to choose between us.”
Eric straightened his shoulders, glaring down at the shorter man. “I think Janice would disagree.”
“Not if I play my cards right,” Ryuu whispered, his shining eyes locking with Eric’s.
Something about the tone of his voice made the hair on the back of Eric’s neck stand on end. “And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means I want you,” Ryuu stated without hesitation. All mischievousness disappeared from his face as his expression grew serious. “But you’re not the only bisexual in the room. I want her too.”
Jealousy and terror slammed through Eric. He felt territorial toward Janice and didn’t like the thought of someone else wanting her. At the same time, the thought of Janice finding out about his attraction for Ryuu frightened him more than he cared to think about. “Keep the hell away from her.”
For a second Ryuu’s expression seemed almost tragic. But whatever he felt he quickly masked it. “What if she wants me near her? What is it you truly want?”
Eric stood straight and tall, looking down a full six inches at the other man. “Just stay away,” he snarled.
But his junkyard dog imitation did nothing to intimidate Ryuu. His calm expression changed not one iota as he asked, “What about a deal?”
“What kind of deal?”
Ryuu stepped closer, reaching up to rub his thumb across Eric’s lower lip. “What if I promise that I won’t try to have sex with her unless you are there and you both agree to it? Would I still have to stay away?”
The image of this man sinking into Janice while at the same time opening his mouth to take Eric’s cock flashed through his mind. The intensity of the image shocked Eric, leaving a gut-deep appeal. “You’re talking a threesome? Is that what you want?”
“It would be a nice start.” Ryuu gave a negligent shrug. “I believe in making my intentions clear. I want you, both of you. Call it a warning or a promise, I really don’t care. But I’ve waited too long for this to play games.”
Ryuu’s nonchalant air warred with the predatory note in his voice, leaving Eric even more confused. “Waited too long for what?”
“For the two of you, of course.”
It still didn’t make sense but it didn’t matter either. Eric shook his head. “There’s no way Janice would agree to that.”
Ryuu shot Eric a pointed, devilish look. “But I don’t hear you refusing my offer. Copping out on making a decision?”
“I tell you it’ll never happen.” Eric turned and marched for the door, intent on getting his clothes and getting out of the situation.
“It will if I have anything to say about it,
” the other man called out as Eric stormed from the room.
Neither man noticed the foot-long humanoid shadow writhing beneath the table. The incense covered the slight hint of brimstone as the creature of smoke oozed through a vent near the floor and out of the building.
Another Three were forming at the gateway. Lord Balimorth needed to be told.
Chapter Fourteen
Janice stepped back and stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked good, surprisingly good, if she did say so herself. The kimono Ishi had lent her, a deep forest green, brought out her eyes and made her blonde hair shimmer. And the little bit of blue she’d kept in the underlayer of her hair, showing nicely where she’d pinned it upswept on the sides, was almost the exact shade of the flowers embroidered in the material. It wasn’t as perfect as the one she’d ordered at the kimono store in the Japantown mall that Ishi’d taken her to but it would work for tonight.
Just her and Eric alone, no business to take care of. A normal date. She hadn’t been out on a normal date in months. Going to work events. Cuddling on the couch with a pizza and some movies. Meeting up for dinner at one of their houses and then sex. They spent time together when they could, normal things that even friends might do. But she hadn’t been on a traditional going out to a nice restaurant kind of date for months.
It made her wonder, why now? But she knew. He wanted her to stay with him so he’d decided to pull out the stops and do some old-fashioned wooing.
So why was she going along with it? Did she want to be “wooed”? She wasn’t that type of girl. She wasn’t the type to sit around waiting for the guy to make a move on her. She was the kind who went out and took what she wanted and didn’t apologize for it. As long as no one got hurt, what was the problem with that?
And yet here she stood, playing dress-up and enjoying the hell out of it, so that the man coming to pick her up would appreciate it.
A rap on the door had her walking out of the bathroom. God, she actually had stinking butterflies in her stomach. And they didn’t ease up any when she saw that Ishi stood grinning at the other side.
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