She trembled, tears gathering in her eyes. “Ken, I’m so sorry. You have to know that I would never purposefully betray you.”
“I know that now.” He drew her body close to his, reveling in the feeling of her soft, warm form filling his arms.
As she slid her arms around his neck, her explanation tumbled out in a rush. “I’d written about it in my journal, and I didn’t even realize I’d taken my journal to work. The intern grabbed it when he came to get my article revisions, and then my boss—”
He placed his index finger against her lips. “It’s okay, honey. I get it.”
“Really?” Her voice held a touch of fear, as if she were afraid his forgiveness would be snatched away at any moment.
He curled his finger beneath her chin, lifting her face up. For a moment, he simply stared at her, taking in the beauty of her dark, almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones and the soft fullness of her red lips. “Nona. I forgive you. In a way, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
Confusion made her brow crinkle. “What? Why would you say that?”
“Look at the two of them.” He gestured behind her, to where his father and sister were. They stood together, looking at one of the concept drawings he’d created for the event. “Ever since she was born, he’s been keeping her at arm’s length, never really developing a relationship with her. This is the first time they’ve ever spent a significant amount of time together.”
Nona glanced over her shoulder at them. Turning back to him, she shook her head. “I’m happy they’re getting along, but I can’t take the credit for that.”
“Yes, actually, you can.” He brushed his fingertips over her jawline. “Your article was the catalyst for all this. It made my father uncomfortable enough to finally sit down and talk to Miyu, and to address his feelings about what happened with our mother. So, thank you, Nona. Thank you for helping me put the broken pieces of my family back together.”
She smiled as a tear coursed down her cheek. “I’m glad I could help.”
“Besides, I need to apologize to you.”
“For what?”
“For being so stubborn and secretive. I should have just been open with you from the beginning.” He pushed a fallen lock of her hair away from her face. “I realize I was broadcasting my issues of mistrust onto you. I made you work way too hard to learn who I am.”
She shrugged. “You did. But I’m glad I went through it. You’re more than worth the effort it took.”
He felt a smile stretching his lips. Having her in his arms again made him feel lit from within, as if his heart were smiling, too.
“So are you and I back on good terms now? Because I miss you.”
He nodded. Leaning in, he said, “We are on better terms than ever. And I missed you, too.” He brushed his lips against hers. It was a brief, teasing kiss meant to convey his growing desire. “Now let’s go to my place and I’ll show you how much.”
She purred low in her throat. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
To reward her, he leaned down and kissed her again.
CHAPTER 20
Back at Ken’s house, Nona struggled to think clearly as the two of them kissed and fumbled their way into the house. By the time they reached the hallway that led to his dining room, she’d given up on that. All she wanted was to get undressed and let him do whatever wicked things he dared.
He pressed her back against the wall in the hallway, his large hands stroking her shoulders and arms as he kissed her deeply. She wound her arms around his neck, letting the intensity of the kiss sweep her away. Soon she felt as if she were melting from the inside out. The core of her femininity felt like molten lava: hot, wet and threatening to run down her thighs at any moment.
Breaking the kiss, she pointed toward the sliding doors that led to his deck.
“Out there?” His hands continued to tour her body as he posed the question.
“Yes…” Her reply came on the heels of a sigh as he started tugging at the neckline of her dress.
“In a minute.” He tugged the dress down enough to expose one breast. Cupping his hand around it, he lifted it. A moment later, his warm mouth covered her nipple.
“Oh!” A bolt of pleasure shot through her as he flicked his tongue over her hardened flesh. The initial sound melted in a series of short, high-pitched moans as he continued to pleasure her. She let him have his way, arching her back as her body begged for more of his magic.
He drew away, and she saw him smile in the dark. Then he grabbed her hand, as if to lead her through the dining room.
She was so ripe with need, her legs had turned to jelly, and she faltered.
Sensing her instability, he placed one arm around her shoulders and the other beneath the backs of her knees. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her through the dining room and unlatched the sliding door. Opening it, he took her outside onto the deck.
The warm, humid air flowed over her exposed skin, sending another charge of pleasure radiating from her damp, exposed nipple and throughout her body. She trembled in his arms, closing her eyes. He stopped walking but continued to cradle her in his arms, sprinkling kisses over her eyelids, her cheeks, her jawline and the column of her throat. Gently, he set her down. When she came to rest atop something soft, she opened her eyes to see where she was.
He’d placed her on the cushion of his chaise lounge. From her vantage point, she had a wonderful view of his garden. The bright red leaves of his Japanese maple trees, as well as the green plants growing throughout the yard, were lit with solar lighting. She could also see the bench nestled within the plants, where he’d brought her to orgasm the first time they’d made love. She’d been mesmerized by the beauty of his garden that night, and tonight was no different. It was a beautiful setting for them to share their most intimate moments.
She sat up on the chaise with her legs draped over one side. He joined her, taking a seat on the end of the lounge. He lifted her feet and placed them in his lap. Then he removed her shoes, carefully undoing the ankle straps before slipping them off and placing them on the deck floor. While she watched him through hooded eyes, he eased his hands up her bare legs. She lifted her hips and hiked up her dress, not caring whether she wrinkled it. His warm palms grazed her inner thighs, and he applied the slightest pressure there. “Open for me, honey.”
She did as he asked, and in the next moment, she felt his questing fingertips between her thighs. She gasped, her head dropping back on the cushion as he boldly pushed her panties aside and found her center. She was slick with desire, and he used that to his advantage as he plied her. His touch, gentle yet insistent, drove her to the brink of madness. Her back arched as he slid two fingers inside her, stroking, teasing.
“So sweet.” He whispered the words in the darkness. “So perfect.”
She uttered a series of sharp cries, which soon lengthened into long, throaty moans as he took her higher and higher, closer to completion. Fire seemed to spread through her body, sparked and stoked by his skillful hands. It spread from between her thighs, the glow expanding until it reached the very tips of her toes and fingers, and when it could expand no farther, she came, crying out his name.
He eased his hand away, allowing her a moment to recover a few of the scattered fragments of her sanity. When she opened her eyes, she saw him stripping off his jacket. In a matter of minutes, he’d tossed it aside, along with his shoes, shirt and trousers. His hardness strained against his boxer briefs, and her hungry eyes took in the sight of him releasing his member from the fabric and rolling on a condom.
When he rejoined her on the lounger, she shifted positions so that he was beneath her.
He smiled as she straddled him, placing his hands on her hips to guide her.
She needed no assistance finding what she wanted most. A moment later, she took him in, savoring t
he sensation of his hard length as it filled her. She ground her hips, loving the way his eyes rolled back as she began her ride.
Before the night ended, she planned to make up for every second they’d spent apart. Leaning forward, she gripped his shoulders, tossed her head back and let the motions of her body carry them both away to paradise.
* * *
Ken stood with his hands on his hips, observing Nona’s motions. They were alone in the kendo room at Satori Martial Arts on the first Saturday in August, and night was falling on the Queen City. While he looked on, she held her bamboo sword and demonstrated the movements he’d taught her over the past several weeks. It was something of a pop quiz to allow him to evaluate her grasp of kendo.
She completed her demonstration and returned to first stance. “How did I do, baby?”
He smiled, genuinely pleased with her progress. “Honey, that was amazing. You’ve shown so much growth in your technique these past few weeks.”
She tucked her sword beneath her arm, padding over to give him a peck on the cheek. “That’s because I have the best damn private tutor a girl could ask for.”
“You’re right. I can’t deny it.” He winked.
She burst into peals of laughter. “You’re an absolute mess, you know that?”
“And yet you love me anyway.”
Her free hand cupped his jaw. “Yes, I do. More than anything.” She followed her words by placing a sweet kiss on his lips.
Before they’d come to the studio, he’d fed her strawberry shortcake. Now he tasted the remnants of the rich cream and tart berries that lingered in her mouth. The sweetness of the kiss made it difficult for him to control his urges. He eased her away. “If we keep that up, the people practicing in the next room are going to get a free show.”
She grinned. “You’re probably right.” Taking a few steps back, she put a bit of distance between them. “So what now?”
He looked around the space, remembering the first night he’d invited her here. In the space of a couple of months, she’d gone from a nervous woman who’d never done martial arts to someone with excellent command of a bokuto. In the same amount of time, she’d gone from a stranger to the love of his life. He never could have imagined the way things played out between them, and he wouldn’t change it for the world. “Now, we fit you for your keikogi and hakama.”
Her brow hitched. “My what and my huh?”
He chuckled. “Your jacket and trousers, honey. This fashionable outfit I’m wearing. The other intermediate kendo students wear it as well.”
She looked down at her clothing, a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants she’d cut off to make shorts. “You mean I can’t keep practicing in my sweats?”
“Not if you want to continue training.”
“May I ask why I can’t just wear my sweats?”
“That was okay when you were first starting out. But kendo etiquette dictates that students who have passed the beginning level wear the proper attire.”
She nodded, executed a bow. “As you wish, Sensei.”
He bowed to her, unable to hide the smile on his face. He’d kept their private lessons casual, not holding her to most of the etiquette rules the official students of the dojo practiced. “You’ve been paying attention. That will come in handy if you want to begin training in earnest.”
She looked thoughtful for a minute. “I think I do. I really enjoy doing this.”
“You’ll have another sensei, though. Our relationship means I can’t properly instruct you, especially as you become more advanced.”
“I understand.” If she was disappointed, she didn’t let on.
“The day will come when I’ll expect you to spar with me.” He started walking toward the bench, where they’d left their bags.
“Oh, really.”
“Yes, really. And if I win—” he paused, turning her way “—I win your hand in marriage.”
Her smile was soft, loving. “What makes you think you’d have to do all that to get me to marry you?”
He pulled her into his arms. “You know how I love a challenge.”
She giggled. “That’s great, because I love being a challenge.”
As he drew her in for his kiss, he hoped she’d never, ever change. “I love you, Nona.”
“I love you.”
Their lips met a breath later, and he heard her bokuto clatter to the floor.
Neither of them cared.
When he broke the kiss, he slipped his hand inside his jacket. Pulling out the small box he’d placed there earlier, he dropped to one knee on the polished wood floor.
Shock registered on her face. “What are you doing, Ken?”
“You know what I’m doing, and for once, don’t challenge me.” He opened the box, revealing the glistening heart-shaped diamond ring he’d custom designed for her. “Nona, will you marry me?”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she covered her sob with her hand.
“Is that a yes?” He looked up at her expectantly.
Nodding, she dropped to her knees in front of him and let him slip the ring onto her finger.
And when she fell into his embrace and turned her face up toward his kiss, he felt he’d claimed a prize far greater than he could have ever imagined.
EPILOGUE
On a starlit evening in early September, Nona exchanged vows with Ken. Nona wore a shimmering, champagne colored knee-length sheath, made of satin. Her hair hung in loose curls around her shoulder, held back on one side by a crystal embellished clip. Ken wore a cream suit, crisp red shirt and cream tie, and the unmistakable smile of a man about to marry the love of his life. As they stood beneath a tall stand of pine in Freedom Park, where he’d first kissed her, they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
As the ceremony ended, Nona walked hand in hand with her husband to the area where a simple reception had been set up for them. Champagne, finger foods and cupcakes were all artfully arranged on two picnic tables, and Nona watched as their friends and family ate and mingled.
Ken left her side momentarily, returning with two champagne filled flutes. Handing one to her, he smiled. “Here you go, Mrs. Yamada.”
She accepted the flute, returning his smile. “I love the way that sounds.” The two of them eased into the side-by-side armchairs that had been set up for them to hold court in.
“So do I.” He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Darius approached then, with a beautifully wrapped oblong box in his hand. Passing the box to Ken, he spoke. “This was on the gift table, man.”
Confused, Nona said, “Why did you bring it over? We haven’t started opening gifts yet.”
“Look at the tag.” Darius gestured, then strolled away.
Ken lifted the box and read the tag. “It’s from the Music Man.”
Nona’s eyes widened. She’d heard about this mysterious figure, who seemed to be well-informed on all the band members’ lives, but chose to never reveal his identity. “Well, open it. I want to see what it is.”
Ken tugged off the ribbon, then stripped away the wrapping paper. An envelope fell out, landing on Nona’s lap as Ken stared at the clear box.
“Oh, my God. They’re Max Roach’s drumsticks, engraved and everything.” Ken turned the box over in his hands a few times, staring in awe at the two wooden sticks inside.
Opening the envelope, Nona carefully unfolded the letter inside, then read it aloud.
Ken,
I hope you enjoy the sticks. I’m not going to tell you who I am, because it’s not important. I will say that I’m an old friend of Joseph Franklin’s. My main aim in what I’ve been doing has been to encourage you and the rest of the Gents to continue pursuing your art. The world needs your talents, that much is clear. And the reason I’ve waited for all of
you to marry is simple: love is the greatest inspiration any artist can ever hope for. May every day for the rest of your life be filled with that inspiration.
-The Music Man
Refolding the letter, she tucked it back into the envelope and passed it back to her husband. “We’re never going to know who he is, are we?”
Ken shook his head, slipping the envelope into an inner pocket of his sport coat. “Probably not. Now that we’re all married, I think his job is done.”
She had to agree. Looking into his eyes, she asked, “Do you think being married will change your music?”
He draped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “I don’t know, but if it does, it will definitely be for the better.”
He kissed her lips, and she didn’t have any other care.
* * * * *
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