“Wow.” Flower caught a tear as it rolled down. She was grateful she’d recently learned how to set her makeup, otherwise it would be smudged. All the same, she willed herself not to go into a full ugly cry as Akchiro fastened the five-strand rope of pearls around her neck.
“I think it suits this ensemble beautifully. You will outshine them all.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss on her brow.
“You’ve heard from your mother?” she asked as he led her from the bathroom.
“No, she’s still not speaking to me at the moment. She is communicating through my brothers. She’s been kept abreast of everything by them.” He sounded grim, and she hated being the cause of any difficulties he was having with his family.
“I’m sorry she’s upset with you for marrying me.” She willed firmness into her voice but felt her spirit wilt because he stiffened under her touch when she reached out to stop him as they approached the elevators.
He turned toward her and sighed. “It’s not about me marrying you but how it was done. It is a grave insult that I did not let her know my intentions and wait until she was able to attend. I knew exactly what I was doing, Flower. I knew the consequences of my actions—all of them.” He cupped her face then, his face so grave. “I would do it again. Know that as you go forward tonight. I would choose you again over all of this. You will find no friends there. Know this: I will guard you with my soul.”
The party was a crush, as Akchiro had told her it would be. The room was beautifully lit and throngs of people milled around, throwing glances their way as they made their way down the stairs. Flower and Akchiro bowed in greeting as they were announced. Flower was glad of her choice of haute couture because nearly all the women wore some extravagant fashion or kimono. The colors were as vibrant and varying as the men were austere and in black tuxedos. This was the poshest event she had been to in her life. Diamonds and rare jewels gleamed and sparkled from necks, ears, and wrists.
“Ah, there you two are,” Riyu greeted them, smiling. “My dear sister would you like some champagne?” He handed her a glass, saying under his breath, “It’s nonalcoholic.” Flower smiled her thanks as she took a sip of the sparkling grape juice. “Brother?” He nodded at Akchiro, who took a whisky and sipped it.
Then Akchiro looked around. “Takashi?”
“Oh, he’s about. Mother gave him some very specific instructions about who owed her some favors.” He winked at Flower. It seemed that even though she was upset with her older son, the older Mrs. Takeda had no intention of throwing them to the wolves.
Flower soon began to wonder at the vastness of her mother-in-law’s power. People were more than gracious, some were even kind. Akchiro playing sentry at her side was a huge deterrent as well. The music flowed, hors d’oeuvres were being constantly offered—she particularly liked the rumaki and the kamaboko with salmon roe. The only thing that stopped her from seizing a platter and finding somewhere to sneakily eat the whole thing was knowing her mom raised her better. The food was so good and being pregnant did not make it any easier. She was always ready to eat.
Takashi popped up right on time to sweep her up into a dance. She was happy she’d taken ballroom dance classes for events her brothers were constantly invited to. Her parents had been adamant that they learn everything about the high society norms they would be entering once they were enrolled in one of the most exclusive East Coast boarding schools. Her brothers had afforded them an amazing opportunity in education that she and Willow couldn’t waste.
Flower glided along with her brother-in-law to the strands of the waltz. He twirled her, making her giggle a little at his antics. “You’ve made Akchiro so happy, Flower. We are in your debt for that.”
Flower was stunned. She didn’t believe this for a minute. Made him happy. Was he speaking of the same man she’d married who could not bring himself to touch her? She wasn’t going to argue. This was definitely not the place to sob on her new brother’s tuxedo. She nodded, giving him the smile she practiced for weeks leading up to this event. Not too much teeth and a slight nod of acknowledgement.
“You don’t believe me.” He smiled, but his eyes were thoughtful. “He never left work before you. Gone are the eighteen-hour days. I actually think he gets more than five hours sleep at night.”
“He may get six now.” Her wry response had him chuckling.
“Since you came into his life, he doesn’t spend every waking moment at work trying to maintain the Takeda as he once did. He even smiles. Mother has noticed this change and wanted me to tell you she is in your corner.” He looked so sincere.
Flower’s breath caught. “I thought she didn’t like me,” she managed.
“She didn’t when he was heartbroken searching for you, which turned to concern after we told her his purpose in the New York acquisition, something Riyu and I were only made aware of when you entered the boardroom. Then after a while, he became as we witnessed before—the happy warrior. We knew then to trust him in knowing what he needed, Flower. You.” He winked as the final strands of the waltz came to a close. “He grieves and we grieve with you as well. Give him time to see what he still has.”
Flower could do nothing but nod at his words. Her emotions were too raw. She kept her smile in place as he escorted her back to her husband’s side. “Are you okay?” Akchiro’s eyes strayed from her to pierce his brother with a thousand daggers. She needed to remember he was so in tune with her, more so now that she was pregnant. He often knew what she needed before she even asked.
“No, it was nothing like that. I just need to refresh myself,” she assured him and stayed him when he would have escorted her. She made her way to the wing of the ballroom that housed the retiring rooms. She was making her way back after making sure she didn’t look anything other than Akchiro’s cool and elegant counterpart when she heard voices. In the salon adjacent to the ladies’ room.
“She’s middling by anyone’s standards.”
Ah, Flower thought, so this is where the mean ladies congregated, as she listened to the vicious attacks on her face, form, and character.
She had to give them credit, they had a whole arsenal of insults. Well, she had something in store for them.
“Pardon me,” she said in English, pretty sure they didn’t know she spoke their language fluently. Akchiro and Flower decided not to let anyone in on her little secret so they could see who their allies were. “I must have made a wrong turn.”
“I will be happy to help you.” Lady Tokugawa smiled at her. Flower saw no kindness in her eyes and kept her smile plastered as the woman spoke to her friends, thinking she couldn’t understand. “Why of course this clueless gaijin upstart would be lost. I mourn for the Takeda line with this poor soul’s hafu children.”
Flower let the words roll off her back, channeling her husband’s calm rather than her own form of Southern hospitality, which would have meant snatching the woman’s elaborate headdress that completed her kimono off her head. Flower was a Takeda, and that was not their way. “My lady,” she said in Japanese then bowed in slight deference before rising to assess the group. “My husband will be happy to hear what you think of our family, as will my dear mother-in-law, Lady Takeda. She gifted me with these beautiful pearls, though I dared not accept them being a gaijin upstart from America as I am. My husband, seeing my despondency about being so unworthy as the mother of his hafu children one day, added a strand to ensure that I knew that his legacy and mine were linked forever, which as I believe included the Takeda Samurai ruling long before the Edo period of your ancestors.” She bowed again then, adding a three second pause before rising. “Thank you so much for your kindness.” She turned and left, smiling when she heard the uproar of accusations flying in her wake. Why would one be so silly as to hurl insults in the face of the wife of one of the most powerful men in Japan, thinking he would be so crass as to marry someone not fluent in his language. Why indeed? She smiled to herself and went to find her husband. Her work here was done.
&n
bsp; Chapter 24
Flower thought about how Akchiro never took his eyes off her as they rode back to their penthouse. His gaze was scorching. She burned under its heat. She wanted to squirm, heck, she wanted to tangle herself within his long limbs and allow him to pleasure her. If his brothers had not accompanied them back to the Toranomon Hills Tower where they shared a penthouse on the floor below, she was sure he would have taken her right there on the back seat of the limousine.
She eased deeper into the hot-as-she-could-stand-it water of the deep cedar soaking tub she’d become quickly addicted to since her return. She could see why people here relaxed in one after they showered. She unwound from the tension of the night having to deal with those harpies, letting the stress and anger seep out of her pores. The heat loosened the tightness of her muscles, infusing her with calm, which was the best thing she could have done for her and their baby. She embraced the languidness that enshrouded her entire being. The soaking after she showered had become her favorite part of the day and now an integral part of her self-care routine.
Tonight, she felt she’d deserved this little treat especially after the pride she saw in her husband’s eyes for way she’d handled those mean women. When she’d returned, he was impassive as she approached. She knew he was aware that something had transpired while she was away. He hadn’t bothered to ask what occurred in the retiring room; he instead swept her into a dance and listened to her whispered account silently, scanning the room for the people mentioned in the altercation. The nod and flash of his eyes were imperceptible to onlookers, however, Flower knew he was already calculating his next move. No insult to his wife would go unanswered. Which was evidenced by Lord Tokugawa escorting his most revered Lady Tokugawa with a fierce grip on her elbow, stopping before Flower and Akchiro to apologize in saikeirei position, a full seventy-degree bow lasting thirty seconds that she’d never seen done the whole time she’d been in Tokyo except on TV shows. She kept her face as impassive as her husband, who gave no indication at all of acknowledgement to the profuse apology. To do so, he said later, would be to allow others to think they could get away with such disrespect. Akchiro and Flower left the ashen couple standing in their wake as they exited. After the doors closed, she turned at the sound of the low chuckles of her new brothers and the subtle wink from her husband. None would forget the night they glimpsed the dragon rear its head for his lady.
Soon after they returned home, she excused herself as the brothers congregated in the living room with a nightcap after toasting her success at the gala. She could tell that they had much to discuss among themselves as well, so she decided to give them some privacy. Their mother seemed to be a pressing issue amongst all the brothers. They all wanted Akchiro and his mother to reconcile. Flower still worried that it was not only how he got married but to whom that their mother was offended by.
Taking her time, Flower conditioned her hair and took her shower. The water felt like heaven. She dared not hope anything would come of the blatant desire he showed earlier. He managed to quell it the entire month with little effort. She cringed thinking of the debacle a few nights ago when she’d awakened to find herself riding his thigh. To her horror, she’d been so close to climax she almost shuddered in release. She eased her leg away and made to turn when he stopped her. He hushed her whispered apology then slipped his hand between her legs. He kissed and soothed her as he brought her to orgasm. Yet, when she went to touch him, he stilled her hand though his erection tented the sheets. Instead he tucked her close to his side and held her until she drifted off. The next day she could barely look at him as embarrassment stung her cheeks. When he asked how she was, she plastered a smile on her face, assuring him that all was well, though his unwavering gaze told her he knew that was not the case. She didn’t know what she would do if this continued. She groaned, knowing she should perhaps get up from the tub before she dozed off and drowned herself even as she eased lower into the water’s depths.
The swoosh of the door had her sitting up straighter. Her husband strode into the room as cool as he pleased. Akchiro never came in the bathroom when she was in the shower or bath nor had she ever intruded on his time there. A bath was his time to decompress as well. He’d often come home surly from work then disappear into the shower and come back looking fresh and clean with the proper attitude to match. Then he’d come to bed because he often came home late. He’d hold her, whispering questions about her day and vaguely answering hers about his. The only time they shared a shower was after their first time together. She blushed hot straight to the tips of her hairline thinking of that exquisite night. She remembered to close her mouth as she watched him stand before her.
“May I join you, Hana?”
She knew her eyes were round with shock. She managed a soft, “Hai.”
He looked at her a long moment. She felt her nipples peak just as they broke the surface of the water. He nodded, sliding his tie off. Then, with meticulous care, he unbuttoned his shirt. The white crispness billowed as it fluttered to the floor before he made quick work to catch it, not allowing the material to hit the ground, then laid it on the clothing rack. Never one to tolerate a mess, her man. She bit her lip as he unlatched his belt and slid it through the hoops. The whisper-soft sound made her inner muscles clench just a little bit. His gaze never left hers as he followed with his slacks and underwear, which joined the remainder of the clothes neatly draped on the chrome rails.
Totally nude, he was a revelation. All hard sinew and lean muscle. His shoulders broad, pectorals rippled with every movement, every inch covered in vibrant ink gleamed under the brilliance of the lights. His dragons seemed to share breath with him. They lay in wait, ready to strike at his instruction. With each inhale, the ripcord ridges of his abdomen seemed to give the beasts life. They warred with each other yet seemed ready to pounce on her at any moment, and she knew she would welcome them, their bite, and savor every inch of their possession.
It was quiet until he turned the shower on. The sound of the hot spray filled the vacuum as the vent sucked in all the moisture, leaving the glass clear. She had an unobstructed view as he lathered himself. He was methodical, sweeping suds over his arms, legs, shoulders, neck, and buttocks. Every inch of his chiseled flesh could’ve been sculpted. Her breath caught as he leaned his head back and wet his head. He grabbed the shampoo, and she knew that was where the scent of citrus came from. He lathered his hair and rinsed it clean then began with the conditioner that held a hint of the spice she also loved on him. His strong arms rippled with the effort he used to cleanse and moisturize his long hair. He swept it back and glanced over to where she sat and she watched his jaw clench and his penis jump.
She swallowed, acutely aware of her own breathing. She’d actually leaned forward, remembering how he tasted and felt. Goodness, what was he doing to her? She felt like if he beckoned, she’d crawl to him. Anything just to taste and touch him again. Oh, how she ached. Her breasts were heavy. She could feel that she was as slicker than she had ever been. He was a menace, she thought, as he semi-turned to rinse water out of his hair and off his body. Then what he proceeded to do next caused a moan to escape her mouth. He’d taken himself in hand and begun to stroke. He stroked his dick in long, firm sweeps from base to tip. She’d always loved his hands. So big and strong, and now the veins stood out in sharp relief as he handled himself. “Hana.” She looked to see that he was watching her. “Touch yourself. Let me see you.”
Her eyes never left his as she slid back in the clear water and rested her head against the rim. She watched him touching himself. Her body was on fire for his touch. She would have to ease her own aches this time. Eyes never leaving his, she ran her fingers over her throat and squeezed. Her breath trapped for a moment priming her senses, heightening them, as she exhaled, she let her hand travel to her breasts. She tweaked and pinched both her nipples, bringing them to sharp points. She saw his response clearly as he spread his legs wider and pumped himself, never taking his eyes off her. No
t being able to resist any longer, she pressed her hand downward until she felt her slick folds. She sighed with pleasure and lifted her leg over the edge to give her husband a view. She let her head fall back and watched him beneath her lashes while she touched herself.
She heard him groan when her fingers slipped inside. She moaned when he picked up his pace. She arched her hips, wishing it was him touching her, his fingers slick and hot inside of her.
“That’s right, Flower, show me what I’ve been missing.” He thrusted his hips in rhythm with his grip. “Come for me, baby.” He cupped his balls with his other hand. He pumped his fist, rubbing his thumb over this tip.
Flower shook. Her toes curled as she rubbed her clit and took herself over the edge. She watched through a haze of pleasure as Akchiro’s seed shot forth. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, drawing air into her lungs, her head resting against the tub.
The water rippled as she felt him glide in with her. In a blink, she was in his lap and he was devouring her mouth. “That was so fucking hot. I almost forgot how hot you were. I almost let sadness and anger ruin this between us,” he murmured between kisses. “No more.” He quirked a smile down at her. “Will you braid my hair?”
Her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest. She saw her hand tremble as she gathered the long tresses, squeezed water from them, and braided his hair in a long plait. “It won’t have time to dry, and I’m not doing anything other than being with you tonight.” He leaned forward and kissed his thanks on her crown.
“I appreciate that.” She had done something similar to her own hair earlier. When finished, she took one of her own hair bands and secured his hair on the back of his head. “You look beautiful.” She kissed his brow.
Lotus Flower Bomb: The Mogul Series Book Two Page 21
