The Most Eligible Bachelor

by Delmire Hart

  Takumi flushed as he led the way outside, not even waiting to see if Mori was following. He made a noncommittal sound at the back of his throat instead replying. Mori’s long legs easily caught up the distance.

  “And what do you have planned for the rest of the day?”

  “They have a really nice home theatre system here with comfortable couches and there’s a few movies I would like to see. So, I thought that if you didn’t like the idea of napping at the picnic, then you could nap while I watch a movie and catch up on some sleep. You’re just going to go and work later anyway, you need to rest while you can.”

  He shot an admonishing glare at the man who chuckled in return.

  “Yes dear.”

  Takumi nearly tripped over his own feet in embarrassment at the endearment and determinedly ignored his bright pink cheeks. Still, he hadn’t missed the note of affectionate amusement in the man’s voice and was secretly pleased at the unusual warmth from Mori.

  Chapter Six

  Mori woke slowly. The hand softly running through his hair was soothing enough that he drifted comfortably for a while. When he awoke enough to want to move, he was sure that the movie Takumi was watching was not the one he had fallen asleep to. He shifted around to look up and was met with concerned blue eyes.

  "How long was I out for?"

  Takumi glanced over to the side, no doubt to check his phone, before replying, "About three hours."

  Mori's eyebrows shot up. No wonder he felt so well rested. He sat up and stretched before turning back to his date. Gentle fingers reached up to run across his cheek and Takumi looked at him in concern.

  "Are you feeling any better?"

  "Much." He took the questing hand in his own, pressing a kiss to his palm and watched as Takumi flushed bright red. He couldn't get enough of the cute blushes and awkward fumbling of the young man. It was so very endearing to see such honest reactions, especially compared to all the slick seduction that people normally tried on him.

  People would put up masks to pretend that they were something other than themselves and the deception had become tiring after all this time. The honest kindness and compassion had spilled over to the other contestants, it was easy to see how relaxed everyone was with Takumi and how many more smiles there were in his presence.

  "I think we still have time for the last part of our original date."

  Mori stood and pulled a curious Takumi to his feet.

  "Are you sure? I don't mind if you need more rest."

  He chuckled, placing a hand on the small of Takumi's back and guiding him from the room after he turned the movie off. Picking up his phone, he made a few calls, firing off a few requests and Takumi looked a little nervous. They moved to the mansion roof top and the blonde nearly tripped over his own feet.

  "Do I need to change or anything…?"

  Mori glanced down at the form fitting jeans and tidy casual shirt his date wore, it was cute that he had gotten all dressed up nicely even though he had changed their date to a more casual setting. The jeans looked particularly good and Mori was more than happy to keep him in them for what he had planned.

  "You look good as you are."

  It was a shame it was dark on the roof top of the mansion, he would have loved to see the pink painted across his cheeks at the compliment. They made it to helicopter pad the same time as the pilots and he helped strap Takumi in as they primed the vehicle. The young man practically bounced in his seat in anticipation.

  "I've never been in a helicopter before! This is so cool!"

  He crowed in delight as the engines roared to life and Mori had to reach over to turn his microphone on so they could talk while they flew. Takumi plastered himself to the window as they took off and Mori found his childlike excitement endearing. He actually did start to bounce in delight as the Tokyo lights came into view.

  Mori couldn't hold back the chuckle as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and tried to take a photo of the city lights against the night sky. Unfortunately, the movement of the helicopter made it near impossible but it didn't stop the photographer from trying again and again.

  He reached out and squeezed Takumi's knee to get his attention.

  "Wait till we land, you'll get a good view that won't move."

  Reluctantly, Takumi lowered the phone, but he still kept himself plastered against the window. Mori left his hand firmly on the others knee and hazarded to move it a little higher up his thigh. The young man didn't seem to notice, far too absorbed in the view, but Mori took a moment to relish in the feeling of toned muscles under the heavy fabric.

  Unfortunately, there were cameras even in here so he had to be restrained. It was almost a relief on the days he was stuck inside on the phone for hours on end. It was one of the few times the damn things didn't plague him and the contestants wouldn't try to interrupt. Although there was nearly a mishap with that after Takumi brought him dinner one day and then others tried to replicate the gesture.

  He would have pulled his gun on Kaneko out of sheer annoyance if he had had it with him when the man dropped off awful looking takeaways and then wouldn't get the hell out. Takumi was in and out with a small smile and as little noise as possible. Nishimura was right, he would make an excellent house wife.

  A familiar building came into sight and the helicopter manoeuvred to a stop on Sion's helipad. It was almost like coming home, Mori thought with a wry twist to his lips. Perhaps soon he would have a reason to spend more time at his actual home. The engine cut and he helped Takumi out after removing his bulky headset.

  The blonde went tearing up to the railing and stood transfixed over the sight of Tokyo from the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city. It was like standing on the top of the world. It had been a long time since Mori had stopped to smell the roses, so to speak. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to start.

  He watched as the wind caught his hair and clothing, Takumi turned to beckon Mori over enthusiastically and the lights reflected in his eyes, his face lit up in wonder. Mori was immediately struck by the sight and was moving before he even registered what he was doing. Takumi turned back around to point and exclaim over the view but Mori wasn't listening. He pressed himself against the other man's back and felt him unconsciously lean into the warmth.

  Ignoring the cameras, Mori moved a hand to tilt Takumi's face up to the side. He paused for a moment, faces bare inches apart, and just took in the blonde’s features. He felt a thrill at the half-lidded look of desire and when a pink tongue darted out to lick at dry lips, he couldn't hold back any more.

  Lips pressed firmly together and Mori finally staked his claim. Takumi tasted of sweet innocence, inexperience showing through but he was eager and a quick study. Mori bit Takumi's lower lip with careful force and grinned when he got a small, breathy moan in return.

  He spun Takumi around and pushed him back against the railing, pinning him in place to continue his attack on his lips. Arms wrapped around his neck, a small fist forming in his hair as though all Takumi could do was hold on while he was kissed senseless.

  When they finally had to part for air, Mori smirked in satisfaction at the positively debauched look of the younger man. Lips puffy and slick, hair wild, clothing rumpled, topped off with wide eyes and him gasping for breath.

  Perfect.

  It was with a great deal of reluctance that Mori pulled away but kept his arm firmly around Takumi's waist to lead him to the roof top door. Unfortunately, the cameraman tailing them snuck into the elevator with them and he had to school his expression to stop the irritated scowl.

  "So, where are we?"

  "Sion," Mori replied, still trying to work out if he could lose the cameras long enough to get a more private of a taste of this little morsel. "The headquarters of my company."

  "Oh, taking me home on the first date?" Takumi said playfully and Mori looked at him bemused. "You work enough that this is pretty much your home, right?"

  He gave a derisive grin, not lost to the fact that
he had been thinking the same thing just before. Takumi could be a surprisingly observant and intuitive person at times while completely oblivious at others.

  "At least it's not some awkward meet the parent's situation."

  Mori replied without even thinking, "Ah, that's not possible considering they aren't alive. Although my secretary is enough of a mother hen to almost count."

  He realised his mistake when Takumi turned to face him with wide, sad eyes looking like a kicked puppy.

  "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be insensitive!" The blonde seemed genuinely distressed, and he almost felt bad for his unthinking comment.

  "It's fine. It happened over a decade ago."

  That didn't help the big sad eyes, if anything they expressed even more sorrow. "So long. That must have been hard losing them so young."

  The only good thing about the entire situation was that Takumi unconsciously moved closer as though to offer physical comfort with his presence but the sorrowful look remained fixed on him. Mori was suddenly struck by the thought that if anyone else made the usually bubbly young man take on such an expression, he would shoot them no questions asked.

  A concerning thought.

  "As cliché as it sounds, I found family in those who helped me build up Sion. As I said, my secretary is more than enough of a mother hen to count."

  That seemed to perk the young man up a little more and he nodded, "I can imagine, he's the one that scolds you for not eating, right?"

  "That's the one."

  "That's good. Everyone needs someone to rely on."

  Thankfully, Mori was saved from that particular conversation by the small ding of the elevator indicating that they had reached the basement floor. Which meant just a short ride in the limo then they would be at Mori's most popular dance club. He was very interested in getting to see that lithe body moving almost like liquid to the beat. The limo was already pulled up and idling, so they were able to climb in and take off into Tokyo traffic at once.

  Knowing his preferences, his driver went straight for the back entrance of the club so they could avoid the long queue of people. The last thing he wanted was to be waylaid by excited viewers seeing them entering the club. Once inside it would be dim and people would be pumped with alcohol so it would be easy to be ignored. Shame he couldn't say the same for the cameraman.

  "What club is this?" Takumi asked as he let himself be pulled from the limo and led inside.

  "Heat. I thought this one would be the most suited to your taste in music."

  "Heat?!" Takumi cried out in surprise. "This is your club?!"

  "It is."

  "This is like the best dance club in Tokyo! I've wanted to come here for ages but the queue is massive."

  The businessman grunted as his hand was suddenly grabbed and he was being forcefully dragged over to the writhing dance floor, no chance to even contemplate getting a drink. Takumi was moving to the beat already and his eyes trailed across the lithe figure. He let himself be pulled deep into the mass of bodies and they pressed together, practically grinding on each other to the music.

  Mori took the opportunity away from the cameras to run his hands across as much of Takumi as he could reach. The blonde just gave himself over to the beat and the normally awkward young man turned back into the sensual vixen he had glimpsed previously. It seemed like only once he relaxed, would he lose the stumbling over his own feet tendencies.

  For once, Mori truly enjoyed just letting himself relax. Something must have changed in his posture as Takumi grinned up at him and pressed impossibly closer. He seemed to know he was successfully riling Mori up but he doubted the blonde had any idea the extent of his own attractiveness.

  Well, two could play at that game.

  ***

  Mori sighed as he accepted the tumbler of alcohol from his secretary. He had been riding high all evening on the extra sleep and activities with Takumi but the feeling was rapidly draining away. Why did people think just because Mori wasn't physically in the heart of Tokyo right now that they would somehow get away with pulling shit?

  It wasn't even the underworld opportunists either, it was like everyone was trying to have a land grab. Not all of his business ventures were entirely above board but he mainly traded in information and tipoffs when it came to underworld dealings. That and turning a blind eye to certain things. He truly hadn’t thought that people would bother his business’s so much while he was away. Thankfully he had excellent staff.

  But he was irritated at having to divide his attentions so Mori had been harsher than usual on the interlopers but the message hadn't yet got across to everyone it seemed.

  "That should be the last of it."

  "Thank you, Saito-san."

  His old friend, Saito, was helping hold the fort while he was gone and he was glad to have someone so trustworthy dealing with the fallouts as people tried and failed to undermine him while he was otherwise occupied. The man pushed up his glasses and gave him a critical stare. "Are you sure you should be doing this silly show, Daisuki? It's been far more messy than usual."

  "I didn't have a choice," he gritted out in return and shot Nishimura, his secretary, a look.

  The man just chuckled, unaffected by the glare. At Saito's curious expression, Nishimura elaborated, "I threatened to resign if he didn't agree to go on."

  "What?!" The look of complete and utter surprise Saito's face almost made the endeavour worth it for that alone. It wasn't one he got to see often.

  "Mori-sama works too much, it would be good for him to have a reason to actually go home. He didn't take the endeavour seriously, so he forced my hand. Besides, the publicity has been excellent for business, all the club’s profits are up and staying up compared to previous years and other ventures have proven receptive to the publicity as well."

  "And what happens when the show ends and Daisuki just goes back to his old habits?"

  Mori took a drink while they continued on as though he wasn't there. His comment to Takumi about him having a different type of family really was spot on. In fact, his secretary was far more motherly than his own mother had been.

  "I take it you haven't been watching the show?" Nishimura looked downright smug.

  "Only the beginning, enough to see that there are no suitable candidates."

  "Ah, that is where you are wrong."

  Mori sighed and elaborated at the raised eyebrows directed at him, "There is one that has caught my interest. The show is proving more of a hindrance at this point though."

  "You seem a little too happy about this," Saito spoke at Nishimura, who looked positively gleeful at this point.

  "I believe he is in to win his bet with Kugo, if I make the current choice I am leaning towards." He had been irritated at first, to learn his closest friends had placed bets on who he might pick. Even worse when he found out his entire office had set up a betting pool as well. The lead runners were picking no one, Jian, or Takumi.

  "And you approve of all this? Who is it anyway? Don't tell me it's the blonde-haired club manager that wails on."

  Mori frowned, offended at the insinuation, "Kaneko? No. I don't do sloppy seconds even if he was my type."

  "Oh?" That had caught Saito’s interest.

  "He's been trading sexual favours with the head editor, Sakai, for more screen time," Nishimura answered for him. "There is another that is very suitable, however."

  Saito eyed the far too satisfied secretary. "And you approve of this person? I never thought I would see the day."

  "He's a veritable housewife, and he actually cares about people and not money or power. He's probably the one person on the entire show that cannot be brought in some way. He also has taken excellent care of Mori-sama so far and I believe he has Mori-sama's attentions in other ways as well."

  Mori sighed again and knocked back the rest of his drink while they argued about the validity of finding someone on the show. He hadn't completely decided about the cute little blonde that had captured his attentions but unfo
rtunately, he still needed to play by the shows rules for the meantime.

  But he could admit to himself, at least, that he was more than a little charmed by Takumi.

  Chapter Seven

  The tension around the mansion was palpable. That morning there had been an announcement that things were changing in a few days. Ten people would be leaving, halving the number of people here, and after two weeks five more people would be leaving. Just five would remain for the last week before Mori makes his final choice.

  The relatively relaxed atmosphere had completely gone and even Takumi felt tense. It didn’t help that neither Mori nor Nikolai had been around after the announcement, both vanishing and leaving the contestants to freak out on their own.

  It was literally the day after his date with Mori and it left Takumi reeling. Having really enjoyed their picnic and especially the dancing afterwards, he had been flying high on good feelings only to be shot down first thing in the morning. He hadn’t known Mori owned clubs and to find out the man owned Heat had been a surprise, but an exciting one.

  Damn, the man could dance. Takumi flushed at the thought of that hard body pressed up against his own as they moved to the beat. It had been teasing and sexy on a level that surprised him. He supposed that’s what people meant when they referred to chemistry.

  Like that kiss.

  Fuck that had been hot. Standing on the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo and completely ignoring the world. The man was clearly well practiced and totally dominated the entire kiss, all he could do was hang on for the ride. He wanted to do that again and again. Feel the heat of the other man, taste him, and lose himself to the sensation.

  “Just what are you thinking about?”

  Takumi jumped in surprise and noticed Jian standing right in front of him. He had been so off in his own memories of last night that he had been completely oblivious to his surroundings. Cursing himself for his inattention, Takumi tried to think of something to tell the man that wasn’t super embarrassing but only ended up stammering and tripping over his own tongue.