by Lila Rose
“I’ll agree to 10 percent.”
Link whistled. “I’d like to meet the person you’re doing this for.”
I stilled. “Who says I’m doing it for someone?”
Link chuckled. “No one, but I can tell. If you’ve spoken with Talon, you’ll know about Travis. He got out of it for a woman.”
I hummed under my breath but said no more.
Link snorted. “Got it loud and clear. Whoever it is, is off-limits. Get some paperwork together, prove to me these businesses will be worth taking off your hands, and we’ll do dinner.”
“I’ll get it done. Dinner will be set for Monday next week at the restaurant Tokyo. Seven p.m.”
“Got it, see you then.” He ended the call, and I placed mine back in its holder.
Turning to Ryo, I asked, “Did you hear that?”
“Yes. It’s good you started at 20 percent.”
“Especially when I only wanted ten.”
Ryo nodded. “Are you positive he’ll keep you out of it?”
“Talon and Travis are. Once he accepts, and I’m sure he will, we’ll have to get word out the Takahashi family isn’t linked to the gun and drugs trade.”
“I’m sure the news will spread without us having to lift a finger. When are you going to tell Ruin?”
I smiled. “Once it’s done. He’ll be annoyed, believing he’s responsible for this new direction, but I’ll have him understand it was something I had been hoping for, for many years. I’m tired of how my father fucked this family over and how we’ve always lived on the edge, wondering when the next rival would come at us.”
“It’s a good move. Will Link be able to keep safe when the rivals realise we no longer hold the cards?”
I shifted my gaze from the computer screen up to Ryo. Was that interest in his eyes? “By any chance did you see Link’s photo?” Ryo was bisexual, but I wasn’t sure anyone else knew because he was a very private person.
His jaw clenched. “It’s my business to know everything about a man you’ll be dealing with for your safety.”
I smirked.
Ryo scowled. “I may have seen his photo,” he admitted. I couldn’t blame him for being attracted to Link. If I didn’t have Josh, I might have thought the same. Link was older than us, very good-looking, and covered in more tattoos than even Josh.
Although Josh had the perfect number. When I’d asked about them, he’d explained they all meant something. His body was a piece of art, one I loved to look at every chance I got.
“Do you know you get this soft look on your face whenever you think about him?”
“I do not,” I clipped, knowing I was full of it. Even when Josh annoyed me, I still wanted him close. “One day you’ll find someone, and when that day comes, I can’t wait to hassle you about it.”
“I will never be as… smitten as you are with Ruin.”
“Just wait.” I grinned. “Now, don’t you have work to do, like myself?”
“Do you remember how?”
“Do you remember how I kick your arse when we spar?”
Ryo rolled his eyes and bowed. “Of course, Wolf. Call me if you forget something.”
“Get lost, Ryo.”
He walked towards the door. “Taro-sama,” he called, hand on the doorknob.
I looked up from the computer. “Yes?”
“You do this family a great honour by leading it.”
I smiled softly. “And you do this family a great honour for assisting me. I never did thank you for contacting Josh that day when I doubted myself.”
Ryo tipped his chin down. “You’re welcome.”
Really, I would be lost without Ryo at my side. One day soon, I hoped to see him as happy as I was.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ruin
I’d gotten a text from Taro earlier about having dinner together. As I walked into the house, my gut filled with those damn butterflies at the thought of seeing him. I made my way into the smaller dining room and found Taro sitting at the head of the table, reading over some papers. I stopped and took him in.
His eyes scanned the sheet quickly, and he nibbled on the corner of his mouth in thought. He wore the same shirt he’d been in that morning, so I knew black pants covered his legs. The thought of his pants reminded me of his cock in my mouth, and my cock thickened.
At some point that day, he’d tied his hair back in a loose ponytail. Fuck, I loved his hair, more so when it flowed free around his face and shoulders.
“Are you going to stare at me all night, or can we eat sometime soon?” he asked without looking up from his work.
Grinning, I made my way over and stood beside him. I gripped the ponytail and tugged his head back. His smile was bright but quickly disappeared when I leaned in to claim his lips in a heated kiss. All while I removed the elastic from his hair and ran my fingers through his locks.
Pulling back, I asked, “Miss me?”
“Always,” he breathed, eyes glazed over in desire.
“Good.” After a peck to the lips, I sat next to him as he shifted the paperwork to the side.
“Katon,” Taro called.
Like magic, the old man appeared in the doorway and bowed. “Taro-sama?”
“We’d like dinner now, please.”
“Coming right up.”
“Thanks, Katon,” I added.
Katon smiled and went to bow at me, only to still. His smile grew as he walked off. Taro drew my attention back to him when his hand covered mine on the table.
“How did it go today?”
I grinned. “I’m gonna take it. The place they’re buyin’ is not far from here. It’s gonna be a twenty-four-hour club. Figured I’ll take the day shift since you’ll be workin’ as well. Someone else can do the night shift, but if they’re in a bind, I’ll help out.”
“Sounds perfect. How many days a week? Or will it include weekend work?”
“Since I’ve got the experience in managing a place, they’ve given me the first choice on days. I’ve picked Monday to Friday. Since you were talkin’ about taking the weekends off, I wanted to do the same.”
His eyes softened. It meant something significant to him that he was behind my decisions. I wanted this to last between us, so would do all I could to make this work. There’d be struggles like in all relationships, but we’d pull through. Even if I had to strap him down to the bed and make him see reason or beg for forgiveness if I’d done something stupid to piss him off. It could happen. I did tend to annoy people.
“Are you happy you found something?” Taro asked.
“It’s like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.”
His gaze shifted down to our hands clasped together. His lips thinned. “You don’t miss Ballarat?”
I shrugged. “I might at some point, but I don’t right now. If I do, we’ll head there for the weekend or somethin’. I mean, that’s if you can without a mountain of security comin’ with us.”
“Hopefully they won’t.” He nodded. “If you miss anyone, they’re welcome here.”
Lifting our hands, I kissed his knuckles. “I know, baby. I’d just worry that once Rayne sees this place, she won’t want to leave.”
He laughed lightly. “I’ll be okay with that.”
I snorted. “I won’t. We’d never get any privacy.”
When the food arrived, I gave his hand one last kiss before the plates were placed in front of us. My stomach growled from the aromas hitting my senses. Taro thanked his people, and they disappeared.
“I could marry your cook,” I mumbled around a mouthful.
Taro glared. “Not that it will happen, but I’ll let the cook know you enjoy her food.”
Grinning, I devoured more food and then asked, “How was your day?”
“Same as always. Though, I heard from my uncle in Japan. He’s already complaining about Akio since Akio doesn’t like the changes Uncle has made.”
“I remember you and Ryo sayin’ something about this uncle. How’s
he changed things?”
Taro smiled. “My uncle is fifty and has only just come out of the closet. Discrimination in the family held him back.”
Snorting, I shook my head. “Akio definitely won’t like that.”
“He doesn’t. Which is why he’s moving to the United States and starting his own faction. Not that he’ll get any support from my uncle, nor me. I don’t think Jiro or Akio understood how hard it is running a family and all the businesses that come with it. They enjoyed the money they received each month, but it was their children who helped out working.”
“I doubt they know the work that goes into it. You mentioned your father didn’t share information a lot.”
He nodded. “There was a lot I never knew until he knew he was dying and had to pass on the information. I doubted he confided in Akio or Jiro since he never trusted them with the basic business things.”
“Your dad’s a fool for not havin’ the help. Thank fuck you have Ryo, but you know if you need more help with shit, I’m here. I know I got a job, but that’s only gettin’ started on renovations. Even if it wasn’t, I’d still make time to help you.”
Taro’s hand slid across the table and rested on my arm, where he squeezed. “You do understand that if we stay together—”
“There ain’t any if involved.”
His eyes lit. “Sorry, my mistake. You do realise that since we’re together, everything I have is yours also. The house, the people in it, even the workers. There will be times I’ll reach out to you if the pressure is getting too much, but for now, I have things handled.”
Wait…. “Are you sayin’ I run this place as much as you do?”
“Yes.”
The thought of being equal in this place and businesses kind of freaked me out, but it was sweet Taro wanted that between us. Like we were already married and not starting out. I’d see down the track how it went, if I could adjust to the knowledge of being seen by his people as an equal beside Taro. For now, all I could think about was… “Meanin’ I could fire someone?”
His brows dipped, and he said hesitantly, “Yes.”
“Then I’ll inform Botan it’s his last night here.”
Taro chuckled, shaking his head. “Josh.”
“Do I need a list of who else there was?”
“We’ve been over this. There has been no one as important as you are. Before you, it was all a fog, and it only lifted when you came into my life.”
Christ.
That got me in the chest. I’d been thinking of a question the last couple of days, and hearing him say the words made me want to know the answer even more. His response could bring us closer again.
“Fine. I’ll concede.”
He smirked. “Thank you.”
“Can I ask you somethin’?”
He nodded, picking up his glass. “Anything.”
“Do you like to fuck or are you just a bottom?”
His sip dribbled from his lips as his eyes widened. He quickly wiped at his chin as Katon and his crew appeared to clear the plates.
“Taro-sama, is there anything else we can get you?”
Taro shook his head but said nothing.
“We’re good, thanks, Katon,” I told him, keeping Taro’s gaze. Colour built on his cheeks, and I wondered what he was thinking.
As soon as the others had left, Taro swallowed. I watched his throat work as he licked his lips.
“Well?” I asked.
“Both ways,” he whispered.
“So, if we went to the bedroom, you’d fuck me?”
His eyes flared. “If that is what you want.”
I chuckled; he was unsure if I really wanted his cock inside me, but I did. I’d been thinking about it for a while. I loved arse play, so I guessed I’d enjoy feeling him move inside me.
“Yeah, baby, it’s what I want.”
Taro stood abruptly. His chair tipped backwards and crashed to the floor. “Bedroom, pet,” he clipped. Before I was even out of my seat, Taro started walking from the room. Laughing, I stood and followed him. He kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure I was still behind him. Taro left the bedroom door open for me, and I stepped through. Only he wasn’t in sight. That was when I heard the shower running.
Grinning like a fool, I went into the bathroom and found him naked, standing under the spray of the steaming water with a bottle of lube in his hand.
My brows rose. “In here?” I took off my clothes quickly, eager for this to happen. My cock sprang free and hit my stomach, already hard.
“We’ll start in here, but we’ll finish in bed.”
I pulled the door open and joined Taro in the shower. His hand wound around my wrist, and he dragged me into his arms, lips meeting, fighting for dominance.
Panting, Taro pulled back and told me, “The mail came today.”
“Yeah?” I didn’t know where he was going with his statement, too busy enjoying his hands running over my back and arse.
“Yes.” He bit my earlobe before sucking it into his mouth. I shuddered. Taro ran his tongue around the outer edge of my ear. “Know what I found?”
“What?”
Taro shifted to my side. “Hands on the wall, Josh,” he ordered. I did, spreading my legs wide. My gut tightened, and my cock throbbed as I watched him squirt some lube onto his fingers. One hand wrapped around my dick and jerked up and down. The other he used to rub a couple of fingers over my hole. A shiver raked over my body.
“I forgot to mention what I found in the mail.”
Slowly, he dipped a finger in. My arse fought the intrusion for a moment, until his hand on my cock distracted me. His finger slipped all the way in, and I cursed when it hit me right where I wanted it.
Taro kissed my shoulder, my neck, and after teasing me, he worked another finger inside.
“God, Josh… I can’t wait to be inside you.” His voice was low, rough.
“Then fuck me,” I demanded. I wanted it, him, his cock… everything. Already the pleasure was intense, and I needed him inside me before I came.
“Not yet,” Taro said, kissing my shoulder again. I tipped my head to the side and caught his mouth, fucking my tongue inside. Taro moaned, his fingers working my arse, but the other had stopped jerking me, and I was grateful as fuck, sure I would have lost my load ages ago.
I pushed my arse back onto his fingers, wanting him deeper. “Taro,” I growled when it didn’t feel enough. “I want you.”
His fingers slid out, and Taro shut off the water, ordering, “Dry quickly.”
My arse damn hummed from the attention, but my cock ached for its release. I wiped the water away as I watched Taro do the same, his dick standing to attention.
“Josh, you keep distracting me, and I forgot to tell you something.”
“What?” I asked, following him back into the bedroom. Another bottle of lube sat on the bedside table, but there were no condoms. “Wait, you’re kidding me? We got our results?”
Taro spun my way, smiling. “Yes.”
My body goddamn tingled at the thought of having Taro’s bare cock inside me, feeling his cum.
“Christ, yes.” I fist-pumped the air and launched onto the bed. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Laughing, Taro shook his head, his eyes shining with warmth and desire. Lying on my back, I put my hands behind my head and asked, “How do you want me?”
He grazed his bottom lip with his top teeth. “Like that. Spread for me, pet.”
The action was strange, but I pushed my legs out, and his eyes zeroed in on me. Reaching down, I stroked my cock and watched him slowly move onto the bed on his knees.
“You really want me to fuck you?”
“Yeah, Taro. Want to try it all.”
“If you don’t like anything, let me know, and we’ll stop. You can fuck me.”
“Oh, we’ll be doin’ that later ’cause I want my cum drippin’ outta you, but I want you inside me, baby, and I know I’ll like it ’cause it’s you.”
> His body rolled as he crawled towards me. “The things you say, pet.” He dipped to kiss one thigh, then the other. Taro proceeded to kiss, nip, and lick all the way up my body. Our eyes met. We smiled softly at one another, my heart skipping a beat.
He was mine.
All mine.
Thank fuck I’d taken a chance on this. On him.
Taro reached for the lube and kissed me again before sitting back on his haunches. I shivered when his hands gripped my inner thighs and spread my legs wider. Breathing deeply, I watched him cover his fingers in the liquid before moving it between my legs and hissed when the coolness dripped between my cheeks. I shifted to my elbows to see Taro gently rubbing it around while he used the other hand to lather up his cock in lube.
My neck arched when he slipped a finger back inside me and pumped it in and out. I lifted my arse and rocked with his movements. Another finger joined the first, and I dropped my head back and moaned when he teased me in the right spot.
My dick was about crying for release, but I wasn’t ready—I didn’t have Taro in me. “Taro,” I bit out.
His smile was teasing. “Yes, pet?”
“Get your dick inside me. Now.”
“Anything you wish,” he said, voice husky. His palm pressed into the bed beside my head. “Lift a little.” I did and felt him at my entrance. He pushed in a little, and I goddamn gasped. It was different than the fingers. Bigger. Harder. Taro kissed my temple, my cheek. “Breathe, pet, breathe.”
Sucking in a breath, I nodded.
“Look at me,” Taro ordered. Lifting my gaze, I saw the strain on his face and knew all he wanted to do was thrust in me to get clamped on. I’d felt the same way the first time inside him, but Taro wouldn’t want to hurt me. There was something to be said about a little pain; it was a rush to the head. Chasing my need, I gripped his arms and pushed down on his dick. He slipped in further. Another rush hit me.
“Taro,” I groaned.
His eyes flared as if understanding what I was feeling. “More?”
“All of it,” I ordered.
Taro bent, kissed me, and thrust inside. I groaned around the kiss and held him tightly to me, grinding up onto his dick.
