The Devil Inside (9 page)

He regards me with caution in his eyes, taking time to find the right words. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Adele. As for my past? I left that behind in Japan.”

“I need to know who you are. All of it.”
 

“You will.”
 

He threads his rough fingers through mine, sliding over my sensitive palm. I’m fully aroused. Just from holding hands. How is this man doing this to me? “Have I convinced you enough to go on a date with me?”

“We’ll see.” Not that I’m going to allow him to know how fucking turned on I am right now. That wouldn’t be good for business. “Maybe next week. After I’ve earned enough money that I can quit this job.”

“Should I even ask what you need the money for, or are you going to tell me it’s none of my business?”

“You catch on quickly.”

Kaito sighs, closing his eyes. He breathes in deeply, and when he opens his eyes, they’ve turned dark, almost black. “Then I’ll just have to wait, won’t I? Tell Mama-san to stock up on Ethereal Beauty. We’ll be seeing a lot more of each other this week.”

“We will?” I blurt the question out without thinking.
 

“I told you, I’m not going to sit around and watch another man putting his hands all over you.”

Possessive, much? I smirk. “Who gives you a say in that, Kaito?”

He grins back wolfishly. “I’m a paying customer, aren’t I?”

I can’t argue with that. Instead, I keep quiet and pour the man a drink, keeping my anticipation tightly leashed. An entire week of Kaito? Holy hell. It’s only day one, and I’m already thinking of what lies underneath that perfectly tailored dark suit.
 

This is easily becoming the most insane thing I’ve ever done.
 

Kaito

We’re drawing attention. The bald prick who had his hands over Adele earlier is staring at us, his gaze unfocused and bleary. I glare at him, and he looks away. Mama-san is staring at us, stealing sneaky glances when she thinks I’m not looking. One of Masa’s security men is standing in the shadows, keeping a wary eye on me. I raise an eyebrow at him when I catch him looking. His expression doesn’t change, but his right hand twitches.

His subconscious wants to reach for a knife, a sword, a gun, anything. My presence sets his alarm bells off, but he doesn’t know why.
 

I know the feeling. I know his type, very well.
 

But I haven’t done anything wrong, and all he can do is lurk in the shadows, watching.
 

“What’s with that dark expression?” Adele’s low, throaty voice wraps around me and pulls me in. I blink, surprised that I’ve let my guard down. That overpriced sake must be getting to me.
 

“What do you mean, dark?” I smother the bad thoughts before they can take root and frown, putting on my best mock-innocent look. Adele laughs. That sound might just be the best fucking thing I’ve heard in my entire life.
 

She’s gone through nearly half of that bottle of Ethereal Beauty on her own, and the more she drinks, the more she leans back on the velvet lounge chair, her long, mahogany hair becoming tousled and wild. Her slender, warm hand comes to rest on my thigh, creeping upwards. Before I can do anything, her long fingers are resting against my erection.
 

“You shouldn’t do that, Adele,” I warn, as she traps me in her liquid brown gaze.
 

“Why not?” Her eyes are wide and deceptively innocent. I’m not fooled.

“Because if you tempt me any more, I’m going to take you out the back right now.”

“And do what?”

“Do what?” I raise an eyebrow. “Use your imagination, woman.”

The fingers on my cock move back and forth, stroking it through the thin fabric of my pants. It drives me crazy. My heart is going a hundred miles an hour. I slide a hand between her warm thighs.
 

“I want you to say it,” she purrs, as she edges closer to me. “What are you going to do to me, Kaito?”

If she wants to play, I can draw this out, too. Cheeky woman. “What do you want me to do, Adele?”

“That depends,” her fingers find the buckle of my belt. She’s surprisingly dextrous, given the amount of booze she’s had. She easily unclasps the belt and the next thing I know she’s undoing the zipper of my pants.

I look around, fighting to keep my expression unchanged. They can’t see what we’re doing under the table, but I feel exposed. I can’t afford to let this woman be my undoing, not here, not now.

“You better slow down,” I murmur, torn between throwing caution to the wind and keeping it all under control.
 

“I can see that.”

“You really should.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’m going to take you out the back and fuck you, slow and hard. In the office, in the bathroom, wherever they’re not going to hear us. Actually, I don’t even care if they hear us.”

Adele withdraws her hand and stabs a finger into my chest. “Kaito, you have no idea how much I am dying for that. But right here, right now, it doesn’t work.”

“Oh?” I blink. I wasn’t expecting that. Without thinking, I pull another cigarette from my jacket pocket with my free hand. I need something right now, a release.
 

As quickly as it appears, the cigarette is taken away.
 

“You’re paying for my company right now, Kaito.” She curls her fingers around the bottle of Ethereal Beauty sake. It’s half empty now. I’m mesmerized as she fills my cup. “In this place, just for tonight, you own me. But making love isn’t a transaction. Not for me.”

Making love. It sounds so old fashioned, but I’m drawn by her choice of words. She doesn’t see it as simply fucking. For her, it’s something more.
 

Chikusho
. The hard-on I have right now is killing me. And this exquisite tension, like nothing I’ve ever felt before, has me on the edge of control.

It’s bittersweet, and I’m savoring it.
 

“Damn, Adele. You have no idea what you’re doing to me.” But I get it. Taking her here, in this seedy hostess club, would cheapen the act.

“Speak for yourself.” She moves her hips, sliding the insides of her warm thighs up against my hand. I feel a trace of her wetness on my fingers. “But this is work. And you and I have to play by the rules.”
 

I can’t have my cigarette, and I can’t have her, not just yet. What’s a man to do?

Chikusho.
Fuck.
 

I take the cup of two thousand dollar sake and down it like it’s cheap vodka, feeling the smooth liquor burn down my throat. Adele throws me a pointed, sidelong glance and laughs.

No doubt she’s appreciating the irony.
 

Adele

Strong arms wrap around me as we make our way down the carpeted stairs leading out of the Black Rose. It goes smoother than I thought, with Kaito supporting my weight easily. I recover my poise, which is not easy with all the damn alcohol I’ve drank, and take the final few steps on my own, with Kaito’s arm around my shoulders.
 

He laughs, a slow, deep, intoxicating sound.
 

As we step out onto the street, Kaito takes off his suit jacket and wraps it around me. It’s not all that chilly, and I’m about to wave him off, but his warm, masculine scent surrounds me, and before I know it I’m luxuriating in the silky, lined sleeves of his jacket, which is huge on me.
 

I don’t dare tell him this, but I’ve never had a man be this courteous to me on a date. My last boyfriend’s idea of a romantic night out was to order pizza and watch Netflix.

Kaito looks good in his shirtsleeves. Without the jacket, I can see the contour of lean muscle underneath the thin fabric of his shirt. He’s got wide shoulders that taper down to a narrow waist. He catches me checking him out and the corners of his mouth curl upwards in a slow smile. “I saw that.”
 

“Then we’re even.” I reach out and put an arm around his torso. He feels as good as he looks. “Who taught you to be such a gentleman, anyway?”

“I’m not usually this nice. But you do funny things to me, Adele.” Kaito shrugs.
 

He presses a button on his keychain and the lights on an ordinary looking sedan flash. I suppress a smile, thinking the car doesn’t suit him at all.

“What’s with the look?” Kaito shakes his head. “It’s the kind of car an accountant would drive.”

“If you say so.”
 

Kaito opens the passenger side door and I step in. His car is immaculate inside. I raise my eyebrows, and I can’t hide the smirk that crosses my face. Kaito snorts in annoyance.

“Will you stop amusing yourself with my car, woman?”

“It doesn’t fit you at all.”
 

Kaito steals a sideways glance at me as he pulls out of the narrow parking space. He shrugs. “A car’s a car. Now, where do you live?”

I direct Kaito down streets that are silent and deserted at this hour, sneaking glances at him every now and then. The streetlight passes over his elegant features, his eyes hooded in the shadows. The booze has gone to my head and I lean back into my seat, wondering if this is all some kind of surreal fantasy.
 

I’m being driven home by an insanely good looking man. A man who acts like he’s attracted to me, as much as I am to him. I almost lost control up there in the club. I surprised myself. I’ve never done anything as audacious or seductive before. That ridiculously expensive sake must have done something to me.
 

As we pull up into the driveway of my apartment, I look across at Kaito. He kills the engine and returns my stare. I can’t see his eyes in the darkness. He’s still, and silent. I find it a little unnerving.
 

“Good night, Adele.” All of a sudden, there’s a distance between us.
 

“Okay.” I struggle for words. But what was I expecting? To invite him upstairs? I drew the line back at the Black Rose.
 

I glance up and see that the lights in my apartment are out. Dio won’t be back until later in the week. It’s rare that I have the place all to myself. “Kaito.” My voice is barely a whisper. “Thank you for tonight.”

“What are you thanking me for? You were just doing your job.” The words come out hard and clipped. I bristle at the sudden change in his manner.
 

“Is something wrong?”
 

“No.”

“Well, good night, then.” I step out of the car, catching the slight nod of his head in the shadows. Without looking back, I take the stairs up to my apartment. I hear the rumble of a car engine as he reverses down the drive. I feel empty, disappointed. After what we had in the Black Rose, I feel like I’ve been shortchanged.
 

That’s my fault, though. I couldn’t stand the thought of any man, even Kaito, putting me in that position.
 

What if, after the drinks are paid for and the hostess job is finished, he doesn’t come and see me anymore? What if the novelty wears off?

I flick on the lights as I enter the apartment, throwing my clutch on the counter. I kick off my heels, letting the soft, plush carpet massage the aching balls of my feet. I never was a high heels girl.
 

I reach the fridge and grab a beer. As I pry the cap off, I realize my hands are trembling. I’m still half tipsy.
 

I drink from the bottle, long and slow, as I fall into the sofa. The empty feeling won’t go away. Without Kaito beside me, it feels as if I’m the only person left in the world. How sad.

I’m lonely.

I take another gulp of my beer and flick on the TV. It’s muted. I stare blankly at the screen as an infomercial shows me a set of frying pans. They’re cooking steak, potatoes, an egg. No oil needed, apparently.

I hear a soft tap on the door.

I must be imagining things.
 

There’s no way anyone would come up here at this time of night. It has to be almost two in the morning.
 

And I know only one person who would bother to come up here at this time of night. My heart starts to hammer wildly. No way.

There’s the tap again, louder, more insistent this time. No fucking way.

I put down the beer and walk to the door on silent feet. I look through the peephole.
 

Kaito is standing in the hallway.

I open the door.
 

Then I’m in his arms, and his mouth is on mine, hot and wanting. He reaches across and flicks off the lights, plunging us into almost darkness, save for the silent flicker of the TV. I respond to his kiss, unable to help myself, as his hands slide down my body.

“I tried to do the right thing,” he whispers, “but I just couldn’t help myself.”

My trembling fingers find the buttons of his shirt, and I’m tearing it off, sliding it over his shoulders, his back. My hands run over smooth skin, feeling the contours of toned muscle that bunches and flexes as he moves forward. There’s a roughness every now and then; perhaps from scars, but I can’t see anything in the darkness.

He tastes like sake and smoke and something else, rich and spicy; I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Deft hands find the zipper of my dress, and I arch my back as he opens the smooth, metallic closure, running his fingers down my spine, slow and gentle. A shudder courses through me.
 

I edge backwards, my bare feet gliding over the carpet, leading us through the darkness to my bedroom.
 

We shed clothes as we pass, my dress slipping to the floor. He reaches up and finds the clasp of my bra. With nimble fingers, he pulls it away, and cups my breasts, tracing around my hard, sensitive nipples.
 

A soft gasp escapes me as we reach my bed. The curtains are open, just an inch, allowing a faint sliver of light to pass through. I can just make out the outline of Kaito’s face. He kisses me again, hungry, tender, wanting.
 

Soft, clever lips move down my face, to my breasts, where his tongue traces around my nipples. I tangle my fingers in his hair, impossibly aroused as he plants soft kisses along the length of my belly.