Schooled: The Mastered Series (2 page)

A bedroom. On a plane.

Of course the decor screamed rich and classy. Plush black-and-cream-striped bedding with half a dozen fluffy pillows covered in solid black set against cream-colored sheets. The king-sized bed took up most of the space, but on each side of the headboard were built-in dressers in white and black lacquer. Heavy black curtains covered the walls. “The only thing missing is a big-screen TV.”

“Got that too.” Ronin punched a button on the wall and a TV screen that she guessed to be about forty-eight inches lowered from the ceiling. She hadn’t noticed it because the black panel had blended in with the black ceiling.

Amery gawked at the luxurious space and wondered if there’d ever come a time when she took things like this for granted.

Ronin kicked the door shut and pulled her into him so they tumbled onto the bed. Then he pinned her arms above her head and got right in her face. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t look at me like you don’t know me.”

Her eyes searched his. “But I don’t know you in this context, Ronin. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Do you want to get off this plane and fly commercial? Because I will.”

“Are you kidding me? No. Way.” She nuzzled his jaw. “I just don’t want you to get short with me when I’m overwhelmed by who you are outside of our life in Denver.”

He rested his forehead to hers. “You are my life regardless of where we are. I know I’m selfish for demanding you come with me. I can’t stand the thought of being away from you for two and a half months. But if that means you resent me—”

Amery lifted her head to gaze at him and then pressed her lips to his. The feel of his weight on her, the taste of him, his scent, those were familiar. Those things grounded her as much as they grounded him. That’s why she was going. He needed her there with him. “No resentment. But you’ll have to figure out a way to deal with my freak-out moments, because this is the first of many.”

Ronin’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “I’ve come up with a few ideas on how best to distract you, baby.”

“Do those ideas involve rope?”

He rubbed his nose to hers. “Always.”

The plane started to move. “Whoa.”

“It appears they were as ready to take off as they claimed.” Ronin kissed her quickly and pushed onto his knees.

“Do we have to go back to the main part of the cabin and buckle up?”

“Nope.” He stretched out beside her, placing his feet on the pillows. “Do this.”

“What?”

“Lie beside me like this.”

She spun around. “Now what?”

He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Now have some patience.”

It was weird lying on the comfortable mattress, facing the wrong way, staring at the back of the TV screen as the plane rolled along.

After a couple of turns the plane stopped.

“Ronin—”

“Hang on. Wait for it.”

The bumps were jarring when the plane started to accelerate. When it lifted off the runway, so fast, at such a sharp angle, she felt like she was standing up. And for just a moment . . . she felt weightless, as if she’d entered a zero-gravity chamber. Despite the stomach-churning sensation, she turned her head and looked at him with a smile.

He wore a boyish grin. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“How’d you figure it out?”

“I crawled in bed before the plane took off one night and damn near ended up ass over teakettle. It’s a steeper climb for smaller jets to reach altitude. Now, whenever I’m on this aircraft, I act like a kid who thinks he’s on a rocket ship during takeoff.”

She laughed. “Crazy man-boy. I thought you dragged me to the bedroom because you wanted me to join the mile-high club.”

Ronin rolled her on top of him and kissed her, mouth avid, keeping his hands clamped on her butt. Between his all-consuming kisses, he spoke against her lips. “Maybe we should take the edge off.” He treated her lips to a few more teasing kisses. “You seem tense.”

“You’re up for a quickie?” She moaned when he nipped the side of her neck and then soothed the sting with hot, slow kisses.

“Who said anything about a quickie? It’s a long flight.”

***

“Amery?” A soft kiss brushed her bare shoulder. “We’ve landed.”

She blinked, forgetting for a moment where she was. Why was she naked?

Oh right. She was on Okada’s private jet. And she was naked because her husband was a master at seducing her.

Amery reached up and touched his gorgeous face. “Hey.”

He pressed his lips to her wrist. “Hey, yourself.”

“How long did I sleep?”

“Seven hours.”

“What time is it now?”

“We left Honolulu at four p.m. It’s nineteen hours' difference so it’s eleven a.m. here in Osaka. The next day.” He smiled. “Just in time for lunch.”

Amery stretched and stood. “Do I need to change clothes?” She picked up the pile of clothing and slipped on her bra and panties. “I’ve been in them . . . ? How many hours?”

“The time change will really screw with you if you think too hard about it.” His gaze moved over her as she yanked her black jeans up over her hips. “And technically once we ended up in the bedroom you didn’t have your clothes on for very long.”

Such a smug look. “I’m reminded again why I don’t wear clothes that need ironing since you tear them off me and throw them on the floor every time the opportunity presents itself.”

“At every opportunity, sexy wife of mine.” Ronin flashed his roguish grin before he pulled on his black cashmere mock turtleneck. He’d already slipped his jeans back on. He sat on the edge of the bed and donned his socks and motorcycle boots.

Amery loved watching Ronin get dressed as much as she loved watching him get undressed. Maybe it was a power thing; he wasn’t comfortable showing skin in public. The only time he let down his hair, so to speak, was around her. Only she knew what a powerful, muscular, hot body was hidden beneath his gi or his clothing.

He emitted a growl and she glanced up at him. “What?”

“You know what. Stop looking at me and licking your chops or we won’t get off this plane for another hour.”

She kept her gaze fastened to Ronin as she buttoned the bottom half of her pale pink sweater, leaving the gray lace of her silk camisole peeking through the top. “Might I remind you we’ve joined the mile-high club twice in the past however many hours?”

“That’s the only way to fly, baby.”

She couldn’t help but laugh.

“You ready?”

“Give me a couple minutes to freshen up and then I’m at your command.”

By the time she exited the bathroom, the plane had come to a complete stop. Ronin was in conversation with the pilots and Nick but he broke off the discussion upon seeing her.

“Is everything all right?”

“Fine,” Ronin answered quickly. “Shall we?”

“Don’t I need my coat?”

“Not today. The weather in Osaka is beautiful,” Nick said.

Osaka? But weren’t they spending the first week in Kyoto?

“Everything onboard has been loaded into the car as per our instructions,” Nick added. “Your driver is waiting inside the terminal.”

“Thank you.” Ronin stepped aside so Amery could descend the stairs first.

A temperate breeze stirred her hair and she lifted her face to the sun. Even the sky looked different here. But she didn’t have time to gawk as Ronin steered her across the tarmac and toward the open doors.

A pudgy man in a bellman’s uniform came forward and bowed to Ronin. Their discussion seemed formal and Amery couldn’t pick out any familiar Japanese words besides
udon
and
Kyoto
. Then the driver gestured for them to follow him. A black limousine idled at the curb and another liveried man bowed before he opened the rear door.

After they were ensconced in the back, she poked her finger into his chest and teased, “A limo, Ronin? Really? Sweetheart, I already know you’re a billionaire heir so you don’t have to try to impress me.”

He snatched her hand and lightly bit the finger that’d been poking him. “So you’d rather we rode Shinkansen from Osaka to Kyoto and schlepped two months’ worth of luggage ourselves?”

“What’s a Shinkansen?”

“The Japanese bullet train.”

That sounded entertaining. “Why didn’t we just fly into Kyoto?”

“Because Kyoto doesn’t have an airport. Osaka is closest and it’s an hour drive to Kyoto. The limo wasn’t my idea. My grandfather sent this to welcome us to Japan. It’d be rude to refuse his hospitality. Besides, this vehicle belongs to Okada. It has special tags that will allow us quicker and easier access to the part of Kyoto we’ll be staying in. Since we’re both hungry I’ve asked the drivers to stop for lunch first.”

Udon
. Now that made sense. “So we’re having noodles?”

“You picked that up from the conversation? I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be. Noodles and bathroom are the extent of my Japanese language skills.”

Ronin’s fingers gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his hard gaze. “Buck up and understand you
will
have to rely on me for a lot of things on this trip, as much as it pains you to do so.”

That brought a smile. “It doesn’t pain me.”

“Then what is it?”

Amery studied him. His long black hair was unruly. His cheeks and jaw sported dark stubble. His bottom lip had a swollen spot on the left side. Thinking about how he’d gotten that mark sent a shiver of awareness through her. The second time he’d had his wicked way with her on the plane, he’d plowed into her with such force, with such unquenchable need he only showed to her, that she’d bit him. It hadn’t fazed him. He’d put his mouth on her ear and growled, “More. Use your teeth on me. I want to wear your passion on my skin.”

So she had. She’d given him a hickey above the edge of his collarbone. It had shocked her that her nails digging into the back of his neck while she sucked a love bruise on him had set him off.

“Amery?”

When she met his gaze again, she noticed his golden-brown eyes had softened and he’d relaxed his grip on her chin. She released a sigh, amazed as always this beautiful man was hers.

So he wants to show off a little. Spoil you a bit. Is that really so bad?

No.

Because of their financial disparity, she’d been insistent they were partners in their marriage, which worked on many levels—the most important ones for sure. But on other levels . . . she knew she’d never be his equal. And she had to accept that fact as much as he had to accept that she’d be uncomfortable with certain aspects of being with him because of who he was.

“Baby. Your silence is scaring me. What’s going on?”

Amery leaned in and licked the swollen bump on his lip before she sucked it hard. She smirked at his quick, surprised intake of breath. “I remembered I know another Japanese phrase.”

“Yeah? Which one?”

She whispered, “
Aishiteru wa
.”

He closed his eyes and his exhale drifted over her lips. “I love you too.” His hand slid down and curled around her throat. While feathering his thumb across her rapidly beating pulse, he pulled her close. The kiss started out slow and sweet. But things would heat up quickly and they’d be going at it in the back of the limo if she didn’t stop it, because heaven knew Ronin wouldn’t.

She broke the kiss. “Steaming-hot noodles first; steamy-hot sex second.”

“Deal.”

They stopped at a roadside noodle joint. Amery was more interested in watching Ronin interact with the locals, than what type of noodle dish he ordered for them, because weren’t all bowls of noodles basically the same?

No. Not even close.

Amery ate her food so fast Ronin laughed. Then he ordered her a smaller bowl of another kind of noodles and she downed that too.

She fought a wave of sleepiness as they climbed back in the car and drove to Kyoto.

Ronin’s phone rang. Was it her imagination or did Ronin sit up straighter before he answered?

When he said, “Ojisan,” she knew why Ronin had tensed; his grandfather was calling.

The conversation lasted longer than she’d expected. Ronin said her name several times. He even laughed—a genuine laugh.

That boggled the mind. From everything she’d heard, and what she’d read online, Nureki Okada was one scary man—even at his advanced age—and not prone to joking. Ever. Someone had even commented he’d had his funny bone removed in his youth in favor of having a shark’s fin implanted.

Ronin hung up and remained quiet longer than usual.

“Is everything all right?”

“Yes. My grandfather sends his best wishes that we enjoy our time in Japan until he sees us in Tokyo.” He paused. “It’s . . . strange how much easier it is to speak with him now. I thought he’d be cold and pull that ‘I’m disappointed’ bullshit, especially since Shiori is in a holding pattern as far as continuing in the family business. But he seems happy with how my mother is handling everything.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Very good.” Ronin threaded their fingers together. “He asked about you.” A soft smile curved his lips. “Wanting to know if you were pregnant yet. In the past I would’ve seen that as him meddling in my life.”

“But now?”

“Now I see it for what it is. His way of wanting a connection with us and having hope for the future.”

Amery laid her head on his shoulder. “I can’t wait to meet him even though I’m scared shitless of him.”

“Believe me, I understand.” Ronin nuzzled the top of her head. “I’m so glad you’re here with me, Amery.”

When the car stopped, Ronin waited for the driver to open the door. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s not like me to allow others to wait on me. But it’s different here. It’s an insult if I don’t allow these people to do their jobs.”

After they exited the car, Amery realized they were in an alley of a residential street. None of the houses, all crowded together, were higher than two stories. This seemed an odd place for a hotel.

Keeping hold of her hand, Ronin led them up a narrow stone walkway. At the front door he exposed a security box hidden in the siding and punched a code on the keypad. She heard the locks pop before he turned the handle and opened the door.