Page 6 of Love on the Run

“Absolutely, you’re my only weakness, Hana.” Taking her lips with heated deliberation, I can’t help a niggling sense of darkness edging along the periphery of the cocoon of happiness my family resides.

Spurred by this—this, dare I even acknowledge it? Foreboding. I cup her nape, gripping the soft mass of curls at her nape, tugging her out of the kiss. “You know everything I do is for our family—for you and Asa. You know this, Hana?” Deep urgency makes my words harsh, but I can’t call them back. I don’t even know if I want to.

“Yes, babe. I know.”

Her soft hand cups my jaw. Her eyes are soft with concern—with love. “I know.” She begins to pepper kisses along my jawline. Soft lips enticing me as she pulls me down, until I’m lost in her love and bliss.

SIX

Flower

In the darknessof my son’s room, I rock, and rock—and rock. I hear the soft sound of my baby’s breathing. It soothes me. Maybe the only thing that can in this moment. The soothing sounds of his little puffs of breath ground me in a way that is both comforting and disquieting. I let my sweet boy rest not bothering to even stand and look over into his bed. Not to sniff the sweet smell of him before he starts smelling of puppy like little boys do once they start running around in earnest.

I know if I see his sweet face, I will probably burst into tears or fall out into a fit screaming loud enough to bring this whole mansion down and everyone running to see what all the fuss is about. That would bringhimand that I can’t abide right now.

Asa’s peaceful sleep in the comfort of his home reminds me of what I hold most dear—my family. So that makes what I must consider terrifying.

“JeezeLouise,” I whisper into the darkness, pain lancing through me like fire. It’s hot and miserable and mean. Just like that mean motherfucker I married and let have my body. I’msick just thinking about it. What he’s done. What I’ve let him do. Now, I’m complicit. I’m as big a monster as he is. I’ve swanned around this estate, traveled all over Japan and the rest of the world while a girl suffered. Someone no less innocent in all this Takeda family madness than my own baby.

The hot burn of betrayal encapsulates me in scalding reality as my mind trips back to what happened to bring my world down mere hours ago.

I don’t give myself any passes. I know what he is. What he’s always been. All too well I remember how he was willing to tear my life apart for leaving him. I remember. We got past it. Ended up loving each other even harder. We made a baby. I know how ruthless and hard-charging he is. It’s one of the reasons I’m so drawn to him.

I know he’s waiting on me. He expects me to move forward like it’s nothing. I can’t see him. I don’t even want to.

“Flower.” The words are hard and commanding. Looking over my shoulder, I see Akchiro just at the threshold of the door.

He looks as if he’s finished with work for the day. He’s much earlier than normal. He hasn’t come home before nine p.m. since Asa was a very small infant. I know we are his number one priority, but he has responsibility to thousands.

“Come to bed.” His tone is unwavering. He’s already showered. I can tell he rushed through drying his hair because it’s not as perfect as it normally is. Why though? Is he worried? Hmm. I guess years of being a fucking deceiver will do it when the truth comes out.

“In a bit.”

I turn back to face Asa, the slightly darker much more pure form of his father and I can’t help but wonder how Akchiro would have turned out if he hadn’t let the bitterness of his father’s murder warp him.

The room pulsates with his frustration and rage of me blowing him off. Well, that’s what he gets, I fume my mind flying back to when my world came tumbling down.

“Aishiteru yo,”he whispers against my hair, his body still thrumming from his release.

“I love you too.” I whimper in his neck pulling the skin between my teeth sucking gently.

So good. Everything he does to me is always so good. I slowly come down from the orgasmic bliss he’s tossed me into.

Still holding me he slides out grabbing tissues to clean us up. The air is sweetly scented with a mix of my perfume, his cologne, and our sex. He made love to me with a quiet intensity on his desk, his eyes never leaving mine.

Stepping back, his eyes are hard as he regards me. “Flower?—”

A hard knock cuts him off. My head swivels to the door then back to him. Impossibly his jaw hardens more as he takes in my questioning gaze. No one ever interrupts The Takeda at work not even I. Me being alone with him doubles the rarity of an intrusion.

“Go freshen up.” He pulls away, plucking me off the desk to stand, his face closed and cold.

A sense of foreboding settles over me, making my tummy feel laden. When they say stress and anxiety can have physical effects they weren’t lying. I look over my shoulder to see him regarding me making no move to answer the knock that’s just repeated.

Stepping inside the bathroom, I close the door, use the restroom, clean up as best I can.

“Akchiro, thank you for seeing us.” I walk in on Hishashi and a diminutive young woman bowing to my husband.

“I am so glad to be your honored guest for these last few years cousins.” She demurely adds rising to gift us with a beautiful smile.

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