Page 19 of Cowboy's Sinful Bargain

"If you'd like to tell me what kind of snacks you like," Mrs. Gibbons said, "I'd be happy to make up some and keep them in the pantry for you."

"Oh...um..." Miko glanced at me.

"I think Miko is going to have to try a bunch of different things before he can decide what he likes," I told the cook. "He hasn't had a lot of time to explore his food pallet."

Miko reached under the table and set his hand on my thigh. I knew he was silently telling me thank you, so I just nodded...and tried to ignore the hand so close to my groin.

"May I use the bathroom?"

I know I was blinking blankly at Miko, but what grown man asked if he could use the bathroom?

"It's down the hallway," Monty said. "The door next to my office."

"Thank you." Miko stood and then walked out of the room.

I waited until he'd left the room before turning to look at Monty. "What the fuck, Monty?"

"I don't know, my boy." Monty rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together. "When we spoke on the phone, that lawyer, Mr. Sato, told me Miko had led a sheltered life back in Japan, but I think there was more to it than that."

"Sheltered life, my ass."

I was starting to think they kept him a virtual prisoner. Too many things weren't adding up. Miko's behavior for one. He acted more like someone who'd served time. I knew. I'd spent awhile in juvenile detention before I was found by Monty.

I wanted to punch something again.

Chapter Six

~ Miko ~

After going to the bathroom and washing my hands, I stared at myself in the mirror over the sink. My face was as pale as it usually was, but there was a surprising bright spot on each cheek.

I wasn't sure what they were from.

I knew I needed to go back to the other room, but I needed just a minute. My world had been in turmoil since my grandfather had become ill and it hadn't slowed down since, not even when he died.

Today was a good example.

I was married? Had this been arranged by my grandfather or my grandfather's brother? Maybe my father had decided I needed to be married.

Obviously, Jos had had to agree, but I doubted the marriage had been his idea. While he seemed somewhat in support of it, there was something off about his reaction. I didn't know him well enough to figure out what that was.

I jumped and pressed my hand to my chest when someone knocked on the bathroom door.

"Miko, are you okay in there?"

I swallowed tightly before answering. "I am fine."

I wasn't. I felt as if I was falling apart at the seams. Would I share that information? Not a chance in hell. I had learned to keep my secrets before I learned to walk. That wasn't going to change now that I was in a house full of strangers in an unknown land.

What had my grandfather been thinking?

I cautiously opened the door and peered up at the massive man filling the doorway. For the most part, Japanese men were not built like Jos, so his sheer size was a little intimidating. I feltan overwhelming urge to assess his potential for danger, and yet, I couldn't feel any threat coming from him.

That confused me more than anything.

"Would you like to go sit on the porch with me and watch the sun set?" Jos asked. "Or are you too tired."

Today had been pretty eventful, but I really wanted to watch the sun set. "Porch, please."

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