Page 53 of Spider Demon's Kiss

“Nope. Again.”

“How about I arrange for a helicopter to take you to Sato’s?”

I smiled delighted. “There you go, husband. I knew you’d get it.”

Dante didn’t seem happy about it, but he informed me that his assistant would be calling me with the details. Within 20 minutes she had, and at the heliport 20 minutes after that, I landed at my father’s compound within the hour.

Like every good Japanese, Yuki was a creature of habit. This was the time for her to be in her garden. Finding her there, I regretted wearing heels.

“I can’t understand how you could enjoy being out here,” I said furious that not even this tinted her porcelain complexion.

“It relaxes me. Perhaps you should consider gardening,” she said continuing to prune her winter rose bushes.

“I have my own ways of relaxing,” I told my icy sister.

“I imagine.”

“I’m sure you don’t.”

Silence fell between us leaving me staring at her with nothing better to do.

“I bought you a gift.”

“Did you?” I asked intrigued. “Will this one be my wedding present?”

“You can think of it however you’d like. Has married life been treating you well?”

Had married life been treating me well? Let’s see. I was sleeping better than I have in years. I had had the greatest fuck of my life. And I was beginning to enjoy my husband’s company.

“I can think of worse things.”

Hearing my declaration, Yuki almost collapsed in surprise… or at least, her version of it, which consisted of a slight glance back with eye contact. Returning her attention to her roses, she said, “I’m pleased.”

Pruning for barely a minute more, she gathered her stuff and lead me back inside. As she did, she almost expressed an emotion. I had never seen my sister so rattled. Who was this person beside me?

“Tea?” she asked, her tone screaming her distress.

“Please,” I replied willing to agree to anything to calm her down.

Having chosen the balcony where I had married Dante for our tea, I understood the cause of my sister’s riotous turmoil. It was losing me.

Her delicate heart struggled to handle it. Her expressionless gaze into the woods in front of us was all she could do to not throw herself over the balcony to her death. My heart broke for her.

Yuki, like so many others in my life, was obsessed with me. The men, the women… I didn’t want to act like an asshole, but it was the only thing I could do to keep everyone at bay.

It wouldn’t surprise me if this was the reason I was given away so young. Because not even my father could resist my seductive power. So sad.

How lucky am I to have inherited my father’s curse and to have attracted a spider demon? My unlucky sister attracted what my father tells people I am, a simply house spirt. So she’s cursed to bring luck and prosperity to anyone who loves her, while I get to kill anyone who loves me. Seriously, how did I get so lucky?

“You said you had a gift for me?” I asked hoping to rescue my sister from her jealous despair.

Turning back to me, she stared and then got up.

“I will retrieve it.”

While she was gone, I allowed my mind to shift to the time I had spent at this compound. I had tried to be here as little as I could. I had always considered it a prison. Living with my lovers had been my escape.

Yuki had never had such options. I wasn’t sure if she had even ever had a boyfriend.

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