Page 71 of Dangerous Deceit

I immediately regretted having the idea in the first place.

I can do it,I insisted, knowing that Uncle Jay snooping was a bad idea, even worse than putting me up for my first con job.

No need. This dinner is enough, sweetie,he said.Just be careful, Vi,he added, almost like an afterthought.Your husband is still part of the yakuza. You don’t want to mess with that.

I wanted to scream,Then why are we still here? Why did we agree to this job in the first place?Instead, I hung up the phone and berated myself for my silly ideas.

And now, it’s time.

Hands grip my arms, and I jump out of my skin. Kenzo’s reflection laughs in the mirror.

“I didn’t take you to be the nervous type,” he says.

Nervous isn’t the right word. Guilty and scared capture it, though.

“Uncle Jay can be abrasive,” I say. I tuck a piece of hair behind my ears. “He’s not exactly?—”

I don’t know what to say, because I don’t want to lie to Kenzo. I want to tell him the truth about how we’re getting paid to uncover the Endo-kai’s business secrets. I want to tell him I’m not sure I want to con him anymore. Maybe I can convince Uncle Jay to leak our client, and then the Endo-kai can get revenge on whoever tried to undermine them in the first place.

But that’s not a real possibility. I don’t know how Kenzo or Uncle Jay will take it.

I stare at the buttons of Kenzo’s shirt, formulating a partial truth. “My uncle can get aggressive sometimes.”

Kenzo lifts my chin, forcing me to look at him.

“Aggressive, how?” he asks, his jaw tight.

I blush. “Not like that.”

The grin returns to his lips, and for a second, my fears disappear. “Nothing I can’t handle, Mrs. Watanabe.”

But can I handle it?

I lower my chin again, sinking into the doubt.

“All right,” Kenzo says. “Time for a backup plan.”

My shoulders are rigid. “Wha?—”

He grabs me, shoving me against the closest wall, then he moves my hands so they’re in my underwear.

“Any time you start to feel nervous, I want you to do this,” he says, his low voice vibrating in my ears. “Go to the bathroom and fuck yourself until you’re on the brink of orgasm. Then, hold yourselfrightat the edge until you can’t think of anything else. Until nothing matters…except my permission to come.” He presses his warm hand against mine, butterflies fluttering inside of me. “I’m the only one who’s going to make you come tonight. And if you break that rule, trust me, you won’t enjoy the punishment I have in store for you.”

My stomach twists.Punishment?Why does that make such a delicious ache grow inside of me? Andpermission?He wants me to ask—no,beg—for permission.

Moisture clings to my mouth, wet and needy. My fingertips long for Kenzo’s skin. He removes a small device from his pocket. The size of a thumbprint and as thick as a button, with a small clip.

“Put this on your underwear near your clit,” he instructs.

I can guess what it is, but I want him to confirm it. “What is it?”

“Do as I say, and I’ll show you.”

I shift in place as I remove the clasp on the back and pin it to my underwear. He presses a button in his pocket, and the device buzzes to life, making me jump. It tickles, and it’s surprisingly quiet.

Kenzo chuckles, and his eyes lock on me. “If you don’t touch yourself like I say, then I’ll use this right in front of everyone.”

I smack his arm. “You are twisted.”

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