“Are you trying to tell me those types of projects bother you?”
“No, I’m trying to tell you that I’m not some little innocent you need to protect. By you, I mean the whole kinky crew at Black Arts. Feel free to pass that along.”
Amery grinned. About damn time her friend came out of her shell. “So noted. Did you finish the Archer project I emailed you about?”
“We’re still working on it. I told Presley it was okay to use stock photos, because when she puts the finishing touches on them they don’t look stock.”
At first Amery had been wary about interviewing Presley Quinn since Molly had met her at a roller derby match-up. But after seeing the woman’s portfolio, she’d hired her on the spot. Presley had mad artistic skills across the board—even if she looked a hot mess; tats and piercings and her thrift-store-Goth-meets-Bettie-Page clothing. But she fit in personality wise with her and Molly, plus she brought a fresh perspective, which had proved good for business.
“We miss you, Amery, but things are going well here, so try to enjoy yourself there. Talk to Ronin. Things always go to hell between you two when you’re giving each other space and being all polite and shit. Oops. The other line is ringing. I’ve gotta go.”
***
Later in the morning Amery wandered down to the village. After growing up with supermarkets that carried everything a customer could want, the simplicity of the food choices surprised her. She suspected this was where Ronin had picked up his good dietary habits. There wasn’t much room in their small refrigerator and freezer, so she had to shop every other day. On tonight’s menu was miso soup and steamed bluefin tuna on red quinoa with fresh vegetables. Amery paid careful attention to make sure Ronin ate enough protein and complex carbohydrates since his body burned so many calories during his fourteen-hour training sessions.
Ronin came home that evening at eight thirty. He’d gotten into a routine. First, he kissed her hello and headed to their bedroom to shower. Then they sat down to dinner. After dinner, while she washed the dishes, he tossed his sweat-soaked gi in the washer. Then he adjourned to the onsen—the natural hot spring down by the creek. The water was almost too hot for her, but soaking in the mineral-rich water did wonders for Ronin’s aching muscles.
He kissed her as he passed her in the kitchen on his way outside.
Annoyed by Ronin’s distraction—the man had barely said two words since he’d walked through the door—Amery poured herself another glass of sake. She’d grown to like it, but only the high-end stuff Ronin bought. No sake equivalent of box wine for him.
He’d left the door open to the deck, which meant he expected her to follow him.
Feeling contrary, she wandered over and closed the door before she stretched out on the couch to watch TV. Not that she could follow any of the shows since all two hundred channels were in Japanese.
Maybe five minutes passed before Ronin opened the door and stepped inside. “Amery? Aren’t you coming out?”
She kept her gaze glued to the TV—hard as it was when her husband was freakin’ naked. “Nope.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged.
“Baby, can you look at me, please?”
She glanced over her shoulder, then craned her neck to peer around the room divider before meeting his gaze. “Oh. You’re talking to me?”
“Who else would I be talking to?”
“Gosh, I don’t know because those are about the first words you’ve spoken to me since you got home over an hour ago. So I’ll pass on joining you and let you do your little soaking thingy alone. I know my chattering disturbs your reflective time.” Amery flicked her focus back to the screen and drained her sake.
The next thing she knew Ronin was in her face, his hands braced on the back of the couch. “Get in the onsen or I’ll toss you in. Your choice.”
“At least if you tossed me in your hands would be on me,” she grumbled.
“How much sake have you had?”
“Not enough, since I’ll be having another glass while I’m out there.” She ducked under his arm. “Yeah, yeah, I know, put it in a plastic cup.”
Ronin spun her around and kissed her with enough patience and passion to cool her temper down and heat her body up.
Damn him.
When he finally released her mouth, his erection poked into her belly. He murmured, “Don’t be long,” and nuzzled her cheek before walking away.
Amery eyeballed that amazing ass of his as he meandered out the door. Then she ditched her clothes where she stood. She dumped more sake into a plastic tumbler and headed outside.
The cold air hit her naked skin and she shivered as she walked across the wooden plank. Steam billowed up from the rock-lined pool so she had to blink several times to make sure Ronin was really in there. The man could be as stealthy as a ninja.
She slowly entered the onsen, letting the hot water engulf her a little at a time. Thankfully this property had a private onsen because she couldn’t grasp the Japanese concept of public bathing with strangers.
Ronin’s hooded gaze remained on her body until she was submerged up to her neck. “Come here and sit by me.”
“I’m fine across from you.”
“Come. Here.”
“Bossy much?”
“Like that’s a surprise.”
“No funny business in the sacred onsen,” she reminded him as she crossed the smooth-bottomed surface.
“What gave you the impression this was a sacred space?” he asked, reaching for her and settling her on his lap, her back to his chest.
“You don’t talk much when we’re out here. I figured it made this some sacred-water Zen-type place.”
His soft laughter drifted across her bare shoulder.
Amery closed her eyes. When was the last time she’d heard him laugh? Right. Two and a half weeks ago in Kyoto. “So you’re just quiet when you’re out here because you’re tired from training?”
Ronin’s arm tightened against her midsection. “Partially.”
She sipped her sake, waiting, wondering if he’d open up to her. Deciding if he didn’t do it willingly she needed to push him.
“Maybe I am reflective when I’m out here. I try to listen to what my body is telling me and shut down the voices in my head.”
“Whose voices?”
His lips brushed her shoulder. “Not yours. The hottest thing in my world is hearing your voice in my ear when I’m inside you, because it echoes inside me, filling the spaces that belong only to you.”