Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
T akeshi
In the back of our Cadillac, Lakeshia avoids eye contact with me and Shinji. Her sudden reticence strikes me as odd. A woman as deadly armed as she was at the hotel with the skills to shoot with her accuracy shouldn’t have a problem meeting me or my husband head-on. Why’s she evading us now?
And why the fuck does her avoidance bother me?
She’s just a womb I need to ensure my husband’s happiness.
Without redirecting my attention from her, I phone Masanori.
“Itoko-kun,” he answers on the first ring with a terse tone, as if I’m interrupting something important. “I’m busy. What do you need?”
“I’m on my way to your office. Get un-busy.”
I’m about to hang up when he says, “You’ll have a long wait ahead of you since I’m not there.”
I glance at my watch. It’s already time for lunch. “Change of plans. Head to Katsuo’s house,” I say to the driver.
“I didn’t say that’s where I am,” Masanori grumbles in my ear.
“You didn’t need to.”
“Don’t come hungry. She’s not here to feed you.” My cousin disconnects the call without waiting for my response.
Shinji grins at me, probably sensing a way to get under Masanori’s skin. “Kori’s working today?”
I frown at him, despite knowing Shinji will find a way to ignore my warning. “Behave or Masanori will make sure you don’t get what you want.” I stare pointedly at the folio with the legal documents in Shinji’s hands.
Ever since leaving the hotel, he’s had a death grip on the papers when his genuine desire is holding the woman sitting inches away from us pretending we don’t exist.
I return my attention to Lakeshia, more annoyed by her stubborn indifference. As light flickers over her chocolaty brown skin and lips, I wonder again, why her? I can’t deny her physical attraction, but Shinji isn’t superficial. He sees pretty faces all the time and has had numerous invitations. Despite the many women with bodies as magnificent as their faces openly soliciting his attention, no one piqued his interest until Lakeshia. I doubt the concussions are to blame. So what the hell is the reason he’s determined to make her our surrogate? Not just our surrogate, but our fuck buddy until she confirms her pregnancy.
A familiar sense of losing control steals over me. I can’t plan for what I don’t know, and too much about Lakeshia remains a mystery, including the effect she has on me.
Within twenty minutes, we pull up to Katsuo’s primary home. Although he has a larger house on the compound, he and his wife, Portia, stay in the smaller house. I doubt they’ll ever move. There are too many memories attached to the home that helped them heal from their painful pasts. If I were them, I wouldn’t leave either.
I exit and hold the door open for Lakeshia and Shinji, resisting the urge to inhale Lakeshia’s scent as she passes. Soft notes of tuberose and vanilla laugh in the face of my defiance, seducing me with images from this morning of her soft body writhing beneath the sheets, not to mention the unfettered view of her unbound breasts and juicy thighs still slick with her cum…
Shit! I clamp my jaw and try to slow the blood rushing to my dick. Discussing how Shinji and I will do our best to fuck her until she’s full of our seed will strain my usual control. I don’t need to enter the discussion hard and ready to fulfill Shinji’s desire to watch me while I feed her sweet pussy with my essence. Not in front of an audience. As close as Masonori and I are, Shinji’s pleasure is for my eyes only.
Lakeshia shifts, reminding me she will also have a temporary pass to Shinji’s pleasure. Hopefully, she’s fertile and will only need to be in our lives for the ten months it will take to give birth to my and Shinji’s baby.
A caress on my cheek draws my attention to my husband, who winks and kisses my lips before retreating. “Come on, Keishi. You can brood later.”
I shake my head and lead them into the house. Dark, earthy notes of fermented soy make my mouth water. Kori is an amazing chef, marrying Eastern and Western cuisine in creative ways. The scent of shoyu always brings me back to Japan although my last trip there was some years ago.
We follow the aroma to the dine-in kitchen.
Masonori sits with a direct view of Kori as she prepares more food than the four of us will eat.
Shinji sidles next to her. “Did you know I was coming?” He beams down at her and she laughs.
Kori has everyone in the Kimura organization wrapped around her finger, but she doesn’t seem to know. I glance at my cousin, correcting the thought. She has everyone but Masonori willing to be at her beck and call for the promise of food. He seems to want something altogether different.
My cousin stares intently at the little Black chef as she works without saying a word. The atmosphere is always tense when he’s around her. Although he never seems to discuss anything with her beyond his next meal, the way he watches her feels more intimate than if I’ve caught them in a kiss.
“Based on Mr. Kimura’s response when he answered the phone, I guessed you were coming.” Kori rises on her toes to whisper in Shinji’s ear.
“Hontōni?” At Kori’s nod, Shinji wraps her in his arms and swings her around.
The muscles along Masanori’s jaw flex spasmodically as if he’s biting back an angry verbal attack.
“Put me down or you won’t have anything to eat,” Kori laughingly protests.
Once she’s earthbound again, I nod a greeting before leading Lakeshia to a seat opposite Masanori. I sit beside my cousin and Shinji plops on the chair next to Lakeshia. Within seconds, Kori serves us.
As she’s about to leave, Masanori says, “Where’s yours?”
Not once since we arrived has he taken his gaze off her.
Kori stumbles to a stop before turning and addressing him. “I figured you would want privacy to discuss what brought Shinji and Takeshi here.”
“You need to eat.” My cousin nods toward the other side of Lakeshia before directing his attention toward us and settling on me. “I distinctly recall telling you she isn’t here to cook for you.”
“But she has a conscience and cooked anyway. You can’t control everyone. Take it from someone who knows.” I nod toward my husband who’s a master of doing whatever the fuck he wants regardless of my opinions about his actions.
Masanori glares at me for a few seconds before staring at Lakeshia. It’s the first time he’s given her more than a cursory glance. “She’s the reason you had me draw up that ludicrous contract?”
“Oh, good, I’m not the only sane person here. You think the contract is bullshit, too.” Lakeshia digs into the shoyu chicken stewed with chayote and the oxtail fried rice. Her eyes droop as she gets her first hit of the flavors Kori expertly melds together.
Then a moan like the ones she issued while getting herself off in the hotel room earlier releases from her throat and both mine and everyone’s forks clatter to our plates. Our gazes lock onto her and I know a fire burns in mine. My entire body is ablaze.
“This is so good.” Lakeshia ignores the stares glued onto her next move.
Never have I ever envied a fork in my life, but I would pay to be the tines she wraps her thick licks around. She slides the metal across her flesh and it takes everything in me not to groan. It takes me a few seconds for Masanori’s unwavering attention to sink in.
“Eyes elsewhere, asshole?” I growl in Japanese so only he hears.
A flush appears on his cheeks before he glances away.
“Thank you,” Kori’s breathless response shows she’s as affected as the rest of us. “Um… anyone else needs water?” She grabs the pitcher of ice water and pours herself a glass.
Lakeshia gives her a sheepish glance. “Sorry, I can dial it down. I forgot where I was for a second.” With a tilt of her head and a crease puckering her forehead, she asks, “Wait, are you…”
“I didn’t think I was, but I might start questioning my choices.”
“No, I won’t allow it.” Masanori’s nostrils flare as he pins Kori with the most infuriated glare I’ve ever seen him wear. “You are the same as you were before she arrived.”
Kori’s eyes widen at my cousin’s uncharacteristic outburst before returning her attention to Lakeshia. “So, this is something you can turn on and off like a light switch?”
The edges of Lakeshia’s lips twist in a smile, barely holding back a laugh. “I wouldn’t say it works that way so much as I can adjust the wattage if you get my meaning.”
“Oh… So not everyone can do it.” Kori’s shoulders slump, and she stares at her plate while Lakeshia studies her.
“No, not everyone can, but I think you could.”
Kori’s head pops up and hope shines through her gleaming eyes. “Really?”
I take a second look at Kori. Her warm chestnut complexion matches her sunny disposition, but Masanori’s presence seems to always dampen her natural shine and the dimple in her right cheek disappears. When I recall other mealtimes without my cousin’s stifling presence, I have to admit Kori has Helen of Troy attributes. From her cat eyes to her button nose and wide lips, her face card doesn’t miss.
“Absolu—”
Before Lakeshia fully responds, my cousin interrupts, “This is ridiculous. She doesn’t need to learn anything you’ve got to teach her.” Masanori rises and throws his napkin beside his plate. “Let’s get the reason for your visit over with. Kori, wrap their food up to go. They aren’t staying to eat.” With his last word, he storms toward Portia’s home office, leaving us staring in shock at his retreating spine.
Interesting…
Shinji pulls Lakeshia’s chair from the table and everyone except Kori follows my cousin out, leaving the little chef to eat alone.
As I step into Portia’s office, Masonori snaps, “You have changes I need to look over?”
“Is Nori-kun upset we crashed his lunch with the amazing Kori?” Shinji retrieves the legal papers with a devilish grin on his face.
My cousin glares at me. “Handle him before I do.”
Masanori, much like the rest of the Kimuras, doesn’t make threats. He’s lethal, almost as brutal as Katsuo, yet I still hold my own against him during our sparring matches.
“You know shit doesn’t work that way.” I pull up two chairs and direct my husband and Lakeshia to sit. “Lakeshia has some requests we’d like included in the agreement.”
Masanori sneers. “You should forget about the whole goddamn mess.”
“Here-here.” As Lakeshia stands, I clamp my hand on her shoulder and press her back onto the seat.
“We aren’t arguing about this.” Each word comes from the darkness inside me.
“And why not? You won’t make her sign her rights away, something I strenuously object to by the way.”
“I’ll sign them away,” Lakeshia volunteers.
“That’s not on the table.” Shinji takes her hand in his and kisses the back in apology. “At least not for our baby’s first five years.”
Her racing thoughts fill the ensuing silence with tension. To end more objections, I say, “She’s the mother. End of discussion. Make sure to add that clause in the contract.”
Her shoulders bristle, but no protest issues from her mouth. All too soon, her body relaxes into her chair. Both Shinji and I peer at her, trying to understand the change in her demeanor, but she isn’t giving us any clues.
As we discuss the changes, Masanori types up the adjustments from his phone and prints the copies for us to sign.
“By the way,” he says, “If you think using a fake name will get you out of this, think again. The law is my profession, but I’m first and foremost a Kimura who stands with Takeshi. You breach this contract, forget trying to hide from him. You won’t be able to hide from me.”
Lakeshia grabs the pen he offers her with a glare and signs.
Shinji and I glance at the signatory page but can’t decipher the name she printed on the document, driving my curiosity about her higher. Not that I need much reason to be intrigued by her. Too many questions surround her identity for my liking.
With our agreement solidified in a contract, the slight tension Shinji has carried all this time evaporates. If I didn’t know him as well as I do, I would have missed the sign of his relief. However, the contract is only the beginning of our road to fatherhood. Lakeshia represents too many unknowns for me to breathe easy.
On our way out, Masanori says, “Another thing, Lakeshia. Don’t offer Kori any tips or tricks from your trade. She doesn’t need them.”
As we leave the house with more food than was on our plates, I can’t help but wonder if my cousin’s demand is his way of protecting Kori or himself.