Chapter 10
Detante デタント
Brigdet
The night is dark when my husband comes back from his latest trip.
The minute he steps in the room, I’m livid.
The smell of sativa and floral perfume wafts from him.
Standing to face him, I put down the iPad he gave me with over a thousand books downloaded, so I could have my preferred entertainment, while cut off from the world at the same time.
“Fun time?” Crossing my arms, I watch him stalk towards me, not letting up until he reaches me in quick strides.
The smell of feminine perfume coils around me. Snatching me close, Takashi takes my lips in a near brutal kiss.
Twisting, I fight or at least try to against the onslaught of his cruel mouth.
“Lemme go,” I heave when he finally releases me.
Both our mouths wet, I wipe away his kiss in disgust.
“Never,” A wicked grin slicing his smug ass face.
“Asshole.” Nails curling, I fight the urge to fly at him. I know that’s what he wants. Cruelty licks at every inch of him as he regards me with animosity.
“You knew that already, wife.” Not knowing what has him in this mood, I search his person for signs. His body is pulled taunt. His nose flared like he’s ready for confrontation or more of one.
I thought the game of Go was the start of something promising. I feel silly for letting my guard down. He understands nothing but warfare and hurting people.
“Right.” Disappointment rocks me. Heat rises to my cheeks. When he said he’d be late, I didn’t let that bother me. Hell, it was an improvement from him not coming home at all. Like he did when he first dumped me in this haunted forest. Part of me wishes he had stayed away.
Picking up my iPad again , I return to the story of a young Black girl called by the gods of her people to save them from dragons.
I try to focus my attention on the story and not on my husband who’s ripping off his clothes in his closet. Turning, I swallow when I see him take the chopsticks out of his hair, then shake the samurai knot free.
“Come,” he snaps, standing naked in the door leading to the bath.
“Get one or all the concubines entertaining you tonight to do it, Takashi.” Letting boredom drench my tone, I try my best to ignore him, his beautiful naked body and his big swinging dick.
“It would make my life a hell of a lot easier if I did.” I’m not prepared for his wrathful reply.
My head snaps up. “Wow. So denying one woman of her choices is not enough for the great Takeda? You have to have a harem of them.” Sarcasm drips from every word. Adding a humorless chuckle, I turn back to my story. “Because you know they don’t like y’all asses for real, they have bills to pay.”
Seconds later the device is ripped from my hands. Tugging me to my feet, he pulls me behind him.
“You’re high as fuck.” Accusing to the board back forcing me to follow, I pull back with all my might but he ignores me like I’m a bothersome gnat.
“Yeah, it was good shit. All the way from South Africa. I would’ve brought you some because I know you like to touch a little grass, but I don’t want to fuck up the baby.” He chuckles at my gasp.
“Fucking asshole.” Gritting I tug my hand away hard, stumbling back.
“Try something new.” Catching my waist, he holds me steady.
“Fucker,” I hiss.
“Better,” he kisses my forehead. “Get my bath ready, wife.”
Stepping over to the shower unbothered, he steps in. He always showers first, then soaks afterward in the deep cedar tub.
Turning the knobs, I do my best to keep my eyes on the water pouring from the spigots and not look at my husband, who’s been doing goodness knows what in whatever geisha house he ended up in tonight.
No sooner than the water fill the deep tub does he step in.
“You know better, Bri-chan,” shooting me a glare, he grumbles before closing his eyes, allowing his head to rest on the curve of the tub.
“What are you talking about now?” My eyes hurt from unshed tears of frustration. I get mad thinking I’m about to cry.
“Thinking I would ever betray you in such a manner.” His gaze is hard as he regards me.
“You reek.” Wrapping my arms around my waist, so I won’t drown his ass, I don’t hide my anger and hurt.
“There are places that allow for a certain type of business to be done that we cannot allow at Takeda. This meeting was one.” Reaching out, his wet finger snags and curls around mine. “I’d rather have been here playing Go, with you.”
On the inside I melt, but I try not to let that show on my face. I fail — miserably.
“Well, I have other plans with a girl, her sister, and some dragons.” Rolling my eyes, I move to stand, daring him to command me again.
“Hai,” he’s nods. There’s an apology there I refuse to acknowledge as I leave him in the tub.
Making my way into the living room of the suite, I tuck myself into the corner of the sofa, picking up the iPad he tossed there. He’d better be glad he didn’t knock it to the ground, cracking it while he was having his little spell, or I would’ve tore his head up.
Both of our tempers can use taming, but I’m proud of myself for not clawing his beautifully cruel face. I promised myself after the table incident I wasn’t going to let him get me out of my character.
I feel like I’ve been winning every battle until now.
He yielded when I refused to eat. He offered to play Go, with me, and now he’s showing contrition.
The old behavior of constantly fighting him at every turn got me nowhere.
Now, I have his ass flummoxed. I can nurse my anger in silence, but getting my revenge will come.
Takashi and the men of his family forget that the women they decided to force into these marriages of inconvenience are just as formidable as they are.
Ev and I didn’t become one of the most profitable tech firms right out of college with BITE by accident. We drew the interest of the tech side of Takeda Industries long before Akchiro laid eyes on Flower.
Comforted by knowing all I have to do is bide my time until the opportunity arrives to give my husband his comeuppance, I settle into my story, not even having to pretend when he strides into the room to be engrossed in the fantasy I’m reading.
“Bri-chan,” the deep grumbling voice has me straining to see him in the bed. “Come to bed.”
“I’m reading.” Training my eyes back on the passage when the hero nemesis kisses the morally gray heroine, I get back to my story.
“Hm,” is all I hear.
A shadow falls over me right before I’m scooped up in strong arms. “You can read in bed,” he mutters, depositing me on the side farthest away from the entrance to the room.
“Read to me.” Crossing his arms behind his head, he pointedly ignores my look of disbelief.
“You don’t even like fantasy.” Keeping my calm by the fingernails, I slide him another glance.
“I do, just not the sanitized Western version where everything ends happiness. History has shown us this is rarely so for people, regardless of wealth or power. The poor die horribly at the hands of tyrants, as do the wealthy, often through a coup or revolution. But I’ll indulge your fairytale.
” Closing his eyes in anticipation, he waits.
“Ahem,” I say, diving right into the kissing scene. He shifts, listening to how the hero devours the heroine on page.
“She sounds like you,” his voice sounds low and heavy with longing as I take a breath after the passage.
“What do you mean?” Turning, I’m caught in the obsidian of his gaze.
“You’d never been kissed before me.” He sounds so sure.
“I’d been kissed—”
“Not by a man. Not the way you needed or deserved to be.” Turning, he partially covers me, making me slide down so my head presses into the pillows.
“I often think about it, you know,” he muses, his eye searching mine for an answer I don’t know how to give.
“About what?” My words are thready, swept away between our breathing that has now picked up with anticipation.
“Kissing you.” His gaze drifts down to my lips. Gently he pulls the bottom one I’ve somehow managed to trap between my teeth. Frowning, his mouth firms in disapproval.
“Don’t injure yourself.” His harsh command is softened by the gentle slide of his thumb.
“It’s not intentional.” Speaking in my defense is so hard when he poses such a distraction. The press of his hard body is disconcerting. I just know without feeling all of him that other parts are just as hard as the thick arms caging me.
“I make you nervous, little vicious one?” He’s pure seduction. “Not my brave girl.”
My body melts at his words. The promise in them is clear.
“You thought of me while so many talented geishas entertained you?” Grabbing desperately for anything to put a distance between us until I can regain my resolve, I try to shift away from the heady prison he’s trapped me in.
“Iie.” A slow shake of his head as he pins me with a knowing look. “There could have been a thousand, and they couldn’t compare to what is and will always be mine.”
My heart is a battering ram in my chest as his lips cover mine in a sumptuous, toe-curling kiss.
I inhale him, taking every languorous pull of his tongue into my mouth. He possesses me as if I’m his last good meal before an execution. I consume him like he’s the lightest, sweetest air after being locked away in a fetid prison.
Mindlessly, I wrap my arms around him, drawing him into a deeper kiss. His mouth slants over mine. Our tongues dance, tangle, even fight for dominance, neither of us are willing to cede in this mating.
He settles more firmly over me. Wedging between my supine thighs, he makes his home there in the space that I’ve welcomed him.
“So pretty, so mine,” his eyes speak so much more than the mere words say.
“So handsome, such a bad boy,” I smirk at his frown. Taunting him is a risk I’m willing to take. The more he bends for me, the less I have to break for him. I don’t delude myself for one moment into thinking that the minute he knows I’m not getting pregnant my life won’t irrevocably change.
“Your feelings are hurt by tonight,” he acknowledges pressing his forehead to mine. Trying to ignore the pang in my heart, I don’t break our stare or turn away.
“I’m your wife. I deserve your honor no matter how we came to be. Spending time with other women is highly disrespectful, regardless of the reason or deals you’re making.” The strength of my convictions ring in my words.
“Hai,” he bows sharply, acknowledging my admonishment. “Never again will I do such a thing.”
Our gazes clash. Ever so slowly we meld into each other again.
Bending he kisses the softness beneath my ear before tugging the lobe into his mouth.
His speaks roughly in a dialect he, his brothers and cousins use when they don’t want us to understand.
Yet, I know the look he gives me. I saw it at Christmas when he demanded I forgive him so we could move forward.
A chance for us I squandered.
“Will you have this bad boy, Bri-chan?” No vulnerability, a challenge.
“Will you have this vicious girl?” I give it to him right back.
Neither of us has acquiesced when he covers my lips with his again or when he pushes inside of me.