with you missing shibari or kinbaku in your life. It was about you missing her.”
Ronin was truly stunned by Knox’s insight.
“Maybe you’ve been binding so many women over the years because you’ve been looking for someone like Amery. Now you’ve found her and it’s changed you. That’s why it felt wrong to tie someone else.” Knox popped to his feet. “I’m guessing your demo days at the club are over.”
He wasn’t sure how he felt about that even when he suspected it was true. Not that he and Amery had discussed it. That was just another thing hanging over his head. Was he ready to give up public bondage demonstrations?
Ten minutes later, Shiori waltzed in. “We’re still on for tonight?”
“On for what?”
“The sporting goods trade show at the tech center. You agreed to meet with some of the equipment guys for possible sponsorship for Black and Blue Promotions since Blue is teaching tonight, remember?”
“I must’ve blocked it out. Aren’t you teaching tonight?”
“Knox is taking over my class.”
Ronin gave her a skeptical look. “How hard did you have to beg him?”
“Not at all. I outrank Godan. It’s my responsibility to provide him with additional teaching opportunities.”
Jesus. He’d get an earful about that.
“You want to ride with me?”
“I’ll meet you.”
“Okay. I’ll be there around six. South entrance.”
Shiori hesitated in the doorway.
“What?”
“Have you heard from her yet?”
He shook his head.
“You will.”
“Do you know something I don’t?”
“Just that she can’t stay away from you any more than you can stay away from her.”
He hoped to hell Shiori was right.
• • •
AFTER two hours wandering around the vendor spaces, Ronin was ready to leave. And the first place he intended to stop? Amery’s. Her silence made him crazy.
He’d just pulled out his phone to text Shiori when he heard, “Hello, Ronin,” from behind him.
Every molecule in his body seized up.
No. Fucking. Way. She couldn’t be here. Had to be a hallucination, or he’d fallen asleep and was dreaming of hell.
Go away.
“I can make a scene to get you to pay attention to me.”
Ronin slowly turned around.
Naomi stood less than five feet away.
She didn’t look any different than she had almost four years ago. Same conservative business suit, same pixie haircut, same understated makeup—she’d even worn the same color of red lipstick. Normally he wouldn’t remember things like that, but Naomi had glossed up her lips only when she’d gone down on him. She claimed it was to leave her mark as a reminder of how much she loved him. Afterward she’d placed fresh lipstick marks down his thighs. But he knew the truth; she wanted him to fear—just for a second—that she’d made him bleed.
Sick fucking woman.
Her siren-red mouth curved into a smile. “I know what you’re thinking about.”
He moved his gaze up to her eyes and kept his face impassive. “That it’s obvious you’ve resorted to using Botox?”
“Insulting me? Not nice, pussycat.”
Since she’d always preferred to speak Japanese with him, her use of English meant she wanted people to overhear their conversation. “When I insult you, you’ll know it,” he said in Japanese.
“Where’s your new girlfriend? Shiori assured me you’d both be here tonight so I could pay my respects.”
She was such a liar. “Wrong. How did you find out where I’d be?”
“Ronin-san, I know where you live.”
So she’d followed him. Really fucking creepy but completely her style.
“I’m in Denver on unfinished business.”
“Why would you think I’d care?” He started to back away.
She edged closer. “Aren’t you curious about who I’m here with?”
“Some lowlife wannabe Dom you’re trying to make jealous? You hoping he’ll beat you and fuck you in front of everyone in the arena?”
Malice glittered in her eyes. “Sounds like jealousy, pussycat.”
“Yes. You know me so well,” he sneered.
“I know you better than you think.” She pursed her lips into a pout. “I’ve missed you. All the great times we used to have together. In your penthouse, at my apartment, at the club. Don’t you miss those days?”
As much as he missed an oozing boil.
“I do,” she said dreamily. “Especially the club. Not that I could relive old times there after you had me banished for life.”
“You made your choices, and you knew there’d be consequences.”
“You don’t feel guilty at all for such an extreme reaction? It was a sex club! You really can’t blame me for taking a sample of what was freely offered.”
Enough. Ronin turned to walk away.
But Naomi grabbed his arm. “Don’t leave in a huff, lover. You’ll want to hear this.”
“Let. Go. Of. Me.”
She dropped her hand. “So upon my return to Denver, without a club of my own, I visited your new club . . . Twisted? The manager is lovely. Of course I name-dropped you like crazy, and the man was very eager to dish on your rope skills. You do have a fan in him. Anyway, he indicated it’s been quite some time since you did any public rope demonstrations at the club. I had to ask myself why that was. And then I asked him. Do you know what he told me?”
Ronin didn’t react.
“The manager told me your new girlfriend refuses to be part of a public bondage scene. The information shocked me. A master who lets his lover impose the rules? Has pussycat become pussified?”
First thing tomorrow he’d contact the club owner and get the manager canned for breaking the confidential terms of service.
“Don’t bother getting the man fired. I already did. He shouldn’t have been so willing to discuss a certain club member’s . . . problems with a potential new member.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“To remind you that I look out for you, Ronin. Even when you aren’t aware of it. We were so good together.” She reached out, and Ronin jerked back, away from her deadly claws.
“You baited the manager and got him fired, making sure you got the satisfaction of reminding me how psychotic you are.”
“Aw, pussycat, don’t be upset. After I learned of your girlfriend’s phobia, I tracked you down to see if there was anything I can do to help you. I know the ropes, so to speak”—she winked lewdly—“so if you want to remind club-goers that you are the rope master, I’d gladly offer my services as your partner again.”
“Pass.”
“You sure? I’m only trying to help you save face. Your girlfriend’s unwillingness to be publicly bound speaks of her shame of the act. It undermines your expertise, Master Black.”
“Bullshit.”
“Is she ashamed in private too?”
Don’t respond.
“Didn’t you always remind me that teachers don’t let students impose limits on the lessons?”
Ronin’s jaw tightened. As did his fist.
“Sounds to me like you’ve gone soft.” Her gaze zeroed in on his groin, and she lifted her eyes back to his. “You were never soft in any area before. Does she prefer you make sweet, sweet love to her? Instead of binding her and fucking her like a beast?”
“I’m done listening to this.”
“But you didn’t answer.” She pouted and stepped in front of him to stop his retreat. “Do you let your student dictate the rules to the master, pussycat? Or maybe I should stop by Hardwick Designs in Lodo and ask for the truth. Mention I’d be happy to be her stand-in at the club.”
Ronin got right in her face. “No fucking way, no fucking how, never fucking happening. Stay away from me; stay away from Amery; stay away from my c
lub.”
“Not so Zen now, are you, Master Black?”
“Leave Denver, or I will fuck with your life in ways you can’t even imagine.”
“You already fucked with my life. Getting returned to Japan like a defective toy humiliated me on more levels than you can comprehend. So paybacks are a bitch, Ronin-san. And I plan to be around until I get mine.”
He expected her to create a bigger scene, but he wasn’t prepared for her to lean in and wipe her lipsticked mouth down the left side of his white shirt.
She grinned at him, red smeared across her chin, as she turned and vanished into the crowd.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“I’M not sure on that font,” Amery said. “Too curved. Too fat.”
Molly laughed. “Think a fat font on low-calorie snack packaging would be considered creating a subliminal message?”
“I can’t believe people get paid to think about this stuff. Did you know that Okada has fifty food scientists on staff?” Amery shook her head. “Do some kids grow up with the goal of having a career in food science?”
“I don’t know. But I hear getting a job in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is a sweet gig.”
Amery groaned. “Let’s call it a night.”
Molly stood and stretched. “It’s weird working this late because you leave a vapor trail as soon as five o’clock rolls around. What are you and Ronin doing tonight?”
Nothing, since she hadn’t contacted Ronin yet.
After he’d pointed out her admittedly selfish behavior Friday night, she’d had every intention of calling him first thing Sunday morning after spending Saturday working, pretending everything was peachy. But on Sunday, Emmylou had a meltdown after her breakup with Sasha and had sounded near suicidal.
As much as Amery had appreciated Emmylou’s friendship over the years, it occurred to her as she listened to her friend complain and cry that Emmylou’s friendship was one-sided. She’d never asked about Amery’s state of mind during her breakup with Ronin. She’d never asked how things were going after they’d gotten back together. Since they hadn’t spent much time together recently, Amery had invited Emmylou to the MMA fight—and then had to listen to Emmylou’s diatribe against men’s need to prove their dicks were superior through violence and then recite stats on physically abused women who were involved with those types of men who used steroids and their fists.
Seemed Emmylou’s personality had undergone a drastic change in recent months, and Amery didn’t like the changes. She’d keep their landlord and tenant relationship businesslike from here on out. Then she vowed it’d be the last time she’d waste an entire day trying to make someone else feel better about herself at the expense of fixing her own problems. By the time Amery had returned home, she’d been in no frame of mind to offer Ronin the apology he deserved.
Four loud raps on the front door had Amery checking to see who’d show up so late. Ronin? No. He’d use his key and come in through the back door.
Shiori was impatiently tapping her foot on the other side of the glass. Amery unlocked the door and Shiori walked past her with a brusque, “We need to talk.”
Then she stopped abruptly upon seeing Molly.
“Shiori Hirano, VP of Okada Foods, this is my assistant, Molly Calloway.”
Molly offered her hand. “It’s good to finally meet you in person. I’m excited to work on the new Okada line.” When Shiori stared at her blankly, Molly added, “Oh, I enjoyed watching you fight the other night.”
“The feeling is mutual,” she said, obviously not really paying attention to the conversation, and headed toward Amery’s office.
When Molly raised both eyebrows in a silent, Is she always this self-absorbed? Amery shrugged.
“I’ll lock up,” Molly said, grabbing her coat and purse. “See you tomorrow.”
Amery waited until Molly left before approaching Shiori as she prowled in Amery’s office like a caged cat. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but why are you here?”
Shiori whirled around. “I need a drink.”
“Did something happen to Ronin?” Amery asked sharply.
“Not in the way you think.”
“Start explaining. Now.”
Those beautiful golden eyes, identical to Ronin’s, were a little wild looking. “Naomi is in Denver and she confronted Ronin tonight.”
Amery froze. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear their conversation, but I saw her smug fucking face as she walked out. When I tried to talk to Ronin, he cut me off and bailed. So I know you want to go to him, but there’s more to the story with Naomi and it’s time you knew the truth.” Shiori looked more miserable than Amery had ever seen her.
“Now I need a goddamn drink. Come upstairs.” She shut off all the lights as they headed to the back room.
Shiori took one look at the circular metal staircase, then slipped off her spike heels.
Amery hadn’t spent much time in her loft in recent weeks. Since she practically lived with Ronin, it shouldn’t be such a big deal to make it official and tell him yes, she would move in with him. But what if she rented out her loft and everything with Ronin fell apart? Where would she go? She’d suffered through something like that with her ex Tyler and had no desire to repeat the experience.
In the kitchen, she opened the cabinet where she stashed liquor. “Your booze choices are gin, whiskey, vodka, and Baileys. My mixer selection is limited.”
“I’ll have Baileys.”
Amery set out two lowball glasses, filled them with ice, and poured the creamy liqueur. “Here you go.”
Shiori knocked back the entire glass before she poured herself another.
Not a good sign.
But Shiori relaxed a little and slid onto a barstool. Then she spun it around to check out the space. “This place has a great vibe. Like you, I lived in the same building where I worked in Tokyo. I could never really get away from work.”
“That is the downside. Ronin has the right idea about keeping his work space separate from his personal space.”
“He’s always been able to compartmentalize.”
“Quit stalling and tell me what happened tonight.”
“Ronin and I met at the conference hall before we split up so he could meet with equipment sponsors. I was chatting with a guy who sets up trade shows in Tokyo when I saw her.”
“Naomi.”
She nodded. “At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I followed her and got close enough to see her face smeared with red lipstick. I’ll admit I panicked, thinking she’d already found Ronin and baited him.”
Amery’s gut clenched.
“But then I saw her nasty grin . . .” Shiori briefly closed her eyes. “When I tracked Ronin down, he was in that state between shock and fury. Naomi told him that I’d told her where to find him.”