“Would you like to stay?” he asked Autumn.
“Oh Ren, I’d love to! I don’t think I can get enough of this city. It’s like a piece of my heart has been hidden here and I only just found it.”
He smiled at her, pleased to hear her express the same feelings he had about the medieval city.
The entire trip Autumn had insisted on separate hotel rooms—even at the castle in Tuscany. She’d told Tono she couldn’t handle the thought of him seeing her without the prosthetic leg. No amount of persuading caused her to budge an inch. However, because of their unexpected change of plans in Siena, their only option to stay overnight was a tiny bedroom with a single bed.
They both stared at the miniscule room for several moments before Tono asked, “Are you willing?”
“If it’s the only way we can stay the night, then…” Autumn said, sighing nervously. “I guess I am.”
Tono thanked the woman who was offering her room for rent. “Grazie.”
The woman responded with a smile and gestured them to follow her. “Vieni a mangiare con noi.”
Having no idea what the woman was saying, Autumn took Tono’s hand with a playful grin and blindly followed her down the hallway. They were led to a dining room where a large wooden table was heavily laden with food. The family was already seated and greeted them with hearty “Ciaos”.
Tono knew it was their contrade, Leocorno, that had won the race, which explained the enthusiastic rejoicing and the continually flowing wine that night. He was feeling the pleasant effects of the fine vino and was anxious to share his kindling passion with Autumn when they finally headed back to the bedroom.
As soon as he shut the door, Tono told her, “Now that I have you alone, we can do away with this.” He ripped the veil from her and held her cheeks in both hands. “I have longed to see your beautiful face all day.”
She looked up at him, her eyes reflecting his desire. But the moment he tried to kiss her, Autumn tensed and turned slightly, kissing him demurely on the cheek.
“You’re so sweet,” she cooed, moving past him to sit on the bed. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll need the lights out before I undress.”
Although she had purposely avoided his kiss, the invitation sounded promising. He flicked off the lamp and undressed in the dark before approaching the other side of the tiny bed.
“Even though it’s dark, do you mind turning away?”
“Why?” he asked, laughing softly.
“Please?”
Her heartfelt plea could not be ignored, so he turned the other way. It took Autumn a surprisingly long time to ready herself for bed. Before she would allow him to turn, she covered herself under the blankets.
Following suit, he settled under the sheets. Autumn immediately sat up in the bed, placing her hands on either side of her, creating a barrier between them. She giggled nervously. “This is such a small bed. I don’t know if either of us will get any sleep.”
“I’m not interested in sleep,” he said huskily.
She took several deep breaths, obviously trying to quiet her nerves.
“What’s wrong, Autumn?”
Giggling lightly, she said, “What do you call a Roman with a cold? Julius Sneezer.”
Tono chuckled halfheartedly. “That’s funny, but I was being serious.”
“Look, Ren, it’s been a long, incredibly wonderful day. I feel so lucky to have spent it with you, but my leg is sore and all I really want to do right now is sleep. Can’t we talk some other time?”
“Is something wrong?” he asked, now concerned.
“Trust me when I say I just need more time.”
Autumn abruptly turned to her side and settled down in the bed.
Tono was stunned. How could this woman who was such a good fit for him in spirit not be responsive to his sexual attraction for her?
Was it a case of not being compatible, or was it something deeper?
Tono slowly lay his head against the pillow, feeling sexually frustrated. Although he was a patient man, he was fully male and had needs of his own.
He thought back to his very first experience with a woman: the one his father had arranged for him. It wasn’t until that day he’d understood the perfection that is the female body—both inside and out.
“Musukosan, I have a special gift to honor your advancement not only in Kinbaku, but your manhood.”
Tono bowed low, surprised by the gesture. His father rarely gave compliments, much less presents. He was a simple man with high standards and did not waste his energy or money on sentimentalities.
“Thank you, Otosama.” he said with gratitude, feeling overwhelmed.
“You are to return here, fully bathed, in your finest kimono at seven tonight.”
Although Tono wondered why he was being instructed to bathe—which seemed an insult—he knew better than to ask why. The respected bakushi did not entertain questions. He expected unwavering obedience. As quickly as this gift was given, it could be taken away.
“Yes, Otosama.”
Tono didn’t miss the glint in his father’s eyes. When he was almost out the door, his father called out, “Tell her hello for me.”
He turned around and bowed again in acknowledgment.
Well, at least he knew it was a woman he would be meeting tonight. Whether it was his father’s attempt to entice him into an arranged marriage or he was being asked to perform Kinbaku for an esteemed client was up for debate.
Either way, he would do as he had been asked and meet with the woman, dealing with the consequences later.
Although Tono was against an arranged marriage, and had his father’s support, his mother had been adamant that he was to marry at eighteen.
He suspected she desired the marriage for several reasons, not the least of which was the addition of a daughter-in-law his mother could control and lord over. It had his mother salivating for a union.
Tono was not interested in subjecting any young woman to his mother’s emotional abuse, which was the main reason he refused to marry. Up to this point, his father had stood behind his controversial decision to remain single.
Had that recently changed?
It was possible that the pressure of tradition and family honor might have proven too much for his father.
To be at odds with his mother was taxing enough, but to openly disobey his Otosama would be devastating for them both. It was a battle he did not want to fight.
It was with trepidation that he returned to his father’s studio exactly at seven. He entered quietly and was shocked by what he saw when he slid open the door.
Kneeling gracefully in the center of the room was a beautiful geisha.
“Ren Nosakasama?” she called out in a sweet voice.
He nodded as he slid the door closed behind him. So he was to become a man tonight under the skilled hands of a geisha…
Tono was unsure how he felt about that. His father did not understand about love. He’d married the woman arranged for him by his parents at a young age and had done his best to honor that commitment. That was his reality.
To his father, a night with an esteemed geisha would be the ultimate gift a parent could give.
Tono decided in that moment to accept it as such, but it would not have been his personal choice. Despite the example of his father and mother, he was certain a couple could connect on a deeper, more spiritual level during sex. It was his desire to find a partner who complemented both his emotional and physical needs.
The geisha gracefully rocked to her feet and moved over to Tono, gesturing him to follow her into a private room of the studio.
“Otosama wished me to express his greeting,” he told her as they entered.
She smiled, tilting her head charmingly. “I am honored.”
The next few hours were astonishing and remarkable. Fumiko was accomplished in every possible way. She seduced him with her music, playing her instrument for more than an hour at his request. She then treated him to a traditional
tea while conversing on a wide variety of topics from politics and philosophy, to art and world travel.
Fumiko was fascinating in her own right, an intelligent woman of many talents. However, she had the ability to build him up in her thoughtful questions and comments so that his young age and lack of experience had no bearing on the conversation.
Tono felt he was her equal, even when it came time to couple with her. He had been afraid he would feel inferior as she guided the lovemaking session. It was quite the opposite.
Fumiko looked at him from across the small table with bedroom eyes and asked, “May I kiss you, Nosakasama?”
“Please call me Ren,” he replied with a slight smile. “And yes, Fumiko, you may.”
She blushed at being given the honor of calling him by his first name, and gracefully moved closer to him, resting her hand on his cheek as she leaned forward for a kiss.
The kiss was not aggressive, but she held it for a long time, making the simple contact far more arousing.
Tono felt the rush to his groin and had to adjust his position when she pulled away.
“Would you be more comfortable on the mat?” she suggested.
They both moved over to it and lay down together side by side. Fumiko looked at him but did not make a move. Her painted face exquisite like a painting, but the look in her eye encouraged him to take the lead.
He kissed her again, but with more passion, feeding off the desire she’d carefully built over the evening. When she moaned softly, he felt a deep ache in his loins that demanded attention. Lying back, he opened his kimono, exposing his body to her.
Fumiko smiled at him as she began undoing the red fundoshi around his waist. Her eyes lit up when the material fell away and she saw him fully exposed before her.
“You are a distinguished gentleman.”
He gave her a smirk, which quickly disappeared when she wrapped her red lips around his hard cock. Tono groaned and she met his groan with moans of her own as she licked, sucked and teased his shaft.
With subtle movements, she pulled at her own kimono, exposing her shoulder and allowing the barest peek of her breast. Although he had seen numerous women naked in his years practicing Kinbaku in the studio, it drove him wild to catch stolen glimpses of her nipple.
When he couldn’t take it any longer, he reached out to caress her breast. Fumiko pressed herself against his hand, letting him know she enjoyed his touch. He pulled down on the silk, wanting to see more of her naked skin as she sucked him.
She stopped momentarily, holding his cock in her hand, and gave him a seductive smile. Tono shook his head, taken by her beauty, but he soon threw back his head groaning in pure ecstasy.
Fumiko was exceptionally skilled with her mouth.
Tono would have come if she hadn’t stopped. She stood up and untied the belt of her kimono, letting the silk fall to the floor, exposing her perfect body to him.
“You are breathtaking,” Tono stated in awe.
She smiled, somehow keeping a virtuous demeanor even though she was standing completely naked before him.
“Come to me,” he commanded, needing to touch her.
Fumiko moved with grace as she lay down, looking up at him with eyes that were innocent yet expectant. “I am yours to explore.”
Tono smiled to himself as he ran his hand over her smooth skin, wanting to touch every part of her body. In his Kinbaku sessions, he had inadvertently touched his models in intimate places as he bound them, but he had never been given the opportunity to freely explore the female form. He took his time, touching, licking and kissing every part of Fumiko, from her small toes, the sensitive backs of her knees, those sexy indents of her lower back, to the luscious curve of her breasts. Nothing went overlooked as he reveled in every part of her body.
She responded passionately to his caresses, moaning in his ear. The girl was wet, making him groan with excitement, his cock aching to know her hidden beauty.
“I want you, Ren,” she said, looking at him almost bashfully, which only made him desire her all the more.
Tono positioned himself between her legs and stared at her ruby-red pussy framed in dark pubic hair. For a moment he panicked, overcome by the fear of looking like an idiot before this beautiful woman as he tried to make love to her—but those fears were totally unfounded.
Fumiko was an artisan of lovemaking, and Tono was far from her first virgin. Rather than instructing him verbally and highlighting his lack of knowledge, she moved in such a way as to encourage his dominance over her while maintaining subtle control.
He groaned in pleasure as she took hold of his shaft and rubbed it against her slippery clit, using his shaft for her pleasure and driving him crazy because of it.
When the drive to fuck her became too much, Tono gazed into her eyes. She positioned his cock against her wet opening and threw her head back, crying, “I need you, Ren.”
He plowed into her depths, and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. The silky warmth of her inner embrace was beyond anything he’d imagined.
Tono had to struggle for control, his body already priming itself for an orgasm.
Fumiko understood his battle, and pulled lightly on his balls, distracting him from his release. He closed his eyes for a moment and slowed his breathing, not wanting this incredible feeling to end so quickly.
When he opened them again, he kept his cock still as he leaned down to kiss her. “You are so beautiful, Fumiko,” he said in a raspy voice tinged with lust.
She kissed him back, her big dark eyes communicating her passion and need for him.
“I don’t think I can last…” he confessed as he stroked her pussy several times and felt the impending orgasm begin to build again.
“You are not supposed to, Ren. Enjoy the feeling.”
He threw back his head and grunted gutturally as he shot load after load of his essence into her divine body. He’d never known he could come like that. Afterward, he collapsed on top of her, his heart racing from the intensity of his climax.
Fumiko ran her fingers through his hair. “You are such a handsome and accomplished man. I’m truly honored to be your first.”
He lay silent in her embrace, his mind completely blown by the experience. Truly, heaven lay between her legs, and he longed for another taste.
Tono looked up, sweat running down his forehead. “You inspire me to try again.” He glanced down at his cock, already growing hard at the thought.
Would he ever get enough of her?
Suddenly there was a commotion outside. Before he could react, the door to the room quickly slid open. Tono shielded Fumiko’s naked body with his own as he faced the intruder.
“How dare you!” his mother screamed. “You have disgraced the family!”
Tono glared at her, saying nothing.
Even this extraordinary moment she had to steal from him…
“Out!” he yelled.
She hesitated for a moment, then turned in a huff, sliding the door hard behind her.
Tono looked down at Fumiko. “I’m so sorry.”
She caressed his jaw. “No, Ren, it is I who is sorry for you.”
Tono lifted himself off her small frame. He picked up her silken kimono, handing it to Fumiko, before grabbing his fundoshi. He tied it on with overly tight knots, trying to calm down the fury raging in his heart.
His mother had done this not only to humiliate him in front of the respected geisha, but to steal this rite of passage from her son.
Tono shook his head, remembering the pain of that moment, realizing his mother had no respect for him as a man.
There had been only one way out from under the heavy weight of her oppression. But the price—it had cost him nearly everything.
He looked over at Autumn’s sleeping form, huddled under the covers, and smiled to himself. Here was a woman who had an amiable spirit that was in sync with his own. Although he desired to explore a more physical relationship with her while in the romantic ambiance of Italy, he h
ad continually been met with gentle but unyielding resistance the entire time here.
Tono thought he understood her reasons and did not push her limits the remainder of the trip, satisfying himself with the pecks on the cheek and hand-holding she was inclined to give him.
However, that would all change once they were back in Denver. It was time to challenge Autumn and find out if he could break through the impenetrable fortress she’d built around herself.
To the world she was a fun-loving spirit, courageously living her life despite her disability. Many were unaware she was also a talented ice-skater.
Tono, however, saw beneath those truths everyone else could see. Hidden deep inside Autumn was a woman who longed to be loved, not just for her personality and grit, but for her raw femininity. It was something she would not admit, even to herself, but he sensed it.
The call of her sexual being cried out to him, begging to be freed.
Rare Flower
Tono had been surprised when Master Anderson requested Tono meet with him at his home immediately upon returning to the States with Autumn.
He made the long drive up to the suburb set in a quiet valley nestled in the foothills of the Rockies. The view of Denver once Tono got there was spectacular. He understood perfectly why Master Anderson had chosen this home and why he now found it so hard to leave.
“Nosaka, I’m sorry about the short notice, but I’m running out of time and can’t waste another second.”
Tono naturally assumed he was being asked to help pack. “Although I’m still healing from the surgery, I’ll help however I can.”
Master Anderson laughed. “No, no… I don’t need help moving, Nosaka. You need to heal, man. What I’m asking is for you to look after my place.”
“Ah… I see,” Tono said, taken aback by the request. “For how long?”
Master Anderson grinned. “Let me back up and try that again. I would like you to be the caretaker of this home for as long as you want the position.” He looked around his newly built range-style home and pointed outside with a worried expression on his face. “I spent too much time designing this place and creating a garden to complement it. How can I abandon my baby now?”