Tono looked out at the fenced area, lined with flourishing native vegetation and accented with the lone pole in the center of the yard. He understood how flora could become dear to a person—similar to extended family—when a person harbored a nurturing spirit like Master Anderson.
It was a quality about the humorous Dom few seemed to recognize.
“It would be a shame to see the garden neglected,” Tono agreed.
“Exactly!”
“However, I’m not in the position to rent such a large home.”
Master Anderson chuckled. “I’m really mucking this up. Look, I need you to care for this house and the garden. I put way too much of myself into this place to let renters have at her. Then there’s my Academy. I need someone nearby looking after my interests.”
“But you have Ms. Clark staying behind, don’t you?”
“I do, but I want someone outside the inner workings of the Academy to be responsible for watching over it in my stead. Someone with an objective eye and a commanding, yet agreeable, spirit.”
Tono smirked, knowing that Ms. Clark was not an easy woman to work with. He had his own misgivings about the Domme, based on her treatment of Brie during training. “I can appreciate that,” he replied evenly.
“So in essence, by staying here you would provide me with peace of mind while maintaining the upkeep of my investments.” Seeing that Tono was still not convinced, Master Anderson added, “I was told you sold off most of your furniture when you left for Japan. Well, my furniture isn’t being used. Anything you don’t care for can go into storage. A win/win, wouldn’t you agree?”
“That doesn’t seem like a fair exchange,” Tono scoffed. “It feels like charity.”
Master Anderson put his hand on Tono’s shoulder. “It’s true, and I’m not above begging. I’m under a considerable amount of stress right now. You have no idea how much I would pay to relieve some of it. By accepting my offer, you would be doing me a huge favor. If you want to consider that charity, then I’m asking you to give generously.”
Tono laughed. “You are an odd man.”
“Nosaka, I’m being completely on the up and up here. I want you to take care of my property. If you won’t do it, I’ll have to pay someone who will. It’s as simple as that. However, I would prefer it to be someone I personally know and trust.”
With that argument, Master Anderson had broken down the last of his resistance. “Fine, I will care for your home and keep watch over the Academy for you.”
“You’re a good egg, Nosaka.”
Tono laughed at the compliment. “Coming from you, I’m sure that is meant as a positive statement. Coming from Sir Davis or Marquis Gray, it would be a clear insult.”
Master Anderson burst out in a low laughter. “Oh, young Brie and her egg fiasco… I’ll never forget it. Poor Thane.”
“Poor Marquis Gray,” Tono interjected. “He was forced to sample them all.”
The two Doms chuckled, reflecting on Brie’s failed cooking attempts at the Training Center.
“I’ll be honest, Nosaka. There was no way I was allowing anything cooked by her hands at the party she attended with me that night after the omelet incident,” Master Anderson told him. “She may be a talented individual in many areas, but cooking isn’t one of them.”
“At that point you were wise to do so. However, Brie has tackled that shortcoming since.”
“True, I’ve heard that from Thane. He’s not one to sugarcoat things, so when he tells me that she makes a mean Ribollita, I have to take his word for it.”
“I respect her tenacity,” Tono said. “She isn’t one to sit idly by when she knows there’s an area that needs improvement.”
“No, she’s not, and neither is Thane. They do make a good complement for each other.”
Tono nodded his agreement.
“So what are your plans in Denver?” Master Anderson asked.
“I believe the Rocky Mountains will be a perfect canvas for my art. Although I am still recuperating and cannot do suspension yet, I plan to photograph my subs in rope using the natural environment here as the backdrop.”
“That would be stunning, Nosaka. Mind sending me pics of some of your shots? I know I will miss the mountains here,” he added wistfully, staring out the window at the snowy peaks towering above.
Tono glanced at the backyard thoughtfully. “But I believe I will start here. The fence will give me the privacy I’ll need, and your native foliage will frame my subs well when I do simple ties that do not require lifting.”
Master Anderson put his right hand on his chest. “It would do my heart good to know my plants will have a place in your art.”
Tono smiled humbly.
Master Anderson stuck out his hand. “So, do we have a deal?”
Tono took his extended hand and shook it firmly. “Yes, I will care for your interests to the best of my ability.”
“Hallelujah!” Master Anderson exclaimed. “One more thing I can check off the list.”
“When would you like me to move in?”
“Believe it or not, I’m out of here in five days.”
Tono shook his head in amazement.
“I told you, man, you really are doing me a favor.”
“I still maintain I’m getting the better end of the deal.”
“Oh…” Master Anderson said, looking concerned. “I forgot to mention Courtney.”
“Who’s Courtney?”
“Never mind, I’ll take care of it,” Master Anderson assured him.
“Take care of what exactly?”
The man grinned, shaking his head. “Forget I said anything.”
Although Tono had his reservations, the offer was too good to pass up. He’d lived with Autumn since the surgery, and it was time he moved into his own place so that he could court her properly.
Tono watched Autumn with concern as she struggled to carry in the last box of his stuff. When he tried to assist her, she rebuffed him. “Stop right there, Ren. You know you aren’t supposed to lift anything heavy,” she chided, placing the box on the floor and putting her hands to her hips. “You have to promise that you won’t overdo it unpacking all this stuff by yourself.”
He knew and respected the limits of his body. Injuring himself and thereby slowing his recovery was not an option. He’d lost valuable time after the death of his father and was unwilling to lose any more. “I promise not to undo all the hard work you put into helping me move here.”
“Good, because I would have to punish you if you did.”
Tono raised an eyebrow. “Punish me?”
A blush crept over Autumn’s cheeks. “Not like that. Oh lord…” She looked around nervously, suddenly blurting, “Whoever said an acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree never saw an oak tree growing beside a cliff.”
Tono shook his head, a grin playing on his lips as he came up to her and guided Autumn to a kitchen chair. He knelt down beside her and began gently massaging her leg, knowing that the prosthetic must be causing her great discomfort with all the lifting she’d done that day.
Autumn quietly moaned in pleasure, relaxing in the chair as she let his fingers work their magic. “How did you know?”
“I saw the pain in your eyes.”
She stared at him in wonder. “You notice many things, Ren.”
He chuckled lightly, shrugging. “Not any more than most.”
“No, I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“What would you say if we took this off?” he asked casually, pointing to her prosthetic.
Autumn stiffened and sat up straight, shaking her head. “No, I can’t.”
Tono touched her protesting lips with his index finger. “Yes, you can. How else can I properly massage the area?”
“No, you don’t understand.”
“But I do,” he told her smoothly as his hands drifted down to the pin that held her prosthetic in place. “There is no reason for you to fear me.”
She put her hand on his wris
t to stop him. “Please don’t. I can’t. Not with you.”
He looked up at her. “You spent how many weeks looking after my needs. Why won’t you trust me to care for yours now?”
It took his words a moment to sink in as he gazed into Autumn’s green eyes. He could see the fear—the fear of rejection she was trying so desperately to hide from him.
“Trust me,” he ordered gently.
Autumn took a deep breath and let go of his wrist, her entire body trembling as he pressed against the pin, releasing its hold. He removed the prosthetic and then began unrolling the liner beneath it with gentle hands.
She held her breath as it slipped off, turning her head as the stump of her leg was exposed to him.
Tono suspected it was to avoid the expression on his face when he saw it for the first time, so he commanded, “Look at me.”
She turned back to him slowly, her brows furrowed in concern.
He ran his hand reverently over the scars on the end of her stump. “Truly, it’s remarkable the healing power of the body, isn’t it?”
She said nothing, still quivering under his touch.
Tono concentrated on bringing relief to the raw areas while manipulating the overtaxed muscles of her upper thigh. “You overdid it today. In trying to spare me, you hurt yourself.”
Autumn shook her head, snorting lightly. “I’ve been through far worse, Ren. This was nothing—trust me.”
He continued to caress her skin as he hummed a favorite country tune of his, letting the intimacy of the moment linger between them. He felt a connection with Autumn on a soul level. It was not the same bond he’d felt with Brie, but…it was equally compelling.
“I find your body fascinating, Autumn,” he stated as he massaged her. “It’s so incredibly strong and yet still feminine and delicate. The grace that you display on the ice is as inspiring as it is beautiful.”
She slapped her leg as if it were an inanimate object. “There’s nothing pretty about it, but it does the job well enough.”
Tono refused to allow her to dismiss his compliment. Taking her hand, he guided it back to her leg. “Respect the beauty of this instrument.”
A tear formed in her eye as she grazed the raised skin of her thick scars. “I don’t find it beautiful,” she whispered to him.
“But it is…” he insisted.
Tono was finding Autumn a much harder conquest than any he’d ever encountered before. She had multiple facets to her personality.
On one side she was inspiring and friendly. The kind of person you couldn’t help but admire, yet still felt completely at ease with. Another side of her was kindhearted and shy, wanting to help those in need, but preferring to hide in the shadows.
Then there was the unique side, which was both funny but hard like granite. That fighting spirit that had helped her triumph despite her physical setbacks also protected her from ever opening up to another—her simple jokes providing an easy escape whenever fear set in.
The woman was fascinating and beautiful in both body and spirit. Extremely rare like the Rothschild’s orchid, and apparently as difficult to possess.
Haunting Dream
Tono was walking in the Japanese city park, Shinjuku Gyoen, admiring the breathtaking scenery. It was the peak of the cherry blossoms season, and their sweet fragrance permeated the air, lifting his spirits. He felt alive in the deepest sense of the word, connected with everything and everyone around him.
He began walking over the arched bridge on his way to the small isle with the ancient tree that dominated the area, but he took a moment to stop midway, looking down into the water. Koi swam about, their gold color contrasting beautifully against the greenery and pink blossoms above.
Truly a magical place…
He felt at home here, a part of nature and in harmony with the living things around him. It seemed only natural that he should see Brie standing under the protective branches of the timeless tree. He waved, glad to share this moment with her.
But she ignored him as if he weren’t there.
Tono beckoned Brie over to him. She just stared ahead and then turned away, disappearing behind the immense trunk of the tree.
Fear struck at his heart.
Tono walked briskly, an ominous feeling creeping over him when he heard her desperate sobs. With trepidation, he rounded the massive trunk and found her on the ground, her head buried in her arms as she leaned against the tree.
“What’s wrong, Brie?”
When she didn’t respond, he knelt down and touched her.
“Toriko…”
She looked up at him, her eyes black like the never-ending night with tears that would not stop.
“What’s happened? What’s wrong?”
Brie didn’t speak, but she looked up into his eyes and shared her darkness with him.
Tono couldn’t breathe as hopelessness and fear washed over him.
“Fight it!” he commanded, not just to her but to himself, knowing they were both about to be consumed in the inky gloom.
Brie broke eye contact and buried her head in her arms again.
He felt his breath come back, life returning to his soul.
She said nothing, fighting the darkness alone.
Tono reached out to her and was horrified at how cold she felt—like the dead.
“Toriko, I will share your darkness with you. We’ll enter it and fight or die together trying.”
She remained still, ravaged by it.
When Tono tried to pull her up so he could hold her, Brie became like stone—heavy and unpliable. He was unsuccessful in his attempts and cried out, understanding the gravity of the situation.
“Toriko, you must let me in. You cannot fight this alone.”
When Brie looked up again, all life seemed to have drained from her face, her gaze now a dark void that paralyzed him.
Brie stood up slowly, her eyes now focused ahead as she started toward the water.
There was nothing he could do as she entered the lake and, step by step, submerged herself until she disappeared under the watery depths.
As if released from invisible bonds, Tono suddenly found he could move again. He ran to the water and dived in, reaching out wildly until he found her under the dark waters.
Tono carried her lifeless body back onto the shore, and screamed up at the sky in agony.
His cry echoed through the air as the cherry blossoms began to fall like snow around him, covering everything—the ground, the water, and her body—with dying blossoms.
Tono woke up, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. He’d never had a dream so vivid or horrific.
It wasn’t even a question for him as he picked up the phone. He needed to hear Brie’s voice and confirm she was okay no matter where she was or what she was doing. The idea that he had just witnessed her death was too terrible to contemplate.
To his relief, Brie immediately picked up.
“Is everything okay, Brie?”
Her laughter was light on the other end. “Yes, everything is wonderful here! We made it back home just a few days ago.”
“Oh…” Tono couldn’t reconcile the dream he’d just endured and the joy he heard in her voice now. “I am relieved to hear it.”
She would never know how much…
“I had a dream that was disturbing,” he explained, keeping it simple. “In it you were crying.”
“Well, I have been crying,” she admitted gleefully. “However, they have been happy tears.”
Tono expelled a long, drawn-out sigh. “Hearing the joy in your voice relieves me greatly.” He wiped the tears that had formed in his eyes and commanded himself to breathe again.
Brie was fine. Whatever that dream was about, she was alive and thriving.
It came as a surprise to him when Brie shared that she was pregnant. Because of their uncommon bond, she’d naturally assumed that Tono had dreamed about the happy event and was calling her about it.
He did not correct her, unwillin
g to mar her joy with his nightmare.
Brie peppered him with questions, but he only half-listened, his mind preoccupied with the visions that lingered. But when she asked about Autumn, he found himself suddenly smiling.
“She is well, too.”
“That’s all you’re going to give me?”
“We are comfortable together.”
Brie’s joyous laughter fortified his heart.
“Well, knowing you, that speaks volumes,” she stated.
“So you are good?” he asked, needing that assurance.
“I am, Tono.” At the end of the call, she added, “Thanks for checking up on me. I appreciate that you cared enough to call.”
Tono hung up the phone, feeing relieved but still disquieted in his spirit.
It was possible the dream had no significance, but the image of her walking into the lake would remain with him forever.
The dream inspired Tono to pursue Autumn with more resolve. Life was unpredictable, and he was unwilling to let this woman slip through his fingers because of her fears.
“Autumn, I would like you to meet me at my new place. I’m cooking pizza, and you’re free to bring whatever you want to add to the meal.”
“That sounds like fun, Ren.”
Tono readied the great room, covering it in red candles, the color of luck. He then went to the drawer in his bedroom and got out the omamori he’d gotten from the Itsukushima Shrine. It had the image of a deer on it and was a talisman for finding his life partner. He was certain Autumn was the one; he just needed to convince her of it. He propped it up on the mantel of the great room with reverence.
Autumn arrived ahead of schedule with a Caesar salad, garlic bread, and a local craft beer in her hands.
He took the items from her, complimenting, “We shall be feasting tonight.”
She looked around the large space, touched by all the lit candles and simple furniture that made up the room now. “It’s beautiful, Ren. You’ve really transformed this place to reflect you.”