“Good. Have you discussed this with Ronin?”
“No. I’d like that nondisclosure agreement to go both ways.”
Shiori frowned. “You don’t plan to tell him?”
“Of course I’ll tell him. But I want it to be on my terms, when the timing is right. We’re still working through things.” It wasn’t like he wasn’t keeping things close to the vest himself. Case in point: She still had no idea what the doctor had told him. Amery finished her drink. “Like you reminded me, it might’ve been my relationship with Ronin that got my foot in the door, but the work speaks for itself.”
“All right. But if my brother asks me point-blank if you’re working for Okada? I will not lie to him. I’ve done that often enough, usually without choice, that I fear our relationship can never be repaired. Anytime I try to talk to him . . . he shuts me down. Or ignores me.”
“Neither of those are my favorite traits of his either.”
Shiori nodded. “Last business thing. Given our history and your relationship with Ronin, you won’t be dealing directly with me at all.”
“Really?” she said skeptically.
“Yes. You’re in North America, which means you’re under Maggie Arnold’s purview anyway. I told her I’d be in Denver and would meet with you to save her the trip, but all information, payments, and problems will be handled by the Seattle office.” She smirked. “So if you fuck this up, don’t expect me to bail you out.”
“You’re hilarious.”
“So because I’m nosy, I have to ask what other projects you’re working on that are exciting enough to keep you from becoming Okada’s lackey?” She laughed. “Sorry—I couldn’t resist the shot at the family business.”
At least she had a sense of humor. Amery was finding the more time she spent with Ronin’s sister, the more she liked her. “Give me a second.” She scrolled through her folders and clicked on the cover she’d designed for Cherry Starr. “Check this out.” She spun the laptop toward Shiori.
Shiori leaned closer. “You did this?”
“Yep.”
“Graphics too?”
“Yep.”
“That is stunning. The red rope against the paler skin. Everything about this is sexy. Tied to Him.” Shiori looked at her. “Did you come up with the title?”
“No. The author has written several books in this vein.”
Then Shiori pulled the laptop closer. “Beautiful binding. It’s perfect. I assume this is rope master Black’s handiwork?”
“Since it’s no big secret to your family that Ronin is a rope master, I can say yes, Ronin did the binding for this shot.”
“Do you know the model?”
Amery felt her neck getting warm. “Yes.”
“You didn’t take issue with him doing kinbaku on another woman right in front of you?” Shiori’s gaze snapped to her. “That’s because you’re the model.”
“What gave it away?”
“Nothing in the image screams, ‘body by Amery Hardwick, binding by Ronin Black.’ But it’s easy to make the leap since I’m aware that you two have this type of relationship.” She peered at the image again. “I want to read this book.”
“She’s working on the other two books in the trilogy.”
“Did she ask you to do the covers?”
That stupid blush moved from her neck and warmed her cheeks.
“You did! Show me.”
“I’ve only done the second one. We’re still debating on what to do for the last book.” She angled the laptop, then opened the image. “Here’s the cover for book two.”
“Holy. Shit. That’s Ronin.”
Amery’s jaw dropped. “How did you know?”
“I guessed. Was it a case of ‘I’ll let you bind me if I can bind you’?”
“No. We were messing around and I snapped a few pictures. After I promised that no one would know how sloppily I bound the rope master, as well as assuring him I’d never tell anyone the rope model’s name, I showed it to Cherry and she loved it.”
“Undone by Her. Another great title to go with the image. He does look to be hanging by a thread.”
You have no idea. Amery loved that she and Ronin were the only two who’d ever know what really happened at the photo shoot to put that look on his face.
“Dammit. Does this mean I can’t tease my big brother about being featured on the cover of an erotic novel?”
“No!”
Shiori laughed. “Kidding. On a serious note, it shows how much he trusts you, Amery, that he let you bind him.”
Amery absentmindedly touched the image on the screen. “I guess. But it’s not his trust in me that’s the issue. It’s whether I trust him.” The second the words exited her mouth, she wished she could take them back.
“I don’t fault you for how you feel. I’m happy you’re giving him the chance to earn that trust back. Maybe he’ll figure out I’m trying to do the same thing.” Shiori’s slip into melancholy vanished. “What are your ideas for the third cover?”
“I’d love to do a shadowed image of Ronin and me. Keeping with the rope theme, either him holding a coil before he binds me or after, right before he unties me. It’d take the series full circle. And the title for the last book is Tangled Together.”
“Have you run the idea by the author yet?”
Amery groaned. “I haven’t run it by Ronin yet. It’d be a difficult shot to achieve without having a third person with us. I don’t know if he’s down with that, but we’ll see.”
“Without sounding creepy, if you need someone to help with the shot, I’m a decent photographer.”
“Thanks for the offer. I’ll definitely let you know.”
“Either way, I want to see the third cover.” Shiori took her phone out and dialed. “I’m ready. Pick me up in the alley. Thanks.” She smiled. “My ride. Time for me to get to the dojo.”
On the way down the stairs, Amery said, “I find it strange there aren’t any pictures of Ronin’s family anywhere at his place.”
“I didn’t see pictures of your family among your knickknacks either,” Shiori pointed out. “But that reminds me.” She reached into her oyster-colored Chanel handbag and pulled out the wrapped package Amery had given her at their first meeting. “I don’t think this was meant for me, was it?”
“No.”
“Give it to him. He needs reminders of you and how you feel about him everywhere.”
“Clashes with your decor, huh?” Amery said lightly.
“Raunchy is more my style. I’ll show you my Hello Kitty whip collection sometime.” Shiori smiled, slipped on her Versace shades, and stepped out the back door.
Yes, she was really starting to like Ronin’s sister—even when she suspected Shiori hadn’t been kidding about the anime whip thing.
• • •
“I don’t think it’s necessary. In fact, if you looked at my proposal, you’d see . . .” Blah, blah, blahdedy, blah.
Ronin stared at Katie, imagining four or five different ways he could choke her out to get that damn mouth of hers to stop moving.
TP had neglected to mention his daughter was a know-it-all pain in the rear who came to work dressed like a hooker, flirted with any male that crossed her path, smacked her gum like a clichéd teenager, and wasn’t nearly the dim bulb her father portrayed her to be.
Katie Pettigrew Gardiner was the antithesis of what he wanted in a promotional lackey for their upstart company. The girl needed humility in a bad way, and since he was her boss, it was up to him to dish it out.
He hated this shit. Hated it.
TP, you bastard, we are more than even after this.
“Ronin, are you even listening to me?” Katie demanded with a pout.
“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me by my first name? I am your boss. Which means you call me Mr. Black, or sir, understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Second, you do what I tell you. Nothing more and definitely nothing less. While I app
reciate your initiative, I don’t need it. I need you to put on the ring-girl outfit.”
“But—”
He held up his hand. “No buts. Ever. Meet Sophia down in the dojo locker room. Handing out free tickets for the upcoming event is your job. A job which you are still on probation for.”
Katie pushed herself out of the chair. “I will prove to you that I’m more valuable than being a bimbo ring girl.”
Two raps sounded on the door, and Amery walked in. “Hey, Ronin. I just . . .” She froze, and her gaze flicked over Katie.
A sneaky smile curled Katie’s mouth. “Okay, boss man. Do you want me to come back up and model the outfit? I know how much it means having your approval.”
“No. Get moving. You’re already late.”
“It was hard to tear myself away from such fascinating conversation with you, even when we’ve spent most of the day together,” she practically cooed. “Until tomorrow.” She whirled around and strutted out of his office.
“Who the fuck is she?” Amery demanded. “Is she lost?”
He did not need this today on top of every fucking thing else. “No. She works for Black and Blue Promotions.”
“So she came with Blue’s crew?”
“No. I hired her.”
With the way her eyes turned into lethal arrows? He’d given the wrong answer. “Just how closely will you be working with her in this new promotion company?”
“Why are you acting like this?”
Amery seemed to take a deep breath to try to compose herself, then stalked over and slapped her hands on the desk. “A six-foot-tall Amazon with perfect tits, a perfect ass, perfect blond hair, and a predatory smile just sauntered out of your office, after making it perfectly clear to me that she planned to be around you all the damn time.”
“You’re reading too much into this. Katie is a kid.”
“You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think that kid has designs on you. And she’s not a kid. I’ll bet I’m not that much older than her.”
Ronin counted to ten. “You’ve misread the situation.”
“Then explain it to me.”
“We agreed to stay out of each other’s business. This is business, plain and simple.”
She looked ready to argue, but changed her mind and stepped back. “You’re right. I forgot my place for a moment.”
“Jesus, Amery. Stop with this.”
“You betcha. Wouldn’t wanna speak up when something bothers me. I’ll just let the big, strong man handle it and put it out of my empty little head.” She granted him a fake smile, along with two cheesy thumbs-up, and stomped off.
He would not chase her down.
Would. Not.
Right. Who the fuck was he kidding? He always chased her down.
Ronin smacked his sore knee on the side of the desk and bit back a curse when it slowed him down. When he reached the hallway, Amery was nowhere to be found.
Blue came around the corner. “Hey, do you—”
“Did you pass Amery?”
“Yeah. She was not looking too happy.”
“Where’d she go?”
“I don’t know. So do you have time—”
“Not now. I have to deal with this first.”
Blue clapped Ronin on the shoulder. “Hope you have a cup on, man.”
He heard the elevator ping, so he reversed course and opened the door to the stairwell. In Amery’s present mood, she wouldn’t head for the penthouse, so he started downstairs. She’d have to get off at the second floor since classes were in session in the dojo.
So when the elevator door opened, Ronin was leaning against the wall waiting for her. When she saw him, she frantically poked buttons, trying to close the door in his face, but he was too fast. He snagged her wrist and hauled her out.
“Hey! What the hell? Let me go.”
Ronin didn’t respond; he just towed her down the hallway.
“You are pissing me off.”
He tightened his grip on her wrist in warning.
“Don’t make me use kung fu on you.”
Jesus. The shit she said sometimes . . .
The conference room door was open. Ito, Terrel, one of Blue’s instructors, and Knox were lounging around the table. They all looked up.
Ronin bit off, “Get. Out.”
Ito and the other dude were gone lightning fast. But Knox said, “Fair warning. I hear you throwing furniture around and glass breaking again, and I will come in.”
“Lock the door,” Ronin said to Knox without taking his eyes off Amery.
Knox grumbled, but he left.
Ronin slammed his mouth down on hers as soon as the door shut. One hand holding her head in place, his other hand locked around both of her wrists as he literally pushed her into a corner.
After returning his kiss with equal voracity, Amery must’ve remembered she was mad at him and kissed him angrily. If he hadn’t moved his mouth, she would’ve sunk her teeth into his lower lip hard enough to draw blood.
“Not nice, baby,” he panted against her throat.
“I’m not feeling very nice toward you right now, baby.”
“What has gotten into you? You’re never this insanely jealous.”
“What has gotten into you? You’ve never put a porn star on the payroll.”
Do. Not. Laugh. “This is all about Katie?”
“Yes. When did you hire her? While we were broken up? Because I will be screaming banshee mad at you if you already had my replacement picked out. What did—”
“Stop talking. You’re just getting yourself in deeper.”
“Make me stop talking, hotshot. Just because—”
Ronin put his hand over her mouth. “Calm down, and listen, because I’m going to say this one time.”
She blinked.
“We are together. That means I don’t look at another woman the way I look at you. I don’t touch another woman the way I touch you. I don’t feel about any woman the way I feel about you. Got it? Don’t ever think I’d throw away what we have for a cheap, meaningless fuck. You either trust me, or you don’t. So what’s it going to be?” He moved his hand from her mouth and released her wrists.
She studied him without speaking, which was so unlike her. Then she slapped her palms on his chest. “Goddamn you. I worked up a really good mad and then you say something like that.”
“I should’ve said something like . . . Do you know how fucking hot it is that you’re jealous?” He pressed his dick into her hip.
Amery tossed her head. “Oh, that hard-on is for me? I thought maybe . . .”
“What?”
“That you were hard before I walked into your office.”
Ronin growled. “Now you’re just provoking me. The only woman who gets me this hard is you.” He put his mouth on her ear. “I’ll prove it. Right fucking now.”
“Ronin—”
“I warned you not to throw down a challenge in my dojo because it will be answered.” He used his teeth on the cord in her neck as she strained to get away from him.
“Master Black—omigod you are not doing that here.”