BorntobeWild (12 page)

“Oh!” She sighed and he watched her breasts respond, wished
he had another hand to fondle and play. “Fuck, Riku.”

“That’s the idea.” He found his rhythm, easier when the
water helped to make her more buoyant and the slickness imparted by the bubbles
let their bodies slide together without friction. “Come to think of it the bath’s
better while you’re ill. That’s it, baby, take it, take it all.”

He’d suppressed the danger of coming too fast but his
arousal leaped. Heat coursed through him, making him want to thrust hard and
deep, take it all and make her feel every inch of his cock. But she had to
come. He adored feeling her clench around him, it invariably sent him over the
edge. He’d do it for her and if he could hold on he’d get her to climax again.

He couldn’t. Hang on, that was. As soon as her pussy
tightened in the first convulsion that signified her orgasm, he gave way. With
one sharp cry, he felt the still, small moment before the world crashed around
him in colors, emotion and an overdose of sensation.

Shuddering, he held her. He remembered to keep his hand away
from her bruises, still recalled her injuries and took care not to make them
any worse or hurt her.

“You drive me crazy, lady. The more we do this, the more I
want you.”

“Tell me about it.” She laughed shakily. “You’re everything
to me. Everything. Never, ever before—” She panted. Probably out of breath.

Gently he lifted her away and climbed out of the bath to
dispose of the condom. They weren’t called
little swimmers
for nothing
and he never took unnecessary chances. Especially with Cyn. For a second as he
stood over the toilet in the next room he wondered how she’d take it if he made
her pregnant. She couldn’t walk away from that.

Speculation, stupid. But deep inside a longing took hold,
something he’d always denied. Kids weren’t part of his life plan. Never had
been. But the thought of Cyn fruitful, her belly full of his child drew him.

His first thought, as always, was that there was a song in
this somewhere. And there was but the notion lingered. He wrote his passions
out, let them free in music, but not this time.

Briskly he dismissed the whole idea as stupid. He’d never do
that to a woman. Fuck, he’d never do it to a baby. Not like his parents had
with him.

Whatever he’d done hadn’t been enough for them. Remembering
the way he’d tried to excel at everything and how they’d been too busy to
notice, he didn’t feel sorry. He did as he always did when those memories
crossed his mind. Not his problem but theirs, he told himself. Theirs to bear
the tolerable marriage they’d made, the lives they’d made, separate but apart.
The children they were slowly pushing away with politeness and no caring. He’d
tried to pick an argument with them a time or two. They’d simply walked away,
leaving him raving to nobody.

He didn’t want that for him and Cyn. His parents were
high-flyers, good at what they did and they’d never given anything up after
they married. No need. Their careers took them away from home a lot and so they
spent more time apart than together. They’d forged a good business
relationship. It hurt when he considered that kind of arrangement with Cyn and
knew he couldn’t take it. She might though. It might be a way to snare her
before he persuaded her she wanted more.

No. He was thinking all kinds of stupid-ass thoughts here,
things that went against his convictions and his lifestyle. He’d never foist an
unwanted baby on anyone, more for the baby’s sake than anyone else’s. He’d
vowed long ago he’d never enter into an arranged marriage of any kind. So what
was he thinking? Crazy shit because he couldn’t bear the idea of watching Cyn
leave another time. Or leaving and then having her disappear from his life.

No fucking way.

He went back to her smiling, grabbing a hot towel from the
rail as he passed. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“Oh goody, are we doing it again?”

“Not fucking likely. Not tonight.”

He managed to stick to that resolution by the skin of his
teeth. He found her something to wear in bed, using the frank admission that if
she didn’t put this T-shirt on he’d keep her awake all night and then they’d
miss their appointment in the morning. Having her naked and next to him would
be too much to bear if he couldn’t do it again.

“So get some sleep. Unless you’re hungry?”

“Not one bit.”

He was but he waited until she fell asleep before he went to
the kitchen to fix himself a quick sandwich. Going back to bed, finding his
woman there was the sweetest thing he could remember in a long time. It felt
disturbingly as if she’d filled the hole he’d unconsciously made for her when
he’d bought this place. She fit here so well. With him.

“You should definitely take time off work and rest,” the
doctor said. After the discomfort of the X-ray and then waiting for the
results, they were facing the evidence now. The white-coated man who seemed too
young to have qualified touched the chart with a pointer. Surely he should be
in Science Club, not here handling patients. He couldn’t even grow a proper
beard, although the patchy effort of a goatee clung despairingly to his chin. “See?
That’s a crack. Not a severe one and it’s not likely to break if you take care.”

“Should you strap it?” Riku asked. Cyn laid her hand over
his. He was so edgy about this. She’d hoped for bruising only but she was out
of luck. Bruising would have disappeared faster.

Dr. Patel grimaced. “We don’t do that these days, unless we
have to. Your colleague who strapped her was army, where they often need to
make patients ambulant. We civilians don’t and we’ve found it avoids
complications if we let it heal naturally.” He repeated what they already knew,
about resting, relaxing and breathing deeply.

“How long do I need to take off?” she said.

“I’d rather you rested this week completely.” Dr. Patel
turned from the chart but Riku still stared at it. “Don’t do any heavy lifting,
don’t climb ladders or wear high heels. Try not to fall.”

“I always do.” She smiled and thank fuck the doctor smiled
back, lightening the situation a tad. “So I can go back next week?”

“What do you do?”

“I own and run three jewelry stores.”

“Don’t stay on your feet. I mean it. The best cure is not to
overdo it.” He regarded her through narrowed eyes. “If you feel pain stop what
you’re doing. Get a coffee and sit for a while. Listen to your body. If it
tells you to rest then that’s what you do.”

“When will I be fully healed?”

“Six weeks should do it.”

She heard him in dismay. “That long?”

Riku’s hand moved under hers, turned it around so he could
clasp hers. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

“From Chicago?” She made a scoffing sound. “I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will, because I’ll be here for you.”

That was right. He wasn’t due in the studio in Chicago for a
week or two. “By the time you leave I’ll be well on the way to recovery.”

“You don’t get it.” He squeezed her hand so she turned to
face him. “I’m going nowhere without you for the next six weeks. If you have to
stay here and work then that’s what you do but not without me.”

“You can’t. You’re Riku Shiraishi. People will recognize
you.” Feeble but the best she could think of right now. She wished she could
come up with something more effective.

“They didn’t today.” He was right, fuck him. Without his
wild clothes and wilder hair color people glanced at him and then looked away.
He’d always attract some attention because he was so fucking gorgeous.

Cyn didn’t feel particularly gorgeous this morning. She had
a few bruises on her legs to match the beauties that adorned her left chest
area and one on her right arm where he’d caught her as he went down.

They’d taken an ordinary cab here today. When they’d exited
the taxi and entered this building, the receptionist here, while giving him the
eye, had merely taken her name and asked them to sit. She hadn’t recognized him,
Cyn would stake her reputation on it. Just given him that smile—the one a woman
gives a man she wants to know more about.

The bitch
, Cyn thought without heat but with a lot of
resignation. After all, with her unstyled hair, her un-made-up face, wearing a
pair of jeans and a soft shirt, she was no prize. She couldn’t help it if all
his attention remained on her, if he treated her with tenderness and solicitude.
The thought made her a trifle smug. Even with her looking this way he had eyes
for no one but her. She let herself enjoy it, savor the moment. Despite her
bruised and painful state, life was good right now.

She had him for six weeks. Enough time for them to get sick
of each other or at least for the tearing need for sex to wear off a bit.
Perhaps then she’d be able to think straight.

She took a deep breath and winced. Served her right,
forgetting her injury enough to try to behave normally. Instantly Riku was
there, stroking her good side in an attempt to soothe her. She let him think he
had and smiled. “It’s getting better.”

“I’ll give you some painkillers.” He proceeded to give such
a long list of can’ts and don’ts, she decided she’d rather fight the pain her
own way. With milder painkillers and a little judicious application of red
wine. Although, if the pills meant she could have more adventurous sex, she’d
certainly consider it, because she only had him for six weeks.

The doctor left the room and she was alone with Riku.

Every time she reminded herself of why she shouldn’t let
herself go deeper with this man her resolve strengthened, her reasons firmed
and multiplied. They had different lives, she was expanding her business and
needed time to build it unencumbered. He had an all-encompassing career that
took over his life, his parents didn’t like her…the list grew longer.

With Riku by her side, his tender care making everything
better, she was in danger of forgetting all that.

Shit, a cracked rib. Still, time she stepped back and
courted bigger clients. Janey had reminded her that Maddy, for all her
lighthearted approach, had a firm hold on her side of the business and
understood exactly what she was doing. The third store wasn’t doing so well and
Cyn thought it might be the manager. She liked the managers to have definite
personalities that they stamped on the stores but Sian, who ran the smaller Midtown
store, seemed too cautious to take a firm direction. She’d planned to work
there for a few weeks but she’d have to rethink it, or cut down her hours. “I need
to get back to designing,” she said.

Riku followed her reasoning without hesitation. “Of course
you do, after getting that new contract. You can use the dining room as your
studio if that’s suitable. Do you think it has enough natural light?”

She almost laughed when she recalled the huge windows on two
sides but remembered the pain it gave her and desisted. The dining room faced north
and west. She liked that light, harsh, softened by the warmth of the sun toward
sunset.

“I can work in the office. I have a studio above the small
shop.” Another way to keep an eye on Sian. The poky room at the back of the
Empire State Building store only served as a place to do quick assembly of
beads into necklace, bracelet or set, the large table mainly used for lessons,
not for design. Maddy used it as much as she did.

“No. I want to make sure you get your rest. Didn’t you hear
the doctor? Plenty of rest, with gentle exercise.” Oh yes, she didn’t mistake
that gleam in his eye and she had to admit, that exercise had more appeal than
any other she could think of. Except it wasn’t always gentle. Maybe soon she
could envision something more energetic without wincing.

She’d discovered a streak of submission with Riku. Not in
the BDSM sense, she just enjoyed letting him take control from time to time. He
was so much bigger than she. She loved the way he’d pose her for maximum
impact, arranging her before asking her if she was comfortable and then making
her distinctly uncomfortable. She drew the line at calling him “Sir” though. He
might get ideas.

This caring Riku had a place as well. He made her want to
curl into him like some feeble kitten and let him pamper her. Just for a little
while, because too much of it would drive her insane.

The pain of her injury had kept her awake last night, and
now she felt drained and tired. She suspected she would have been done in anyway
after the magnificence of the concert but the pain had drained her resistance
and her desire to fight back. She’d return as strong as ever. Just not today.

The doctor returned with the painkillers. He had treated her
gently but her side still throbbed and the effort to hide how much it hurt
exhausted her. People cracked ribs every day, fuck, sportsmen carried on their
work with them. Maybe their painkillers were better than the ones she allowed
herself.

“Six weeks of this?” She hadn’t meant to say anything but to
put up with this level of pain for that long—she’d do it but it would exhaust
her.

“You’ll feel a big improvement when the swelling goes down.”
The doctor, impassive but sympathetic, a feat that deserved more study, glanced
up from the notes he was making. “Take the pills for a few days and rest. They’ll
make you sleepy but I’m only giving you enough for three days. After that, you
may take the next pack. I’ll number them. They’re not as strong and they’ll
last another three.” She tried to listen to his instructions. Normally she’d
have no problem but today her mind kept drifting off, as if it had a will of
its own. She might take the medication occasionally but not as many as he said.
Only when it hurt too much or she needed to do something strenuous. Like fuck
Riku senseless.

“Thanks, Doctor. I’ll take it from here.”

Shit, had she dropped off? Surely not but she hadn’t noticed
anything he’d said after he started droning on about the painkillers. She
blinked and smiled, trying to appear alert, but she feared she hadn’t fooled
the two men for a minute. “I’m sorry.”

“Home.” Riku got out his phone.

Oh right and this was just the excuse he needed to put off
the dinner with his parents. That notion occurred to her as she drifted off
once more. Smiling, because the last sight was of the doctor handing Riku a pen
and piece of paper to the words, “My sister’s a big fan.”

She’d just bet she was, but the way the man was looking at
Riku, the doctor’s sister wasn’t the only one.

* * * * *

After severe rest and eating as much as she could manage
before her muscles ached from the exercise, Cyn felt a lot better. The doctor
had been right about that part.

Monday morning she decided to get out of bed on her own.
Riku was in the kitchen, scrambling eggs, something, he loftily informed her,
he could do very well. While she’d slept the day away he’d gone to her
apartment and packed up almost everything she owned there, as far as she could
tell from what he and Ray brought back. Now piles of bags and boxes sat in an
unused bedroom and most of her clothes hung in the other closet-room in the
master. Oh yes, he had two of the fuckers. One for her.

Sitting up, she took an experimental breath and found that
either she was getting used to the pain, or the rest had done her good. She
made it to the bathroom on her own, discovered her rhythm, a way of moving that
meant she could walk without jarring her sore ribs too badly. Not so bad after
all. She found her painkillers and took two. She’d tried them yesterday and
while they made her relaxed to the point of sleep, she could control the effect
if she concentrated.

“Cyn?”

“In here,” she called back and he came hurrying. He’d found
her frankly old and tired but infinitely comfortable sleep shirts and as he
entered she became suddenly and jarringly aware of her dowdy appearance. Not
that he did. He just looked appalled. “You should have waited.”

“No, I’m fine. Or I will be once I’ve eaten and showered.”

“You can’t possibly be thinking of coming to dinner later. I
was about to call my parents and tell them—”

“No.” She interrupted him before he could say it. “Is this
dinner tonight?”

“Yes.”

Even now, dressed simply, with a smear of egg decorating his
T-shirt, he looked hotter than any man had a right to and desire stirred
sleepily deep inside her pussy. She ignored it. If they did that they wouldn’t
get anywhere. For the first time in their renewed relationship they’d only slept
last night, although she’d woken once to find him watching her, concern etched
deeply into the corners of his mouth. She’d smiled, reached for him and he’d
come to her, wrapping her carefully in his arms and she’d fallen asleep there.

“Come and eat.”

“Then I’ll shower and potter. The doctor told me to get some
gentle exercise, didn’t he? Then I’ll dress. Will that black dress be all
right?” Bracing herself, she used her hold on the vanity and pushed herself
away, settling into the rhythm she’d established. She strolled past a frowning
Riku, even managed a smile. “I’ve taken some pills. I’ll be fine, Riku. It’s
only dinner.”

“I don’t think we should go.”

“Why not? Do you have something better to do?” For all she
knew he had but she took a chance. He’d have press interviews and TV
appearances coming up. Chick had promised to keep the schedule as light as he
could, although they should do a few, to capitalize on the tour. He shook his
head.

“Only care for you.” He followed her into the bedroom. She
crossed to the window where he’d set up the tray on a small table and tucked a
chair behind it so she could enjoy the view of downtown Manhattan. Which she
did. Scrambled eggs were a great idea, she conceded, if a little bouncy.

They talked. She’d loved the way he followed her admittedly
wayward mind, matching her observations with his own, taking her in directions
she hadn’t thought of. The musician and the designer. Maybe they had the same
kind of mind. Left, was it, or right? Who cared when they could do this? Bliss
to talk to someone who
understood
.

“The Twin Towers were there, weren’t they?”

He nodded. “I wasn’t here when it happened. Not that day. I’m
glad, because I wouldn’t have wanted to watch that. But we come back bigger and
better in New York. Nobody gets us down for long.”

So confident, so strong, like the country he came from. She
loved the land of her birth too but they had more doubts, didn’t see matters so
straightforwardly, didn’t have that powerful sense of purpose she’d come across
so often over here. She loved it, that intention to make something of their
lives, the unapologetic energy prevalent in so many people.