Page 19 of The Oyabun's Boy

"Huh. I would've guessed 'terrifying overlord' or 'he who must be obeyed.'"

That earned me another almost-smile. "Those are acceptable alternatives."

We continued down yet another corridor, this one carpeted in plush charcoal gray that muffled our footsteps. The lighting grew softer, more intimate.

"Where are we going now?" I asked, aware that we were heading deeper into the tower, away from the common areas.

Kenji's hand slid from my lower back to my hip, casually possessive in a way that should have infuriated me, but instead sent shivers racing across my skin.

"To my quarters," he replied, voice dropping to a register that bypassed my ears and went straight to parts of me that had no business responding to a man who collected people like others collected stamps. "There's something I want to show you."

Don't make an innuendo. Don't make an innuendo.

"I bet you say that to all the hostages," I blurted, immediately wanting to smack myself.

Kenji stopped walking, turning me to face him. His eyes were dark and intent as they swept over my face. "No, Joy," he said quietly. "Just you."

The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. I looked away, uncomfortable with the way it made me feel—wanted, special, chosen.

He's a criminal, Joy. A dangerous man. Remember that.

But as he resumed leading me down the corridor, his hand warm and steady against me, I found it increasingly difficult to remember all the reasons I should be terrified instead of intrigued.

Kenji paused before a set of double doors at the end of the hallway, his hand hovering over a discreet panel beside them. For the first time since I'd met him, he seemed almost... hesitant.

The momentary uncertainty was so at odds with his usual commanding presence that I found myself staring, cataloging this rare glimpse of something other than absolute control.

Then it was gone, replaced by his usual mask of cool confidence as the doors slid open to reveal what could only be his bedroom.

"Holy..." I breathed, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

The space was massive, easily three times the size of my entire apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city lights, glittering like fallen stars against the night sky. The decor maintained the minimalist aesthetic of the rest of the tower, but with subtle touches of luxury that elevated it from austere to opulent.

And dominating it all was the bed. An enormous platform of dark wood, draped in what had to be the most expensive sheets on the planet, it commanded the center of the room like a throne. A single throne, designed for a single occupant.

Or two very friendly occupants.

My brain immediately conjured images of tangled limbs and Kenji's mouth on mine, his hands pinning my wrists above my head as he—

Nope. Not going there.

"I'm not sleeping with you," I blurted, mortification washing over me the instant the words left my mouth.

Kenji turned slowly, predatory grace in every movement. His eyes darkened dangerously as they swept over me, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

When he spoke, his voice had dropped an octave, rough around the edges like expensive whiskey. "Not yet," he said simply. Then, after a pause that nearly stopped my heart, he said, "But you will be."

My face burned hot enough to power a small city. I opened my mouth, closed it, then opened it again, resembling nothing so much as a particularly flustered goldfish.

"That's..." I started, then faltered. "You can't just..."

"Can't I?" he challenged, stepping closer. The scent of him—sandalwood and something darker, something uniquely him—enveloped me.

Don't imagine it. Don't imagine it. Too late—imagining it. And oh, was I imagining it.

In vivid, technicolor detail that made my knees weak and my pulse quicken. The way his hands would feel sliding down my sides, the press of his lips against my neck, the weight of him above me on that ridiculous bed...

I backed up a step, bumping into a sleek dresser. "Look, I appreciate the rescue—kidnapping—whatever this is, but I'm not going to sleep with you just because you have fancy furniture and killed some bad guys."