18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I check the time on my gilded Rolex and smooth out my tie for the tenth time. It's the mahogany one with the white dots that goes super well with my gray suit and red-stripped dress shirt. It's all custom tailored to showcase my physique, of course, though the slacks are a little more form-hugging than my other pairs.

Which is why you put that suit on, isn't it, Chai? Because it makes your ass look extra nice.

I wrinkle my lips. So, what if it is? I see nothing wrong with looking your best when you are about to spend the next seven plus hours in the company of the guy who left you hanging with your dick half-hard. I'd been hoping to lure him into a sexting session, but things didn't exactly work out in my favor.

I wonder if I need to be more assertive or direct next time?

A group of teenage kids pass by me, screaming and shouting as they run toward the haunted house attraction. It's one of those pop-up ones that show up occasionally, and it reminds me of last night at the shrine. If I hadn't run into Leo as he was about to plunge himself down the steep hill, I'm positive he'd have broken something.

I shudder, a wave of pleasant tingles budding just under my skin and displacing the fear and worry. The way he clutched to me still gives me shivers. I'm pretty sure he sniffed me when he buried his head in the crook of my neck. It's why I couldn't sleep, actually. I just couldn't stop thinking about it or how good it felt to have Leo's body pressed into mine. And those lips…

I shift my weight, shaking the thoughts off before I've gotten a boner. I still don't know if he really fell asleep while we were texting, but it was really shitty of him, especially with where the conversation was heading. My dick gives a futile jerk as I wonder if maybe he'd been jerking off rather than showering—or maybe jerking off in the shower?—while chatting with me. I'm dying to know, in fact. Or to see him do it. In my bathroom, preferably. Or on my bed.

I scold myself under my breath and clear my throat. Now is not the time for this.

Five minutes later, Leo arrives, his dirty-blond mop of hair easy to pick out from the crowd. He notices me almost immediately, nodding his chin as he heads my way.

"Hey. Sorry to make you wait. The subway was packed," he says with a small smile. "So, what are we doing?"

I raise an eyebrow, studying him. He's wearing black jeans and a shirt, with his fake leather jacket tossed over one shoulder. It's a bit casual, but it plays up his boyish charm. The neutral colors make his eyes the focus, accentuating the pretty blue .

"Follow me." I turn around and start walking. When he doesn't do as I say, I glance over my shoulder.

He's standing where he was, his gaze locked on my ass. He looks almost entranced, like he can't help but stare at it. Good . Putting on a thong instead of my briefs for extra results was a good call.

Heat spreads through me, riding the flow of self-satisfaction stemming from my chest. I close my eyes for a moment and give in, but then let the thrilling sensation pass. I've gotten my confirmation that I'm not imagining things and there is some interest, so that's enough for now. There is no need to rush and make him crazy about me right at this moment.

"Leo," I say, drawing out his name.

He swallows hard , pulling on his bottom lip with his teeth as his eyes snap to my face. My arms crawl with goosebumps, and a slow smile curves my mouth up.

"Come," I say with more authority, using the voice I summon when ordering members of the Group to do something.

He blinks, shaking himself out of it. Another peek of his tongue and he nods. "Yeah, okay." Jogging over, he catches up to me. "So, uh, where are we going? And… I didn't see any of your men. Didn't you bring anyone?"

The note of suspicion in his voice isn't surprising. "I need to stop by a few shops. As for my men—they are in the gray Toyota taxi, parked by the fence. I told them to keep their distance."

Leo frowns, confusion washing over his face. "Shouldn't they follow? In case, you know, something happens?"

I let him step on the escalator first. "I have you now, don't I?" I say when he faces me as I follow after him .

Something dark seeps into his eyes, just like I hoped, stirring that pleasant hum within me. A hint of a flush colors his cheeks, and he busies his hands with the collar of his shirt, undoing the top two buttons. "Yeah, of course. Just… I thought that maybe you'll still have multiple people on you even if I'm here."

"I think you are capable enough to handle me on your own."

My words strike exactly as I'd hoped they would, ripping an agitated exhale out of him. He recuperates quickly enough, clearing his throat and schooling his expression into something almost professionally frowny.

Seeing as I've teased him enough, I point to the luxury brand department store. "We're headed there."

His eyes scope the surroundings, alert and focused. "Sure."

I lead us to the clothes section, asking a shop assistant to get the in-store tailor. She disappears for a few moments, and I take that opportunity to pick out a few suits.

"I think the blue would be better," Leo says, tilting his chin at a nice dark navy suit. He's right, but he's also wrong, because I'm not looking for a suit for myself.

"All of Akiyama's bodyguards usually wear black. Or are you asking for preferential treatment already, Leo?"

He gawks at me and I can practically see the gears of his brain spinning.

Chuckling, I hand him the three suits I picked. "Try this on for me, will you? The shop tailor should be able to do any adjustments before we head over to Evio."

He takes the clothes, but still looks very confused. "Wait. When you said you needed to do some shopping, I assumed you'd be buying things for you." He points at himself and raises his eyebrows. "So, why are you getting me stuff?"

He's kind of dense and it's kind of cute.

Crossing my arms, I give him a meaningful, hard look. "As much as I appreciate your effort to dress for the occasion, I really can't have my bodyguard looking like…" I give him a deliberately heated once-over. "A country rockstar in a dingy bar.

His eyes go wide as he looks down at his clothes. "It's the leather jacket, isn't it?" he mumbles to himself. "Should I have gone for the hoodie? I'm not taking advice from Chris again." Shifting his attention back to me, he mock-scowls. "Chai, I'll have you know that these are my best clothes. I don't exactly have a wardrobe full of fancy suits."

I hum, adding a few ties to the pile he's holding. "Who said I only have one wardrobe of suits?"

His face breaks into a massive grin, which he tries and fails to stop. "If you weren't my boss, I'd smack you."

He's right. I am his boss, aren't I? I had forgotten until he pointed it out. He's just so easy to talk to, and he doesn't really treat me any differently compared to before. It's refreshing, and fun too. I'd need to be careful when it's not just the two of us though. The Akiyama Group's reputation is a big deal to my father.

I wave Leo toward the changing rooms as the shop assistant arrives with the tailor. While we wait for him, I run through the agenda for the next few days. Aran is handling the access side of things, gyms, training, etc. After I sort out Leo's suit, we could grab something to eat. There is a nice Indian curry place near Evio. Tomorrow, I'll take him to the car dealership… even though that should technically wait until after the introductions. But I mean, the contract has been signed by me and Leo already, and it's just that my father hasn't approved it yet.

I do dread that part. Aran is helping me with it, but that doesn't guarantee my father won't go back on the preliminary agreement once we break the news that Leo is from America. But, well, that's why I'm having him accompany me tonight and tomorrow. If things were to go wrong and I happened to find myself in a sticky situation and Leo helped me out of it, then surely that would be a rather convincing argument in his favor, right?

Not that I am planning to do anything dangerous, but I may or may not have let the word slip that I'll be visiting the dealership tomorrow. I'm sure someone stupid enough will take the bait.

Leo appears from the changing room, wearing the black suit with the black shirt and tie combo. He's left the vest and jacket unbuttoned and he looks positively mouth-watering. We are about the same height, though I have a couple inches on him that he makes up for in muscle mass. He's not buff by any extent of the word—he's more of a swimmer's body type like me—but his physique is more developed.

"Chai, I'm not sure about this," he says, spinning around as I motion him to do so. "It feels like it might be too much? I've…" He bites his bottom lip, flashing me a sheepish smile. "I've never worn a suit."

I can't help but stare at him, my heart rate kicking up a notch. He's never had a suit, and his first ever is the one I'll buy for him here. It's a silly thing and it shouldn't really matter, but it brings me immense satisfaction. It's like I'm claiming a part of him, of his life, for myself and it feels so good I'm already addicted to the sensation. I need more of it, the taste overwhelming and not enough at the same time.

"It looks good on you. How does it feel? Can you move comfortably?" I say, gesturing him to spin again and walk around the changing room.

I wonder what else I can snatch. Has he ever tried horse riding? Driving a yacht? Skydiving? Flying with a private jet? Paragliding? Surfing? I'm not really into that kind of stuff, but he seems like the type that might enjoy it.

I'm buzzing by the time he tries the other two suits, but even though they also look good on him and I contemplate buying all three, I settle for the first one. I like the cut and the material. Leo doesn't protest or complain, even though I don't let him pick.

"I mean, you know more about these things than me," he says when I ask him if he's fine with my choice while the tailor takes his measurements. "And, um, I don't think you'd pick something that doesn't look good on me. Or well, I hope so."

He's very right. If I'm going to be staring at him for hours on end, you bet I want him in a suit that I like. The one I picked brings out an elegant streak he has hiding behind the wild and easy-going exterior, the contrast making him even more enticing.

Fortunately, there aren't many adjustments to be made. It takes the tailor about half an hour to tweak the suit, so I make Leo put it on before we make our way to Osu.

"You know, I'm kind of starting to like it," he says as we ride the elevator down to the street level, checking himself out in the mirrored walls. "I think it makes me look hot in that classy way that you do. "

I move behind him and place my hand at the low of his back. He goes rigid at the contact, but quickly relaxes as I rub circles with my thumb. His eyes cut to mine in the mirror, intense and captivating as they suck me in. His scent suddenly surrounds me, reminding me of mountains and the outdoors. Before I think it through, I lean in and inhale him, watching as hackles rise along the side of his neck.

"You look very handsome, I agree. It's why I picked this particular cut," I rasp, exhaling into his skin.

He goes tense again, but it's not the shocked type of tense. It's the one where it feels like he's trying to restrain a reaction or prevent himself from doing something that he shouldn't. An urge to push him so he does just that rises in me, but before I can act on it, the elevator dings and the doors open.

"Where to now?" he says, clearing his throat as he shakes me off.

"I'm hungry. Do you like Indian?"

"What, like proper curry and those fried onion things?" He scrunches his nose when I give him a sideways glance, looking embarrassed. "I've never tried."

Satisfaction floods me. I really shouldn't be entertaining this kind of thing. Leo is my bodyguard and things should stay professional between us, that's how it works. The problem is that it might be a bit too late for that. He caught my eye that night at the club's backyard, and my interest is only growing the more I get to know him. Once he's officially started and I've introduced him to my father, I'll behave. Probably. I have to, because this is a very bad idea, no matter how alluring Leo might be.

I pretend I've convinced myself not to pursue this and lead us to the small restaurant. It's situated in a two-story wooden house and occupies both floors. The chef is an Indian woman in her fifties, while her husband, who's Japanese, handles the customers. I'm somewhat of a regular, so he seats us at my usual table on the second floor. It's the one by the window, giving us a view of the alleyway and the main street it merges into.

"Any preferences?" I ask Leo, who is studying the drapes decorating the interior.

"Um, I'm not sure. Just nothing too spicy. And I do want to try the onion…" He pinches his eyebrows and pouts. "Stuff."

"It's called bhaji." I click on the ringer and Minato appears with a jug of water and a bowl of poppadoms.

I order some korma along with their mix of curries, two fresh naan breads and the bhaji. Leo digs in the moment the food arrives, moaning and gasping and saying how good it tastes. I'm a lot more civilized about my own food, but I don't say anything. His enthusiasm is just too endearing.

I'd have never guessed he has this side to him with how snappy and bratty he was before we sat down to talk at the shrine. It makes me wonder which part is more prevalent during sex, and that in turn gives me a whole different way to look at his noises of appreciation for the dishes.

Fortunately, he finishes eating shortly after my unintended association, saving me the trouble of trying to stay calm while he sounds like a porn star getting railed.

"You know," he says when we leave the restaurant, tucking his hands in the slack's pockets. "Is it normal for your bodyguards to have dinner with you? I was so excited, I kind of forgot to ask. Should I stand behind you and scowl at people next time?"

I huff out a laugh. "That will probably be wise if there are any people around to frown at. But I told Minato he shouldn't let anyone in while we were visiting, so there wasn't any need for that."

He hums as we rejoin the crowd on the main street, schooling his expression into what I've dubbed his bodyguard scowl. Shops have started closing, thinning the throng of people most of whom are now headed to clubs and bars.

A long queue lines up in front of Evio when we get there. Leo studies it while I chat to the security guard, who calls over one of his buddies the moment he recognizes who I am. The second man takes us to the VIP zone, where three hostesses are waiting with a tray of complimentary drinks. The one who serves me is my type, and usually I'd have considered inviting her to one of the suits upstairs. But one glance at Leo standing straight as a pole on the side of the booth has me imagining him serving me drinks and batting eyelashes at me instead, and that almost gives me a boner.

Yeah, I think I'm a lost cause.

The owner of Evio shows up ten minutes later, taking a puff from his Cuban cigar. "Mr. Akiyama, welcome." His beady eyes flick to Leo, who shows no reaction. "New bodyguard? Are you branching out in the gaijin market?"

The jibe is intentional, but I ignore it. I'm not here to stir trouble. The quicker I get this over with, the quicker I could get Leo out of his bodyguard mode. Maybe we could go to a nicer place, somewhere with private rooms, so he can relax and show me that sexy smile again.

"I'm here to discuss Evio's contract, Mr. Nishiki. If you are interested in our bodyguards and how we source them, I suggest you speak to my father. "

That wipes the sleazy smile off his face. He sits on the couch across from me and puts his cigar away. "Of course."

Luckily, my remark keeps him on his best behavior. We conclude our dealings half an hour later when he signs the renewed contract at a slightly higher rate.

"Pleasure doing business with you," I say and don't wait for his reply, nodding at Leo as I pass by him.

"That guy seemed like an asshole," Leo says, holding the door open for me.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Yeah. Don't need to understand what he was saying to tell." He scrunches his nose. "He was also giving me a look."

Ah, so he noticed. Some of the people in my line of work don't like anyone who's not part of this world. Especially guys like Leo, who just naturally stand out around here. It's his height and hair. I used to get the side eye too since I'm quite tall compared to the average Japanese man, but with him by my side, it's no surprise the glares go to him. It's kind of the point really, and it makes me feel even more giddy inside since I'm the only one who knows his goofy side.

"I was thinking—"

A woman with sparkles and glitter on her hair bumps into me, almost spilling her drink all over my suit. Leo steps in between us, placing his hand on my chest and pushing me back gently so I'm sufficiently away from her.

"Huh? Leo, that you? What a coincidence!" she says, trying really really hard to appear shocked.

Leo looks between me and her, a glimmer of amusement sparkling in his eyes as they go wide after a short delay. "Oh! Uh, Naomi! Wow, what a coincidence indeed! What are you doing here? "

I blink at them and stifle a chuckle, trying to maintain a serious expression. Are they serious? Both of them are such bad actors. I know exactly who Naomi Jones is. In fact, I know the names and faces of everyone living with Leo, including the impressive goth guy that joins us, pretending he's looking for Naomi.

"We are clubbing. You know, having fun." The woman's dark and very sober eyes roam me like it's her life's mission to dissect every inch of me. "Is that a new friend? Don't think we've met before. I'm Naomi." She glances at Leo again, who's tensed up a little as if he can't decide whether he should act the way he normally does or maintain his bodyguard mode. Or maybe he's trying not to laugh. "Nice to meet you. Wanna hang with us?"

Do I? Not really. But the hopeful puppy eyes Leo gives me when I raise an eyebrow at him just about undo me. I think I might be developing a habit of not being able to say No to him.

Folding my arms, I cast my gaze around, the smell of sweat and alcohol as intrusive as the blasting music. "Sure," I say even if this is not exactly my type of venue.

But, well, Leo is here and I'm dying to know exactly how much he's told his friends about me.