19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

It becomes immediately clear to me that Naomi Jones knows more than she should. I'm not surprised, considering she was at the shrine last night. The evaluating looks she keeps giving me as we sip cheap cocktails while the goth, Chris, tells us about his afternoon at a sushi-making workshop put me on alert.

She's observing me. Searching for something. Her questions, which center around my business without her outright accusing me of being a mafia heir, suggest that, too.

"So, Leo's gonna be your assistant," she says, leaning forward and lacing her hands on the table. We've claimed a semi-private booth away from the dance floor so our eardrums don't explode.

I smile. "Yes."

"And he's going to be assisting you with?" She squints, trailing her eyes across me. They pause where I have my hand resting on my thigh, then move on to Leo, who's sitting stiffly next to me and bouncing his leg. It's been going on for the past ten minutes and it's driving me crazy.

Considering that this was obviously a setup by the two of them, why is he nervous?

Keeping my expression as friendly as I can so she doesn't mistake my resting glare for an attempt to intimidate her, I bring the glass of whiskey to my mouth. It smells cheap and I can't imagine it would taste any better, but I drink some anyway.

"He's assisting me with… logistics and safekeeping. Some admin, too."

Leo shifts in his seat, his leg bumping into mine. It makes the vibrations from the bouncing seep into me, and I just can't take it anymore. I place the glass on the table and rest my hand on Leo's thigh, squeezing firmly. He goes rigid and whips his head at me. I offer him a small smile and squeeze again. His eyes widen for a heartbeat, looking both confused and like he has something to tell me.

Naomi clears her throat, breaking the moment. She perches one eyebrow at Leo, a smirk blooming on her face, and follows the shape of her lips with her tongue seductively. Leo smiles back at her, nodding slightly.

I see red. My stomach flips upside down. Is she flirting with him? And why is he flirting back ? I had her checked and I'm pretty sure she's semi-seriously hooking up with a girl from the arts college right now. She and Leo should be just friends, that's what Aran's report said. Besides, Leo isn't even her type or gender preference.

He wasn't yours either, but did that stop you?

Touché .

Still, even if I try to convince myself I'm overreacting, the way they are smiling at each other gets on my nerves. That smile should be aimed just at me.

Annoyance washes over me. I grit my teeth and try not to scowl at the woman, but as she bats her eyelashes at me and keeps smiling at Leo, I'm about to go off. I've got my eye on him. He is taken even if he doesn't know it yet. Why is she butting in?

I move my hand further up Leo's thigh and press possessively. He shudders, a little gasp escaping him. I absorb it, satisfaction flooding me as his friend purses her lips and observes us with narrowed eyes.

Yes, Naomi Jones. Back off. I'm the one that makes him shiver and tremble and gasp. Not you.

Her dejection doesn't last, morphing into a wicked smile she aims directly at me. My hackles raise and my stomach knots. What's her deal?

Leo's hand drapes over mine, his thumb rubbing circles along my wrist. He's not bouncing his leg anymore, the contact with me seemingly enough to calm whatever was eating at him. Good. I love that he feels comfortable with me.

I inhale deeply, cutting my attention to him as the urge to peek into his soul rises within me. I want him to know that I've got him, no matter what. He's grinning when our gazes clash, his cheeks slightly flushed and his gorgeous ocean-blue eyes twinkling.

I blink at him, not able to help the frown. "What is it?"

"You're pressing too hard," he says, lowering his gaze to where our hands are .

I like the way they look together. The way his touch is careful. Gentle but firm. Grounding. I want to feel it all over my body.

Swallowing as butterflies invade my stomach, I loosen my grip and slide my hand up again. I angle it sideways, rubbing along his inner thigh, just inches away from his cock. His leg flexes and so do his fingers, digging into my hand. My head spins as desire floods me, jerking my dick to attention. I pull on my lip with my teeth, trying to distract myself, but it backfires as Leo's eyes meet mine and he mirrors it.

Heart pounding, I lean in before I can think better of it. "Is this better?" I whisper in his ear, making sure I'm close enough so he can feel my breath against his skin.

He squeezes his legs, trapping my hand there. "Chai…" he huffs out, his scent intensifying.

I want his mouth. I don't care where we are, I don't care who's watching. I want to rip the suit off him and lick every part of his body.

Leo shifts and my fingers brush against his erection. He's hard. For me. Or because of me. It blows my mind and so does the next thought I have. I want to suck him. I want his dick in my mouth. I want to taste his arousal.

"So, what do you think, Chai?"

Naomi's voice is like a cold bucket of water, dragging my laser focus away from Leo's mostly concealed bulge to her face across the table. "Excuse me?"

The smirk that welcomes me is downright evil. She lifts an eyebrow at me this time, showcasing the most conceited look I've ever seen in my life. "About Leo's first day. Are you pleased with his services so far?"

I gawk at her, not missing the implication. Dread sobers me up. This is unacceptable. As much as I was having fun, I can't get carried away like this in public. Especially not with the man who's supposed to be my bodyguard. If anyone caught wind of this and told my father, Leo would be fired before he's even officially started.

Collecting myself as best as I can, I straighten up in my seat. "I have no complaints so far. Of course, that's just the first day of Leo's trial, so it's hard to make an objective evaluation."

"An objective evaluation you say…" she trails off, wrapping her mouth around the purple straw of her cocktail. "And how exa—"

My phone rings, cutting her off. I pick it up from the table, glad for the interruption, and glance at the caller ID. It's Aran.

"Excuse me, I need to take this."

I tilt my chin at Leo as I stand up. He nods and follows me to the corridor with the bathrooms to our left, where the noise is less and allows for conversation without the need to raise your voice.

"Hey, what's the matter?" I answer the call.

Aran usually texts me if he wants to check in, so if he's calling, it means that something needs my immediate attention.

"Where are you?" he asks in Japanese. There is an edge to his voice that's not normally there. It immediately puts me on alert, diluting the pleasant tingling in my body despite Leo's closeness.

"Still at Evio. I ran into some… acquaintances."

"I've already called your driver. He's outside."

A bad feeling twists my stomach. I grip the phone tighter, meeting Leo's gaze. He's frowning and seems to have caught onto my unease .

"What is this about?" I argue with Aran, the start of a headache throbbing at my temples. This is unusual behavior for him, which means that something is up and, chances are, I'm not going to like it.

"Daichi. He's paying the Keikai Estate a visit. He wants to meet Leon."

My blood freezes. "What, tonight? What about Monday? I thought that's when the introductions were happening."

"One of our Tokyo warehouses was hit. He wants you to go there tomorrow and evaluate the losses. He's also pushing forward the trip to Bangkok. There will be a pre-conference meeting and security needs arranging."

Oh, so he doesn't believe me we have a mole problem, but wants me to go evaluate the losses now? "How soon?"

"End of next week. It's very last minute, so he needs you on the ground to check venues, guest lists, security systems and so on."

My visit to Bangkok was scheduled for two weeks from now. I was going to brief Leo on Monday, granted everything went fine. Which it was going to be because I had stuff arranged for tomorrow. All of that goes out the window if my father wants to meet him today.

I fish out my pack of cigarettes and lean against the wall, sighing as I try to pick one out and light it up with my free hand. "Can't you handle that Tokyo warehouse? I'd prefer if my father met Leo on Monday."

"I have some business in Kyoto. Besides, Daichi was adamant that you go."

I drop the lighter, cursing under my breath. Leo rushes to pick it up, snatching the cigarette from my fingers. He puts it in my mouth and leans in, lighting it up. I nod in thanks.

Taking a puff, I rake my hand through my hair, careful not to burn it or drip ash on it. "Have you told him? About Leo?"

Hearing his name mentioned again brings a worried scowl to Leo's face. I'm still speaking in Japanese, so he can't understand what's being said, but I think he's figured out it's nothing good. And that it involves him.

There is a pause. "No. He was in a bad mood. I didn't want to make it worse."

Great. Just what I needed. My father has a mean streak when he's in a bad mood and introducing Leo, a white foreigner, to him right now is only going to make it ten times sourer.

"Can't you do anything?" I plead on a groan.

"I tried. He threw me out of his office and put me on driver duty. I'm waiting for him in the garage.. Make sure you get to the Estate before us."

This can't get any worse. "The Keikai is on the other end of Nagoya, Aran," I grind out, taking a big pull of my cigarette.

"You better get going, then. The car is waiting outside."

"You are ki—"

The call clicks. I yank my phone off my ear and stare at the screen. That asshole hung up on me.

"Is everything okay?" Leo says, lines marring his forehead.

I catalogue the rest of his face, lingering on his soul-stealing blue eyes. Currently, they are the color of a stormy sea, dark and turbulent as he waits for my explanation. Even with the smell of overly sweet air freshener, I catch his outdoorsy scent, its caress tangible as it engulfs me in a calming embrace.

It will be fine. We'll convince my father somehow.

"I need to go to Tokyo tomorrow, so my father wants to meet you tonight." Shit, he's already on his way. We need to go. "The car is up front. Let's go."

I march down the corridor, Leo on my heels. "Hold up, Chai. I thought I was meeting your dad on Monday! I'm not mentally ready for it!"

Well, neither am I, but we don't really have a choice. "It will be fine. Just…"

"Just?"

Yeah. I don't think there is much we can do. It all depends on how furious my old man is. "Just let me do the talking, okay?"

He snorts. "It's not like I understand or speak Japanese."

I open my mouth and close it. I forgot about that. My father won't like my new bodyguard one bit.

We emerge into the club and stop by the booth so we can grab our things. Leo's friends give us wary looks.

"Sorry, gotta go. I'm meeting the big boss," Leo says to Naomi, who shoots a nasty, warning look my way as they hug.

I grip Leo's arm and yank him my way, placing my hand at the small of his back while I return her glare. That annoying smile from earlier slides onto her face.

"I'll see you at the dorm, Leo. Don't get in trouble," she says, waving us off like I need her permission to take Leo with me.

I huff out through my nostrils, of half a mind to stake my claim on Leo and prove to her that she stands no chance with him. But I really don't have time to be petty right now, so I decide I'll do it next time she aims a flirty smile his way.

Goodbyes said, we rush to the car. I instruct the driver to get us to the Keikai Estate as quickly as humanly possible. The last thing I need is to be late and contribute to my father's foul mood.

We arrive in record time, but the moment we pull into the car park on the side of the high rise, my stomach sinks. Daichi Akiyama's dark red SUV is already there.