Unwound

CHAPTER THREE

DURING their conversation in the hospital, Amery had felt like the lines of communication had been reopened and Ronin wanted to establish trust and honesty between them.

But apparently that honesty didn’t include sharing his plan to escape from the damn hospital.

The stupid, stubborn man needed to be hog-tied to his goddamn bed—and not for sexy fun and games. Imagining him in a straitjacket, his ankles bound to the bedposts and a gag in his mouth, didn’t cool Amery’s fury even a little bit.

As soon as the elevator doors opened to the penthouse, she barreled down the hallway. “Ronin Black, you lying asshole. Get your butt out here right now before I come in there and kick it!”

“No need to shout.”

She whirled around and saw him reclined in the far corner of the dark living room. “What is wrong with you? Why did you sneak out of the hospital?”

“I left because I wasn’t getting any rest anyway. I need the solitude of my own surroundings to help me heal.”

“And a phone call informing me of that was too much to ask?”

“I wasn’t thinking straight.” He sighed. “The food sucked. I felt like I was suffocating.”

Amery studied his face, seeing the lie in it. “Then maybe you should’ve heeded your doctor’s advice after your freakin’ head injury and stayed put for another day.” She balled her hands into fists.Had anything changed with him? Or would he continue to feed her half-truths because she’d always swallowed them without question?

Fuck. That. “Who drove the getaway car? Not Knox, because he was with Shiori at the hospital. He was just as spitting mad as your sister.”

“Did you go to the hospital?”

“Not after I got the angry phone call from her accusing me of aiding in your escape. I came straight here. Who helped you?”

“Zach. For the record, he wasn’t happy either.”

“Let me guess. You pulled that I’m your sensei bullshit.”

“Pretty much.”

“So why didn’t he stick around?”

“Because I made him drop me off in the alley.”

“Unfuckingbelievable. Why aren’t you in bed?”

Ronin dropped his head into his hands. “Because my bedroom was too goddamn far away. Head injury, dislocated kneecap, sore ribs. Who knew walking that extra five hundred feet would be so difficult?”

She forced herself to quell her anger and reminded herself she was here to take care of him. “You’re lucky I hadn’t shredded the keycard you gave me.”

“I didn’t change the codes because I was holding out hope that you’d show up and ream me for being an ass—kind of like you’re doing right now.”

“I haven’t even started to ream you.”

“It’ll have to wait. I need you to do something for me.”

“What?”

“Inside the coat closet, on a hook above the light switch¸ is a key ring. Can you grab it?”

“Where’s the coat closet?”

“End of the hall past the elevator.”

In all the times Amery had been in Ronin’s place, she’d never noticed the pastoral mural on the wall wasn’t just a framed picture but a sliding door. She found the keys and brought them to him.

He selected a key with a circular end. “Below the call button on the elevator panel is a small open circle. This key fits it. Turn it until the word lock appears in red letters on the panel.”

“And I’m doing this . . . why?”

“I’m locking the elevator car up here so no one else can get in.”

“Good thing I planned to stay over.” After locking them in, she returned to the living room to see Ronin hunched over, his head in his hands again. She crouched next to him. Even lying strapped on the gurney in the hospital, Ronin hadn’t seemed this helpless. “Tell me the truth about how you feel or I swear I’m calling an ambulance.”

When he whispered, “I’m in agony,” she briefly closed her eyes, knowing that admission probably hurt him as much as the actual head injury.

She ran her fingers through his hair and he winced at the contact. “Where are your painkillers?”

“On the kitchen counter.”

“I’ll get them.” After he downed the pills, she said, “Stretch out. I’ll get a pillow and a blanket.”

Ronin raised his head, and she saw it pained him. “There’s not enough room for both of us on this couch.”

“But I thought—”

“You said you’d be in my bed. I’m holding you to that.”

“You are so stubborn. What if I roll over in the middle of the night and somehow hurt you?”

“It’ll hurt me much worse if you’re not right there beside me.”

God. The man was relentless. “Stand up. I’ll help you to your room.”

Ronin was shaky and sweating by the time he rested against the platform bed. She eyed his clothes. Baggy athletic shorts and a baggier Denver Broncos jersey. “Where’d you get the clothes?”

“Zach brought them. Easy to get on.”

“Let’s hope they’re easy to get off.” She pulled the jersey, trying to free his arms.

Ronin murmured, “I love to get you off.”

“Please focus.”

“I am. Where I should be. Entirely on you.”

She looked at him. Her stomach cartwheeled at the determination in his dark eyes.

“You’re beautiful, inside and out. I’ve never had anyone in my life like you. I’d say I didn’t realize that until it was too late and you walked out, but I knew it from the moment I met you.”

Ronin Black saying that mushy stuff meant the pain pill had kicked in. “Hang on.”

“That wasn’t a lie when I told you the scar on your arm is the Japanese symbol for my name.”

“I know. I only said that to hurt you.”

“It worked.” He briefly closed his eyes and shuddered. “I’ve been in fucking misery since you left.”

“Hold still while I pull this over your head.” Amery froze once she’d removed his shirt. Her first glimpse of the mass of bruises on his torso made her gut clench. “Oh, sweetheart. Look at you. Why did you do this to yourself?”

“Pain made me forget.”

Just for a moment, she rested her cheek above his heart. “Crawl in before the pain meds knock you out.”

He gritted his teeth and pulled himself onto the bed.

Amery curled up beside him, watching him closely until he’d fallen asleep.

But she was too keyed up to stare at the ceiling or to listen to him breathe. Happy as she was he was resting, the day’s events had only muddied the waters and postponed their long-overdue conversation. Restless, she slipped out of bed and wandered through his apartment.

With the bright moon and the temperate night, she would’ve loved to sit by the pool. But with her luck, she’d screw up the elevator if she tried to get to the roof. So her entertainment choices were staring out the windows or watching TV.

She flipped through channels for what seemed like hours and then drifted off.

That’s when the dreams started in again, and she didn’t have the mental energy to fight to stay awake.

Some nights the dreams were so sex-fueled she rolled toward his side of the bed, searching for the warmth of his body, the scent of his skin, the familiarity of his hands. Only to feel an empty spot beside her. Then the longing was so potent she cried into her pillow upon awakening.

Some nights the dreams were sensual, featuring a cloaked figure wielding ropes. Although she never saw his face, Ronin’s mesmerizing voice drifted from beneath the black hood. He praised her bravery and beauty as he tied her in elaborate configurations.

But tonight the dream took a different turn. She was naked and gagged, suspended above the floor.

Loud circus music distorted the silence. Then Ronin appeared with a flourish, dressed as a ringmaster.

She dangled above his head, out of reach, bound with black ropes that abraded her skin, but he didn’t acknowledge her. Applause surrounded them, and he took bow after bow—deep, formal jujitsu bows. And every time he bent over to acknowledge the adoration, his mask would fall off. But just as quickly, a new one would appear.

It hit her like a fist to the stomach that she didn’t know this man at all. She shouted at him to cut her loose, but with the gag blocking her mouth, no sound came out at all.

That’s when she woke up. She blinked at the strobelike effect coming from the TV and had a flash of panic. Where was she?

Then she remembered.

Ronin’s.

She ran a hand through her hair. Jesus. Talk about fucked up. Amery didn’t buy into a lot of the new-age stuff, yet the dream unsettled her. The symbolism in it touched on too many of her fears about Ronin to merely be nonsensical.

Although she returned to his bedroom to check on him, she couldn’t sleep with him. Not until they talked about everything that’d been hanging in the balance the last few weeks. So she slept on the couch.

• • •

THE next morning Amery crept into Ronin’s bedroom to check on him. Judging by his peaceful expression, it looked like he did rest better in his own bed. Or maybe he’d doubled up on his pain pills. He hadn’t moved from the bed in fourteen hours.

You needed it, baby.

Amery placed a soft kiss on his forehead and tiptoed from the room.

After brewing a pot of coffee, she wandered through the penthouse, unsure what to do with herself. That’s how she found herself in front of the door to his practice room, wondering if he’d used it in the last few weeks. Prior to their split, Ronin had become more aggressive in his efforts to sway her into being his rope model for club demos.

She rested her forehead against the cool wood, her hand on the doorknob, her heart pounding crazily as the vivid memory of the last time she’d been in the practice room surfaced.

“I want to do a suspension binding on you.”

Amery had looked at Ronin with alarm. “Hanging me from hooks and stuff? Like a slab of meat?”

Then he wrapped his long, strong fingers around her throat and lower jaw, guaranteeing her undivided attention. “No. Like a piece of art. Like beauty suspended in time.”

The intensity in his eyes had overwhelmed her to the point she’d felt her knees start to buckle.

“Do not move.”

After she’d found her balance, Ronin had merely said, “You don’t usually wilt at the first sign of heat, baby. Talk to me.”

“I don’t understand the suspension part of kinbaku. Why it appeals to you.”

“Or why it frightens you,” he countered.

Amery stared at him, this man who pushed her limits, this man who seemed to see right into the heart of her and refused to let her hide from herself. “It scares me to think I’ll be dangling from the ceiling naked.”

“I can assure you the riggings are completely safe. But it’s not the riggings that worry you.”

“No. It’s the impersonal aspect of suspension that freaks me out. Maybe it’s stupid to base that fear on the images I’ve seen in your bondage books.”

“Neither how you feel or your fears are ever stupid.” He gentled his hold and stroked his thumb along her jawline. “It’s never impersonal when I bind you. The only way I can allay your fears is to show you. Will you trust me?”

She didn’t respond immediately.

Ronin let her be indecisive. He didn’t push. Or cajole. Or guilt her. He just continued to hold her in place, treating her to that maddeningly erotic stroking motion of his thumb.

Only when she softly said, “Yes,” did his demeanor change.

He devoured her mouth, taking, conquering. He pulled away long enough to say, “Clothes off. Hair down.”

She stripped slowly, needing the power in the moment when she bared herself to him.

As soon as she was naked, he centered his hand on her belly, signaling for her calmness. He murmured, “Beautiful,” and placed a single, soft kiss on her lips. Then he stripped to the waist, laying his gi top over her clothing, another simple sign he’d shelter and protect her.

“Drop to your knees. Arms behind your back.”

It was hard to focus on her breathing and letting the anticipation fill her when she heard a door being opened and closed, followed by a squeaking sound.

Then Ronin knelt behind her and stroked her hair. “I’ve decided against a full tsuri—suspension—today. I will need to blindfold you for the position.”

Heart rate racing, mouth dry, she managed to nod.

Cloth covered her eyes. Ronin clasped her elbows and brought her to her feet. “I’m going to start binding you now.” After planting a tender kiss on her shoulder, he positioned her arms into an elbow clasp behind her. He wound the rope from elbow to elbow, but somehow left her hands free.

A loop circled her neck, and she stiffened up.

“For the chest harness,” he explained. “Your torso will bear the brunt of your weight, but the ropes will do the work.”

Ronin’s explanation calmed her, as did the constant contact of his skin to hers as he turned her body into his canvas. His intensity filled the room. He maneuvered her backward until her butt connected with something solid.

Then her upper arms were squeezed by ropes. As was her midsection. A thick band of rope pressed her lower belly all the way to her pubic bone, splitting into two sections that ran alongside the rise of her mound and became a single rope again, nestled in her butt crack.

“Ronin.”

He was right there, touching her, nuzzling her neck. “I’m here.”

“Are you going to fuck me when I’m suspended?”

His soft breath teased her ear, and she felt his lips curve against her cheek. “Of course. You are too beautiful for me to resist.”

As soon as he stepped back, she felt ropes bisecting the flesh above her kneecap and high up on her thighs. Ronin pushed her forward slightly and began to add to the rope configuration across her back.

“Hold still. Here comes the lift.”

Amery felt the tension in her arms and shoulders increase, gasping when she became airborne. The distinctive noise of a pulley echoed to her from both sides. Then her legs were raised simultaneously, and she was spread completely open until her knees were level with her hips.

The binding around her chest squeezed. The ropes on her legs pulled. Although her buttocks rested against a hard surface, the ropes held her in suspension.

Immediately, she squirmed, shifting her hips, and moved her shoulders, but all the movement did was allow the rope to dig deeper into her skin.

“Breathe. I’m here. Stay still. I won’t leave you.” His hands traveled the tops of her feet and the front of her shins, over her knees and her inner thighs, where he stuck two fingers to test the pressure of the ropes. Then his fingers followed the rope on her belly, stopping at her chest to twist her nipples. Ronin fit his palm over her neck as his other hand twined in her hair, pulling her head back so he could ravage her mouth.

The friction and pressure from the ropes was a constant throb. Ronin’s kiss, packed with pride, gratitude, lust, and need turned the pain into pleasure.

Amery reveled in that moment, when Ronin’s satisfaction surrounded her, flowed over her as warm as a summer breeze.

“My beautiful Amery,” he breathed against her lips. “I need you to see yourself.”

Ronin slipped off the bandanna.

She blinked against the sudden light. She first noticed the chest harness crisscrossing above and below her breasts, then the double wrap of rope around her rib cage, which changed into a thick section of braided rope snug against her belly. The tight binds on her thighs were attached to pulleys above her head. The object she was secured to by the ropes was a wooden X.

He was in front of her, stroking her cheek. “If I were to take a picture of you, I’d name it: Goddess—Bound Open.”

“Ronin.”

He lowered to his knees.

Without another word, he worshipped her with his mouth and hands until she cried out and the climax swamped her. Then he shed his clothes and fucked her. Those rough and talented hands on her ass, his teeth on her nipples, his body driving into hers with heat and passion.

After he was spent, he murmured, “A better title is: Goddess—Bound Open. Goddess Mine.”

Amery shook herself out of the memory and returned to the living room. Even the flashbacks of the times she’d been bound by that sexy man made her knees weak, made her body heat, made her want him. Although she’d enjoyed that intense encounter, she still hadn’t been convinced she could do a public demo. Her reluctance had fueled her fears, and those fears slipped in and distorted her dreams. During their weeks apart, she’d almost convinced herself she couldn’t be with Ronin because she couldn’t give him what he needed.

My, how things had changed. Maybe it made her needy, but she kind of liked that the infallible Ronin Black needed her right back.

“Morning, gorgeous.”

She spun around to see a bare-chested Ronin leaning against the wall. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t heard his approach. “Good morning. I’d ask how you’re feeling, but the pinched look on your face pretty much gives it away.”

The man didn’t blink, but leveled her with his tough sensei stare.

Undeterred by it, she said, “I read the discharge papers. You’re supposed to stay off of that knee, and you need to wear the brace all the time except during therapy.”

He shuffled forward. “That’s one doctor’s opinion. I read online that other doctors advocate the more you work a sprained limb, the quicker the recovery time.”

“I call bullshit on that. I know you weren’t booting up your computer and checking medical facts last night. You were passed out.”

“I’m curious as to why there’s a blanket and pillow on the couch.”

“Because that’s where I slept.”

His dark eyes pierced hers. “You were supposed to be in my bed,” he said with a dangerous edge to his voice.

“We were supposed to talk, and until that happens between us, there’s no chance anything else will.” That blank mask covered Ronin’s face, reminding Amery of her dream last night, and she suppressed a shudder.

“Fine. We’ll talk now.”

Ronin Black was back to being bossy and terse—big surprise.

When he eased himself onto the couch, she sat across from him.

“I don’t know where to start.”

Don’t fall for his helpless act. “From the beginning. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“About my family connections?”

She wouldn’t put up with him hedging or answering her questions with another question. “About your status as a billionaire.”

“I’m not a billionaire.”

Amery looked at him suspiciously. “So you’re not an heir to the Okada Food conglomerate in Japan?”

“I am, but I’m not.”

“Well, that cleared things up a fuck ton. Thank you.” She stood and started toward the elevator. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what? Give me a second to get my head on straight?”

She whirled around and faced him. “We were together for months prior to the breakup. So you’ve had plenty of time to devise a way to tell me, so it’s not like I’m asking for something you aren’t prepared for.”

He played the silent card.

“Look, you don’t need me here. You didn’t want me here in the first place, and I pushed my way in, so it’s best if I leave.”

Ronin lifted his head and looked at her. “Don’t go.”

“Give me a reason why I should stay.”

Very carefully, he pushed up from the couch and stepped into the path between her and the elevator. Curling his hand around the nape of her neck, he pulled her in, bringing her mouth to his for far too chaste a kiss. Then he rested his cheek to her temple. “Is that reason enough?”

“Ronin—”

“Look at me. I’m covered in sweat just from walking to the damn couch. Part of the reason I ignored medical advice and left the hospital when you weren’t there? I hate that you’re seeing me like this . . . like a fucking invalid. I’d rather take another beating than let you see me, even briefly, in a goddamn wheelchair.” He broke eye contact.

Amery grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. “Don’t. I get you’re injured. But you need to understand that I won’t let you use it as an excuse; nor will I stick around if you keep avoiding the issues between us.”

“I get that now. And I’ll tell you everything—I will answer every single question you throw at me with complete honesty from here on out, but can we please sit down during this discussion?”

Then she felt like an ass. The man was wounded. “Pick a spot because we’ll be there for a while.”

He hobbled back to the couch.

After she sat next to him, she gave him a pointed look. “Start talking, billionaire baby.”

He sighed. “Contrary to what my sister told you, I’m not a billionaire. The Okada empire is worth billions, but I’m not directly involved in it.”

“Except for suggesting Okada use my company for a prime design gig.”

“After you told me you were struggling financially, I tried to help you out because I know you’re talented—not because we were lovers. But in my defense, I never knew Maggie Arnold followed through and contacted you.”

“If she had, then you would’ve told me the truth?”

“Yes. But Shiori wields the corporate power. If she told Maggie to keep me out of the loop, she would. Why didn’t you say anything to me when you were contacted?”

Oh, hell no. She was not taking the blame for this. “I signed a ton of nondisclosures. But that’s not the point.” She jabbed her finger at him. “You did nothing when I confronted you with the truth except treat me with disdain. There wasn’t a single sign of the man”—I’d fallen in love with—“I knew when I showed up to talk to you. You’d never treated me like that, Ronin. It hurt. It scared me, and I lashed out.”

“But you’re not apologizing for your behavior,” he said curtly.

“At the time, I wasn’t sorry. Because you showed all the emotion of a goddamn parking meter.” She inhaled and exhaled. “That’s why I left. If you’d acted like you cared at all—”

“Five minutes after you ran out, I hurled a chair through the window. I’d gotten a good start on destroying the conference room when Knox stopped me.”

Amery’s mouth dropped open.

Ronin leaned forward slightly. “You think I’m scary when I’m trying to maintain control? Wrong. I’m scary when I lose it.”

Holy. Shit.

“After you walked out? I. Lost. My. Fucking. Mind. Knox dosed me with an entire bottle of rum because passed-out drunk was the only way he could keep me from going after you. And trust me; you didn’t want to deal with me in that state.”

“I’m not being trite when I say thank you for telling me,” she said softly. “I’m sorry for the shit I spewed. Some of what I said is a blur.”

“What stung the most was your accusation that I’m a billionaire who plays at running a dojo.” His hands clenched and unclenched. “Direct fucking hit to the one thing in my life I’m most proud of. Everything I’ve built? I’ve earned. Every drop of blood I lost fighting, every sketchy thing I did to make a buck went into building this business. The only exception?” He gestured to the room. “My living space.”

“Your grandfather offered to pay for it?”

Ronin shook his head. “He’d set up several trusts to be paid at various milestones. I never touched a penny until the year I turned thirty-two. I’d been living in an office on the third floor for years—I didn’t need more than a futon, a TV, and a hot plate.”

Hearing him describing how he lived and looking around this place . . . It was hard to reconcile those two images and maybe even those two men.

“I’d convinced myself there was no shame in living a minimalist life. But something . . . clicked right around that birthday, and I decided I deserved to use some of the cash to create a living space with all the amenities. As soon as I withdrew money to pay the architect, I got a call from my grandfather.”

“What did he expect from you?”

“It’s not important now. But at the time? I had so much resentment toward him. He disrupted my business to attend to his, and he meddled in my personal life.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “He manipulates Shiori with this same shit. She’s been trying to prove herself worthy of taking over since she started working in the Okada offices at age twelve. She’ll follow any instructions he gives her.”

“Still?”

“She’s been in Colorado for more than seven weeks. I don’t know if she has an agenda—besides fucking up things between us.” Ronin’s eyes bored into hers. “That’s not me refusing to take responsibility for not telling you about my familial ties, but what Shiori freely admitted to me.” He reached for her hands. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about any of this. But being an heir isn’t something I’m proud of because I didn’t earn it. I hate that you questioned your own judgment because of me. I know what that feels like.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“I’d really like to have you back in my life, because it’s been empty without you in it.” Ronin stroked her cheek. “I missed you.”

“So you’ve said.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “You don’t believe me?”

“I think that you actually showing me this sweet side of you is the result of your concussion.”

“I’d turn you over my knee for that smart-ass comment, but it hurts too fucking much.”

“Speaking of . . . You are putting on that brace as soon as we’re done talking,” she warned him.

“When did you become such a hardass?”

“When you asked me to take care of you. That entails more than fluffing your pillows and administering your meds.”

“Yes, ma’am. So now it’s your turn to talk about fun family stuff.” He blinked at her with confusion. “I know in the past I’ve been lax about remembering details of things you’ve told me, but I’m positive you never mentioned you were planning a trip back to North Dakota.”

Amery’s cheeks heated. “I needed to get away. And since money is tight—not that you’d understand what that’s like—I couldn’t jet off to a tropical island for a few days. I ended up in my car, heading north. Ironically enough, my father’s thirty-fifth anniversary as an ordained minister was that weekend.” She twisted her fingers. “I wasn’t going to go. In fact, I’d told them I wouldn’t be attending. Then all that happened with us, and I couldn’t leave town fast enough.” She looked away. “Pathetic, huh? That the only place I had to go was the last place I ever wanted to be.”

“Jesus, Amery. How—”

“I’m glad I went if for no other reason than my brother, Aiden, got seventy-two hours’ leave from the army and surprised our parents, which worked out for me because I didn’t spend much one-on-one time with Mom or Dad. They were pleased that I showed up more for how it looked to my father’s congregation and the community than from joy at seeing me. So it was a miserable trip with the exception of spending time with Aiden.”

“Baby. I’m sorry.”

“It is what it is.”

After an uncomfortable moment, Ronin asked, “Are we done talking about this?”

“For now. But I reserve the right to ask other questions as they occur to me.”

“Anything, anytime. From here on out, I’m an open book for you, Amery.”

As much as she wanted to believe him, unless he proved that statement true, he was just paying lip service to what she wanted. “Good. But for now, you need to get back in bed. I’ll grab the knee brace.”

He slowly rose to his feet but still had to slap a hand on the wall to keep his balance as he started down the hallway.

His knee buckled, and Amery made it to his side before he hit the floor. “Sweetheart, you need to remember I’m here to help you.”

“God, I missed hearing you call me that.” Breathing hard, he sagged against the wall.

“Are you okay?”

“No. I’m exhausted. Feels like I got hit by a truck while running a marathon. But that’s not the worst part.”

Amery waited as his eyes roamed over her face.

“The worst part is, after six goddamn weeks without you, I can’t even kiss you like I want to.”

Maybe it was reckless, ignoring the warnings to take it slow, but she closed the gap between them and slid her hands up his chest to cup his jaw. Meeting his gaze, she said, “Then how about if I kiss you?”

Those soulful brown eyes watched her with hunger and relief.

She swept gentle kisses across his upper lip, placing an extra-soft kiss on the stitches. Then she moved to the corners of his mouth and his lower lip, dipping her tongue inside that pouty lower swell. Keeping their eyes locked, she pressed her lips to his fully, letting the moment linger.

Watching his beautiful banged-up face, she knew her tenderness soothed more than just his bruised mouth. “Let’s get you tucked in.”

• • •

WHILE Ronin was resting, she raced to her loft and showered. In her overnight bag, she packed clothes, her laptop, a few client files, and her e-book reader.

At Target, she bought the bare necessities for groceries. Just because Ronin hadn’t shown much of an appetite didn’t mean it wouldn’t suddenly appear. She picked up a bottle of over-the-counter painkillers, an extra ACE bandage, and two more ice packs. In the clearance section, she noticed a single wooden crutch. That would allow him to keep weight off his knee. She threw it and a pair of foam pads in the cart.

The universe smiled on her when she found a parking space close to the dojo. Trying to get all the bags carried to the front door in one load made for slow going.

She heard angry footsteps and looked up to see Knox bearing down on her.

“Goddammit, Amery, are you really too stubborn to ask for help?”

“I didn’t know you were at the dojo today or I would’ve asked.”

He took all the bags except her suitcase and the crutch. He didn’t speak until they were in the elevator. “How is he doing?”

“He’s in pain. And tired. Cranky. Frustrated with himself.”

“I can’t fucking believe he locked the damn elevator.”

“Yes, you can. He’s got way too much pride. Couple that with a head injury . . .”

Knox sighed. “Thank you for being there for him. I hope it means you’re working things out.”

“We’re trying.”

They switched elevators. The doors opened, and she immediately saw Ronin poke his head out of the den. “Did you invite my sister up too?”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Ronin,” Knox said. “I figured Amery would need provisions, so I waited her out. Not her fault.”

“Provisions. Spoken like a true soldier.”

When Ronin started down the hall, she said, “Not so fast. I brought you something.”

“A crutch? Jesus, Amery. I’m not that bad off.”

She marched up to him and shook the crutch in his face. “I imagine if you would’ve remained in the hospital like you were supposed to, they would’ve discharged you with a pair of these. You need to stop aggravating your knee. This, at least, will allow you to take the pressure off. I assumed you’d rather have this than my original idea of locking you up in your practice room.”

His eyes bled from brown into the molten black that indicated he was turned on.

A curl of heat unfurled in her belly.

“Careful, baby. That sharp tongue, those fiery eyes, and your pouty lips are a potent combination.”

Backtrack. Backtrack now. “Really? You’re freshly out of the hospital, Ronin. You are injured. In. Jured. Get that through your head.”

“The big head hears you. The little head sees you and wants you.”

The man took advantage of her distraction and brushed his mouth across hers. His tongue even snaked in for a little taste before she snapped out of it.

She stepped back and fiddled with the crutch, attaching the foam pads to the top and the bar in the middle. “Try that.”

He headed down the hallway. “You’re right. Much easier. Thank you.”

“This is not the first time you’ve used crutches.”

“No, but I hope it’s the last.”

Knox was messing with his phone when they walked into the kitchen. Without looking up, he said, “I texted your sister and assured her you were being looked after and hadn’t taken a header off the roof in your doped-up state.”

“Since when are you and Shiori texting pals?”

“Since we realized we had the same goal. Trying to keep you out of the ring. Obviously, we failed on that front.”

Amery hid her smile.

“I’m also here to inform you that I’d better not see you downstairs for several days. Trust that your staff can step up to the task of running the dojo in your absence.” He pocketed his phone. “I’ll let myself out. But I strongly suggest you don’t lock the goddamn elevator again. I know you’re an island and all that shit, but straight up, Sensei, you fucked up. If not for Amery letting me know you were all right after your hospital escape, I would’ve had the fire department here using an emergency override to get to you.”

Ronin said nothing.

“You need anything, holler. I’ll bring it up.” Then he walked away without saying another word.

• • •

AMERY forced Ronin to rest for the remainder of the weekend. They sat by the pool, stretched out in the shade of the garden, and napped. One moment they’d be holding hands, enjoying the easy silence, the next Amery would feel the tension rolling off him. She figured out his tension came when he’d overexerted himself and was in pain. Or if she wasn’t right by his side.

“What was that sigh for?”

“Did I sigh?”

“For the third time. Are you already bored?”

“No. Why? Are you?”

“I’m never bored with you.”

She set her laptop on the coffee table. “What show are you watching?”

“Hell if I know. I’ve been watching you.”

Amery rolled her eyes. “How’s your head?”

“Sore. Before you ask, it’s no longer a constant pain. It comes and goes.”

She grabbed a pillow and draped it across her lap. “Maybe lying flat will help.”

Ronin nestled the back of his head against her stomach and stretched out. “That is better.”

Amery ran her hands through his hair from scalp to the ends, over and over, just because she could. She’d take this rare intimate indulgence while he allowed it.

“God. That feels so good.”

She remembered that the last time he said that he’d been buried inside her. His breath in her ear. His body sliding against hers, all heat and hardness and urgency.

“You tensed up. What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking about work,” she lied.

“I haven’t asked about that. How’s it going?”

“Pretty much the same. No major client losses, but I haven’t been hired by anyone either. I pounded the pavement the past two months, but all that’s yielded me is sore feet.”

“And Molly?”

“She’s still working for me part-time and going to school. Emmylou has been traveling with the Colorado Rockies, so she hasn’t been around. Chaz is Chaz. He does his own thing.”

“That was short and sweet.”

“Not a whole lot has changed.” Amery twisted small sections of his hair, amusing herself by how fast the curl reverted to straight. “We never really did this, did we?”

“What? Lounge around?”

“Yes. I mean we did lounge by the pool, but we ended up fucking on a chaise or in the water.”

Ronin shifted to face her. “Not every time.”

“Most every time. Once we started having sex, that was pretty much all we did.” Amery put her fingers over his lips. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“But?”

“No buts. Although I am sorry that you’re hurting, I’m content to spend time with you like this. Without the pressure of sex.”

“Just because I haven’t pinned you down and fucked you like we both want doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it.”

“I know.” She continued to stroke his hair. “Even if you were one hundred percent healthy, I still wouldn’t be all in for sexcapades.”

Ronin looked at her quizzically. “Why not?”

“Because I’m not ready to resume a sexual relationship with you. We need to reestablish intimacy first.”

“The sexual pull between us hasn’t diminished at all since we’ve been apart, and fulfilling those needs is the ultimate intimacy, Amery.”

“It is in part. Intimacy means sharing. Bodies, minds, thoughts. Parts of the past. Fears for the future.”

He stared at her. “My biggest fear is you don’t believe we have a future.”

She said nothing.

“Your silence is not reassuring.”

“I know.”

“So maybe I need to reassure you first. I swore when I got the chance with you again I wouldn’t hold back. On anything. Thoughts. Feelings. Actions. Words.”

Her heart raced.

“Maybe I need to start with the words and tell you that I lo—”

Amery put her hand over his mouth so fast his teeth connected with her skin. “Don’t.”

Ronin didn’t bother to hide his frustration.

“The only reassurances I need right now are that you’re taking your meds and giving your body time to heal.”

He pushed himself upright. “I am healing. But fair warning, baby. Just as you wouldn’t let me use my health issues as an excuse not to talk, I won’t let you use my health issues as an excuse not to rekindle our physical relationship. Because we both know we would’ve ended up fucking each other like crazy the first damn night after we talked things through, if not for my—”

“Visit to the hospital because of your fight injuries?” she supplied. “That’s a crap reason because we wouldn’t be here if not for that.”

“Wrong. I wouldn’t have let this break between us go on much longer.”

“Let?” she repeated.

Ronin caged her against the back of the couch. “Yes, let. This is not a temporary thing between us. Never has been, never will be. So I’ll let you try to push me away. I’ll let you try to convince yourself that you’re holding back from fucking me blind because I don’t understand intimacy. But we both know differently. And I’ll do everything in my power to prove you wrong.” He dipped his head and ran his lips along the edge of her jaw and down her throat until she shivered. “I want you. I need you. And in the end, baby, I am going to have you. All of you.”

Her will to resist went as mushy as her heart. Damn him.

He stood and grabbed his crutch. “Now, are you coming to bed, or what?”