Schooled: The Mastered Series Read Free

him. “So you’d rather we rode Shinkansen from Osaka to Kyoto and schlepped two months’ worth of luggage ourselves?”
    “What’s a Shinkansen?”
    “The Japanese bullet train.”
    That sounded entertaining. “Why didn’t we just fly into Kyoto?”
    “Because Kyoto doesn’t have an airport. Osaka is closest and it’s an hour drive to Kyoto. The limo wasn’t my idea. My grandfather sent this to welcome us to Japan. It’d be rude to refuse his hospitality. Besides, this vehicle belongs to Okada. It has special tags that will allow us quicker and easier access to the part of Kyoto we’ll be staying in. Since we’re both hungry I’ve asked the drivers to stop for lunch first.”
    Udon . Now that made sense. “So we’re having noodles?”
    “You picked that up from the conversation? I’m impressed.”
    “Don’t be. Noodles and bathroom are the extent of my Japanese language skills.”
    Ronin’s fingers gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his hard gaze. “Buck up and understand you will have to rely on me for a lot of things on this trip, as much as it pains you to do so.”
    That brought a smile. “It doesn’t pain me.”
    “Then what is it?”
    Amery studied him. His long black hair was unruly. His cheeks and jaw sported dark stubble. His bottom lip had a swollen spot on the left side. Thinking about how he’d gotten that mark sent a shiver of awareness through her. The second time he’d had his wicked way with her on the plane, he’d plowed into her with such force, with such unquenchable need he only showed to her, that she’d bit him. It hadn’t fazed him. He’d put his mouth on her ear and growled, “More. Use your teeth on me. I want to wear your passion on my skin.”
    So she had. She’d given him a hickey above the edge of his collarbone. It had shocked her that her nails digging into the back of his neck while she sucked a love bruise on him had set him off.
    “Amery?”
    When she met his gaze again, she noticed his golden-brown eyes had softened and he’d relaxed his grip on her chin. She released a sigh, amazed as always this beautiful man was hers.
    So he wants to show off a little. Spoil you a bit. Is that really so bad?
    No.
    Because of their financial disparity, she’d been insistent they were partners in their marriage, which worked on many levels—the most important ones for sure. But on other levels . . . she knew she’d never be his equal. And she had to accept that fact as much as he had to accept that she’d be uncomfortable with certain aspects of being with him because of who he was.
    “Baby. Your silence is scaring me. What’s going on?”
    Amery leaned in and licked the swollen bump on his lip before she sucked it hard. She smirked at his quick, surprised intake of breath. “I remembered I know another Japanese phrase.”
    “Yeah? Which one?”
    She whispered, “ Aishiteru wa .”
    He closed his eyes and his exhale drifted over her lips. “I love you too.” His hand slid down and curled around her throat. While feathering his thumb across her rapidly beating pulse, he pulled her close. The kiss started out slow and sweet. But things would heat up quickly and they’d be going at it in the back of the limo if she didn’t stop it, because heaven knew Ronin wouldn’t.
    She broke the kiss. “Steaming-hot noodles first; steamy-hot sex second.”
    “Deal.”
    They stopped at a roadside noodle joint. Amery was more interested in watching Ronin interact with the locals, than what type of noodle dish he ordered for them, because weren’t all bowls of noodles basically the same?
    No. Not even close.
    Amery ate her food so fast Ronin laughed. Then he ordered her a smaller bowl of another kind of noodles and she downed that too.
    She fought a wave of sleepiness as they climbed back in the car and drove to Kyoto.
    Ronin’s phone rang. Was it her imagination or did Ronin sit up straighter before he answered?
    When he said, “Ojisan,” she knew why Ronin had