I'll show you—"
Kiara didn't stop. “I'm sorry, Ayumi,” she called out.
Jiro's steps sounded in the hall behind her. “Kiara, wait. Let me explain."
She kept going. The front door came into view. She picked up speed. Before she knew it the door was open and she launched herself though it, only to land in strong arms. The man whose eyes she looked up into was confused. Instead of speaking to her, he looked over her and spoke to Jiro coming up behind her.
Kiara struggled in the man's hold, but his grip might as well be steel for all she could budge his fingers from her arm. “Am I your prisoner now, Jiro?” she demanded.
He visibly changed from the familiar lover when they were alone, to the man all business in public. She found that she hated that look. He clasped his hands together behind his back, and uttered something to the man holding her.
She was ushered inside and the door closed behind her. Kiara swallowed the humiliation she felt, standing rigid in the lobby. Servants came and went, casting curious glances her way. Jiro turned to walk toward what she found was his study, and the man brought her along with him.
Soon the two of them were left alone, probably with the man who had forced her into the office, off to tell his buddies about it so they could laugh together about the silly black woman who thought she could get away from the Fuschida family. She felt like the biggest fool around. Jiro didn't care about her. She was a body he was interested in owning, for the time being. She just wanted to know what he intended to do with her once his desire cooled.
Jiro positioned himself on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. Kiara stood before him, waiting for his explanation.
"You are not my prisoner,” he began. “You can leave here any time you want—"
"I just tried."
"In the proper way, with arrangements made for your mode of travel, where you will live and your clothes packed.” He dropped his arms. “But I want you to stay, Kiara. I can take care of you."
"And what if I don't want to be taken care of?” She frowned. “I asked you before. What if I want to get a job? How about that?"
He sighed, brushed a hand across his brow and glanced around the room as if he was looking for inspiration to deal with this difficult woman. “A woman under my protection cannot work. It would be an insult to myself and my family."
"What!” She stared at him. “Plenty of Japanese women work. Your family is living in the dark ages! And you have servants here working, the housekeeper for one. Your cook is female."
"I said a woman under my protection,” he snapped, becoming impatient with her. He took a few calming breaths, but his intense gaze never left hers. She fidgeted. She had never seen him angry, and was nervous. Even the time he rescued her from the kidnappers, she hadn't seen him angry. As soon as he took her in his arms, he had been tender. She closed her mind to the thought.
"So you killed Odell?"
"I beat him to within an inch of his life, but unfortunately, he is still alive.” He looked down at the knuckles of his right hand and rubbed them. Kiara took a step back. Jiro's gaze flew to hers. He closed the space between them in two strides, to pull her into his arms. He lifted her chin to kiss her lips. “Stay, Kiara. Don't leave me."
As terrified as she was, she couldn't go. Maybe she had become like the women who ran back to the abuser. But Jiro hadn't hurt her in any way. Hopefully, that would remain true for the duration of their time together. “Okay, I will,” she whispered. “For now."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Eleven
"Kiara, do you like it here?” Ayumi asked her while they walked along the tree-lined paths of her family's property. She had given the girl permission to call her simply Kiara when they were in private, and Ayumi used it every chance she got.
Kiara smiled. She had been in residence for three months, and while it wasn't the ideal situation,
Kiara didn't stop. “I'm sorry, Ayumi,” she called out.
Jiro's steps sounded in the hall behind her. “Kiara, wait. Let me explain."
She kept going. The front door came into view. She picked up speed. Before she knew it the door was open and she launched herself though it, only to land in strong arms. The man whose eyes she looked up into was confused. Instead of speaking to her, he looked over her and spoke to Jiro coming up behind her.
Kiara struggled in the man's hold, but his grip might as well be steel for all she could budge his fingers from her arm. “Am I your prisoner now, Jiro?” she demanded.
He visibly changed from the familiar lover when they were alone, to the man all business in public. She found that she hated that look. He clasped his hands together behind his back, and uttered something to the man holding her.
She was ushered inside and the door closed behind her. Kiara swallowed the humiliation she felt, standing rigid in the lobby. Servants came and went, casting curious glances her way. Jiro turned to walk toward what she found was his study, and the man brought her along with him.
Soon the two of them were left alone, probably with the man who had forced her into the office, off to tell his buddies about it so they could laugh together about the silly black woman who thought she could get away from the Fuschida family. She felt like the biggest fool around. Jiro didn't care about her. She was a body he was interested in owning, for the time being. She just wanted to know what he intended to do with her once his desire cooled.
Jiro positioned himself on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. Kiara stood before him, waiting for his explanation.
"You are not my prisoner,” he began. “You can leave here any time you want—"
"I just tried."
"In the proper way, with arrangements made for your mode of travel, where you will live and your clothes packed.” He dropped his arms. “But I want you to stay, Kiara. I can take care of you."
"And what if I don't want to be taken care of?” She frowned. “I asked you before. What if I want to get a job? How about that?"
He sighed, brushed a hand across his brow and glanced around the room as if he was looking for inspiration to deal with this difficult woman. “A woman under my protection cannot work. It would be an insult to myself and my family."
"What!” She stared at him. “Plenty of Japanese women work. Your family is living in the dark ages! And you have servants here working, the housekeeper for one. Your cook is female."
"I said a woman under my protection,” he snapped, becoming impatient with her. He took a few calming breaths, but his intense gaze never left hers. She fidgeted. She had never seen him angry, and was nervous. Even the time he rescued her from the kidnappers, she hadn't seen him angry. As soon as he took her in his arms, he had been tender. She closed her mind to the thought.
"So you killed Odell?"
"I beat him to within an inch of his life, but unfortunately, he is still alive.” He looked down at the knuckles of his right hand and rubbed them. Kiara took a step back. Jiro's gaze flew to hers. He closed the space between them in two strides, to pull her into his arms. He lifted her chin to kiss her lips. “Stay, Kiara. Don't leave me."
As terrified as she was, she couldn't go. Maybe she had become like the women who ran back to the abuser. But Jiro hadn't hurt her in any way. Hopefully, that would remain true for the duration of their time together. “Okay, I will,” she whispered. “For now."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Eleven
"Kiara, do you like it here?” Ayumi asked her while they walked along the tree-lined paths of her family's property. She had given the girl permission to call her simply Kiara when they were in private, and Ayumi used it every chance she got.
Kiara smiled. She had been in residence for three months, and while it wasn't the ideal situation,
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