Temper: Deliverance: Book Three of the TEMPER Saga, page 3
“Goshujin sama, good evening, you are already back! I thought you wouldn’t be home before tomorrow afternoon.”
Sitting in the leather armchair closest to the kerosene heater, Honda glanced up from his book, and removed his rimless reading glasses. Lana groaned inwardly. He wore her favorite black turtleneck; it flaunted that large and thick upper body of his so well, he had to have done it on purpose.
“Yes, we decided to leave early when we saw the snow forecast. But the roads were already slippery. I got home less than an hour ago.”
“It’s good to see you. But why are you still up? You should have joined us, it’s warm under Yuki sama’s covers although her room is not.” Lana smiled and sat in the reading chair opposite him.
With its plump sofa, cozy armchairs and thick carpet covering the cedar flooring they had taken out at the end of November, the room had a distinct Western touch. The only nod to Japanese traditions were the katana and its shorter companion blade hanging on the wall behind Honda. His family heirlooms, as sharp today as the day they had been forged, 553 years before.
Honda gave her the playful half-grin that always sent her heartbeat racing.
“I would have been thrown outside in the snow, straight naked, if I had even tried. I know when it is time to let you and Yuki be, and last evening belonged to the two of you.” They shared a chuckle. “Anyway, sleep eludes me tonight.” He glanced at his wrist watch. “And what about you? 1:30am, your snack hour, right?”
Lana rolled her eyes. “Rather, the upcoming midnight meal of this little boy,” she pointed at her belly. “I guess I’m getting ready for my new schedule from hell. Also, my bladder is the size of an almond now, so…”
Just two weeks earlier, her checkup had disclosed the baby’s gender. The 3D echography had been remarkably sharp and detailed, and she had shamelessly burst into tears. Ten toes and fingers, including one stuck in his mouth, and the cutest little nose she had ever seen. Honda had kept his emotions under a tight lid during the whole time, but his crushing grip on her hand had told her another story.
Later on, after venting his bottled-up feelings in an extraordinary way that had made it hard for her to walk properly for a day or two, he had only said he was glad the boy seemed to have inherited her mouth. She had begged to differ, and they had agreed to disagree. For now, only Yuki was in their confidence.
“Speaking of snacks, there is some leftover lasagna in the fridge, if you’re hungry…” she offered, the epitome of feigned innocence.
“Ah yes, Yuki has been… babbling about it for the past few days. I think she could not wait for me to leave. I am sure you outdid yourself and made her ecstatic… After all, you excel at pleasing my wife in every way that matters,” he deadpanned, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out if it was an actual compliment, or a low-level challenge. “But no, thank you. My stance remains the same and in any case, I would never dare deprive her of those last bites. So, tell me, did anything happen today?” The fierceness behind his stare said there was no point lying.
“Ah, you saw the mountain of end-of-year gifts then. Yes, Nakazawa sama dropped by… and we had time to chat.” Honda’s quirked eyebrow told her she couldn’t stop there. “He ranted about how unsuitable Gabriella’s fiancé is, saying she deserves much better, literally describing himself as the perfect groom, can you believe it?”
“Knowing him, I can.”
“Then we traded dubious jokes and–”
“You joked with him?”
Lana sighed. “Yes, I did. Goshujin sama, from my perspective, wry humor and sarcasm are the only way to handle him... peacefully. And he seemed to be fine with it. I hope you agree that acting like I’m a member of his golf club is better than either open confrontation, or...”
Honda growled and clenched his fists, staring at the snow outside. “Is that all?”
Well, except for the moment when he turned into that damned fox and raped me…
Resolute, Lana forged ahead; the mood was about to turn sour. “He might or might not have tapped into your secret stash of shochu…”
“Ha! That’s what he thinks. The one in the kitchen is a decoy. He does not have the key to the real cabinet,” Honda said, smug, sipping a glass of his favorite potato-based spirit.
“Also, I might or might not have asked him to endorse the role of grandfather later on…” Lana finished in a cautious whisper.
Honda’s head snapped back to her, and for a second, she feared the glass would break in his hand. But to her surprise, he remained calm.
“Lana san… sometimes I wonder if reason leaves you, or if you are one of the keenest strategists of our time. But whatever it is, why couldn’t you wait and discuss this with me first?”
“Because you would have rejected it, of course! But you’ll be delighted to learn that on this, you are of the exact same mind. Basically, he didn’t know whether to call me a genius or a fool.”
Honda grunted; the idea he and Nakazawa saw something eye to eye didn’t sit well with him. “Tsk. I am sure he accepted right away, simply for the pleasure of nagging me.”
“No, he didn’t. He wants to sit around the table with you, me and Yuki sama and have a frank discussion about it. See? All of us are reasonable people. But even more importantly, he gave me his word he would never hurt our child. And for this reason alone, I will not apologize for asking him,” she finished, eyes locked with Honda’s. Her companion growled but didn’t bark at her.
“Goshujin sama… not many people can provide protection to our son. I cannot stand the thought of this baby being alone out there, should anything happen to the two of us. And if the worst happens, then Yuki sama needs to rely on her father. He is insufferable, and it’s hard to find any redeeming quality in him, but he is no monster. I want him to feel obligated toward this child, even before he is born. Especially that it’s likely help won’t come from your side of the family. Or am I wrong?”
With a deep sigh, Honda shook his head. “No, you are not.”
“Right. So, tell me, am I going to my own execution in Nikko? Is there any scenario involving your mother with a positive outcome? Please, be frank with me.”
“Is this what he told you? Given their bickering feud, I am sure it pleased him to no end to give you a bleak picture of what awaits us.” Honda rubbed his face, deep lines around his mouth and eyes betraying his exhaustion and concern. “But for all it is worth, he is right. No, I do not see anything… good happening there.”
Embarrassed by the tears rolling down her chin, Lana squeezed her eyes shut. She cleared her throat but couldn’t bring herself to look at him in the eye.
“So why do we even do this?” she exclaimed, agitated, before catching herself. “They won’t stop, you know,” she picked up again, voice raw and rough. “The nightmares. It’s getting worse. At first, it was about once a week. Now, it’s almost every night, every time I take a nap. I die. All the time. At the hands of different people or things wearing fangs or fur. In so many ways. Stabbed. Beaten, raped to death. Shred into pieces. Eaten alive.” She finally looked up. “Of course, it’s my fear talking. My trauma. My anxiety. The feeling everything is out of my control, mixing with the rest. And the idea we are going there to face your mother, another one bent on destroying me, that she has this complete power of life or death over us, and there’s nothing I can do, it’s –”
“Lana san.” Honda interrupted her rant and grabbed her hands. “No, she will not kill you. We are thankfully past that kind of extreme action. Whatever takes place there, whatever is being said, whatever command I receive, however offensive and stressful things become… We will come back here to this house, the three of us, and we will carry on. Do you understand?”
Lana gulped hard, and it took her a while to trust her voice. “Is it really worth it?” Am I really worth it?
His hands crushed her fingers. “Every single drop of blood.” His body language shifted, and his voice turned into a low growl. “I think it is time for a catch-up lesson on what control means.”
Yes.
Lana raised her head. On its own, her gaze flickered to a point behind his shoulder. He nodded briefly in recognition.
“Take off your clothes and kneel on the floor.”
She sucked air between her teeth before complying. Despite the warmth pulsed by the kerosene heater, goosebumps were quick to cover her body as she took off her thick pajamas.
Honda stood up in a fluid move, removed his pullover and picked up his katana on the wall. Bare chested, he kneeled in front of her and slowly unsheathed the ancient blade. The blue-grey steel glistened under the light of the reading lamps. Mesmerized, Lana forgot how to breathe, her nakedness and even the cold.
“In this harsh and unforgiving life, there is only one thing we can keep control of, little mudansha: our mind. Even when confronted with likely death, you decide how you wish to face it. Your mind must be as strong as this blade. And with proper training, your body will become an extension of it. All of you will be a deadly weapon. Take this katana and stand up,” he ordered, offering her the weapon with two hands and a bow.
Bewildered, Lana didn’t comply immediately. “You allow me to touch it?”
“Tonight, yes. Handle it as you would a bokken.”
“But it’s been months, and I’ve never had so many opportunities to train with one in the first place, I–”
“Lana san!” His eyes flashed, but he didn’t put down the katana. “Take it, stand up, and begin with a simple kata: happo giri omote. You will continue with the same, but ura. And then start all over again, faster and faster.”
Well, at least this is basic, I still remember it.
With shaking hands, she received the old sword with reverence and a deep bow. She got on her feet.
“Why do I need to be naked?”
“And why not? Do you think you would yield it better with clothes on? Why should your own state of undress distract you? And since when is it fine to discuss my instructions? Careful now, don’t make this lesson become about punishment!”
Lana bowed her head in contrition. “My apologies, goshujin sama.”
Focus on the task. Not on his half-naked body, not on what you would like to do with this blade that has nothing to do with kata…
The first series of eight moves helped build her spatial awareness, proper posture, balance and footwork, while she moved and cut in different directions without stopping. To her relief or disappointment, she wasn’t sure, his scrutiny was utterly professional. At least in appearance. As always, she envied him this ability.
Quickly, her train of thought stopped derailing and became dedicated to her gestures. Her state of undress forgotten, she picked up speed and began to enjoy the powerful sensation of wielding an actual sword, a deadly weapon.
Perspiration soon broke out on her face and chest. Muscles started to strain, reminding her she hadn’t had a proper workout in months. Her breath came out in short, shallow puffs, and her footwork turned sloppy.
“Focus! Relax your shoulders and your neck! Keep your arms at the proper level!” His sharp orders made her bristle, half embarrassed, half frustrated by her poor stamina. Her arms were now quivering. “Your body can do much more, but your mind has already given up! Continue, faster, no, don’t slow down! Your muscles remember what to do, don’t think about the technique, let your body do it. Your mind is now only here to carry it forward. Again!”
Sweat ran into her eyes, stinging, blinding.
One more, just one more… one more… ah no! I can’t!
Lana stopped, barely keeping the sword in hand, and fell on her knees, wheezing.
“Sorry… it’s… it’s too much… lungs burning…”
Honda gave her less than sixty seconds of respite.
“Stand up!”
Lana groaned, but pushed herself up on shaky legs.
“Assume a proper kamae!”
She managed to obey and placed her legs in the right position. Lightning fast, he jumped on his feet to move behind her, hands coming to rest around hers. It was hard not to moan aloud at the full contact between their bodies. His chest was deliciously cool against her perspiring back, and the brush of his naked arms on her breasts sent sparkles flying along her spine.
“Now, let’s go through something new. I will show you kiri age, so that you internalize how to move your body as a single entity and not just your arms, disconnected from the rest. You may be tired, but your mind decides what happens next. This is where control lies,” he said with a voice made of melting lava.
His warm breath tickled her neck as his lips were only inches away from her skin. It was her undoing. Arousal shot throughout her body, dissolving any muscle pain and brushing away her exhaustion, replacing them with furious desire and fiery need.
Of course, this added layer of challenge was part of his plan. Of course, it was designed to tempt her, to distract her, to see if she could rise above it. But it was almost 2:30 am, and he shouldn’t have worn that turtleneck in the first place, let alone removed it, if he wanted her to stay in the game.
Well, then. If it’s up to my mind…
Applying a basic aikido move that dealt with grabs from the rear, she quickly stepped outside his embrace, twisted on herself and took one bold step forward, stopping short of touching him. She held the sword in front of her, the only thing that separated them. His face was carved in stone, but the tempest roaring in his eyes told her another story.
“Your lesson is not over. Resume your position.”
Lana licked her lips. One of the flat sides of the katana pressed against his chest. With one more step, her round belly and breasts covered the other side; she leaned against him. The cool of the blade made her quiver, a mix of fearful and joyful expectation.
“No, it’s not over. But please, let’s switch to another exercise, under your supervision, naturally,” she growled back.
His hand flew to her wrist; his vice-like grip forced her to turn the katana until the curved edge pressed against him. A sharp tug made her stumble and her eyes widened in shock. Before she could react, her body pushed against the blunt side of the blade. A razor-thin red line painted his skin. Droplets of blood began to drip, yet no sound passed his lips as he kept staring her down. His body shook, and his jutting erection against her thigh spoke volumes.
Although pain radiated from her wrist, still wrapped in his iron grip, she twisted the sword slowly to bring the cutting edge toward her. Something flickered in his eyes. Worry.
“Lana san…”
She inhaled deeply and threw him a thin smile.
“I’ve got this. I am in control.”
He slightly relaxed his hold; she could move the sword higher, until it rested above her breasts, perfectly horizontal. Never looking away, she twisted it until the sharp side dug into her skin. Slowly, unwavering, she leaned forward until their breaths mingled and they could almost kiss.
Tears blurred her sight; the pain was acute, but quickly lowered to manageable levels when she stepped back. The vision of his darkening eyes and the black-red droplets on his skin; the sound of his ragged breath; the pressure of his erection trembling against her leg; the metallic smell of their spilled blood; the burning pain from her wound, a perfect companion to his: the sensory stimuli overwhelmed her, and she wavered on her feet.
The sword scattered on the floor. Her low moan, a primitive sound of raw desire and pleasure, echoed in the room. All rational thoughts fled her, and she grabbed his arms to pull him to her, but rooted in the ground, he didn’t move one inch so she merely stumbled against his chest.
His next move was a stern reminder of his power and experience. He swiftly freed himself from her grip and moved to her side, regaining control over the situation. He wrapped her in a tight embrace with a single arm, his fingers smearing her blood on her upper body until they grabbed a taunt nipple while his other hand freed his shaft. In one smooth stroke, he slipped inside her from behind, before bringing them down together. With the additional gravity pull, he reached deep places when they hit the ground.
“Oh yes! Oh please, right there! Uhn...!” Her loud exclamation rang in the room. He didn’t push her forward but kept her firmly in place on his lap.
“So, you wanted a different exercise, little mudansha? All right then, you will need to work hard for this one,” he snarled, tweaking her left nipple.
With a hiss, Lana sank her nails into his thighs to anchor herself, but also for the simple pleasure of hearing him moan. His bloodied fingers went up to cup her jaw and pushed into her mouth. She grazed her teeth on his flesh and her tongue licked the invader. His low chuckle in her ear made her grin, but a thought bothered her.
“If Yuki sama finds us like this…”
“She will be extremely displeased. Cleaning blood stains from this carpet is a headache.”
Lana laughed aloud, giddy with pleasure to see him for once relaxed enough to trade jokes.
“Oh, all right. Too bad for the carpet then.” She rocked her hips and smirked at his shudder. “I’ll take care of my assignment now.”
She wrapped one arm around his neck to hold his face against her nape, while her other hand came to rest on his, pressing her breasts. The sticky sensation of his blood on her back, dripping from his clean cut, increased her arousal.
Her head thrown back against his shoulder, she began to ride him. It wasn’t an easy position, and she was grateful to feel his arms supporting her, helping her keep her balance. His one concession to her particular state. Quickly their moans and grunts replaced other forms of conversation and any trace of levity vanished. Sweat mingled with blood on their naked skins. His free hand went under her distended belly, to rub her clit furiously. She bucked and gasped aloud as the first climax shook her.
Her grip slackened, and she would have fallen forward if not for his tight embrace. He hadn’t come yet, but she knew what would do the trick. Calling up what was left of her stamina, she pushed on her knees to rise from his lap and make him slip from her. His grunt of surprise was quickly replaced by a low growl of deep satisfaction when, blindly, she grabbed his erection to place it at her other entrance and let herself fall. Their loud exclamations exploded in the room as he glided in smoothly and effortlessly, like a sword returning to its sheath, only to come with another powerful shout when she hit his hilt.
