“Can we do something about that first?” she whispered before our lips met. I followed to where she pointed and took a step back. Her heart raced, and her body trembled. Fear scented the air. She feared she’d gone too far, when in fact she’d done the opposite.
“I’m open to ideas,” I mused and listened as she calmed down, even taking a few deep breaths.
“I was worried I’d hit a touchy subject when you moved away. Um, is there a place where the others were buried or cremated, or a ceremony we could perform?” She stepped past me and looked over the bones like they held a mystery. Her fears of seeing a skeleton from before disappeared. My face softened as her intentions warmed my body. Katsumi would be the type of female to nurse any broken soul, help the dead find peace, and the living see life’s beauty. A rare flower in this world, and I had vowed to obliterate it.
Chapter Twenty- Two
Katsumi
I helped Tatsou bury his friend’s bones in the woods by a little river on the edge of the property. He once said he wanted to return their bodies to the earth and continue the natural cycle of life. To become one with the land, and contribute to the flowing of energies I wondered, while we placed the bones gently in the ground, what I wanted for my death.
“What would you want for your funeral?” I blurted out loud, instead of keeping my morbid thoughts inside. Tatsou arched his eyebrow and finished covering the grave. I set the few flowers I could find and placed them on top.
“I don’t need to think about it.” He watched me, and I thought about his answer. I know vampires can die, but maybe the originals were harder to kill. My thoughts whisked me away to my death and what I’d want.
“I hope my fashion line takes off after I die. A famous designer will pick it up and make my legacy everlasting. Everyone will wish they have one rare Kat Sakura item.” I dreamed and then giggled.
“I’m not sure if you are up for doing me favors after you take down the family and all, but my sister and I wanted to be cremated and our ashes dumped in the ocean. It sounded peaceful.” I watched the sun set, feeling okay with this disturbing topic. I didn’t blame Tatsou for wanting revenge, but did I think we personally deserved to pay for something that happened in the fifteenth century? No. However, family was everything, and in our culture, you are your family.
Tatsou didn’t say anything as we walked back to the studio. I was content to take in the colors of the trees and enjoy how precious life was. When we arrived at the house, I started dinner and prepared a tiger rice creation with panko-crusted pork. I needed to hit the grocery store soon, so I added it to the list of things to do this week besides finish the dresses. Tatsou declined my offer to make him a tux and said he had it taken care of. I doubted him, but what was I going to do? At this point, I had to go with the flow of everything or I’d go insane. Tatsou sat at the table while I ate, and once I was done, he carried me to the sofa and sat me down in his lap.
“I’m full,” I murmured, wanting to relax with my sated belly. Tatsou nodded but moved my head lightly toward his and kissed me. I wondered if the vampire was addicted to kissing me and decided I didn’t care because I was addicted to his lips, too. His fingers kept me angled the perfect way for his leisurely exploration of our kiss . . . teasing nibbles, caressing tongues, and soft pecks. He seemed perfectly content to slowly devour my mouth over and over without moving for more. I couldn’t remember the last time I just sat with a guy and made out without it being a gateway to sex.
Then again Tatsou wasn’t like anyone I knew. We kissed until I couldn’t help but yawn, then dared to place my head against his shoulder. He was still holding me on his lap, and it was pretty comfortable. His arm tightened around my waist, and I wondered if I was pushing him too far. Kissing and groping were one thing, but this was cuddling. I refused to look into his golden eyes to see if they were bright and swirling. I didn’t want to know.
Surprisingly, Tatsou held me for hours while we watched TV, then I decided to get ready for bed. I quickly showered, rubbed some moisturizer on, and got dressed in a sleep shirt and comfy pants. When I opened the door, I had to fight from giggling nervously. Tatsou was lounging on my futon on top of the blankets.
“Does this mean you’re gonna sleep in my bed, too?” I crawled beneath the covers and rested on my side to look at him.
“I’m getting as much as I can while I can,” he mumbled and those words chilled the air. Instead of turning over and retreating into myself I shifted closer to him, then rested my head in the nook of his arm and chest. He was already still so if this froze him further, I didn’t notice. I listened to his lungs expand, and his heart beat very slowly.
“How do you have a heartbeat if you’re dead?” I placed my hand on his chest and waited to see what he’d do. After about a minute, his arm came to rest against my back, keeping me close.
“We don’t need our hearts to beat to live, but fresh blood revitalizes it and makes us stronger when it pumps in our veins.” The grumbling of his voice soothed me. I yawned and snuggled in closer. We rested in silence until I almost surrendered to sleep.
“Rest, Little Flower, I’ll protect you from nightmares.” He whispered so low I wasn’t quite sure I heard him.
I rubbed my hand over his chest twice. “Careful not to make me fall in love with you, or I might refuse death and find a way back to you.” I let myself fall asleep after the words were spoken and didn’t wake up once until morning. Tatsou was gone when I looked around, but I knew he had been there. I didn’t dream it. My lips were slightly tender from the heavy amount of kissing, and the feelings stirring in me when I thought of him were real, too.
Was it stupid to have feelings for a vampire that wanted to kill me? Absolutely. Could I do anything about it? Nope. That spark I’d dreamed of experiencing was hitting me in the heart like a lightning bolt. If I continued on this path of touching him, being with him, and listening to him talk about his life, I would be hopeless in the fight to protect my heart. People liked to call me a cinnamon roll for a reason. I was all soft, sweet, kind, and caring. I believed in the best of people and apparently, vampires. I’d seen the softer side of Tatsou and I really liked it. Sure, he was still dangerous, but I didn’t fear him like I did before. Something within me changed, and now all I wanted was to bask in the beauty of this feeling.
I rolled out of bed to perform my morning routine. When I finally walked into the living area, I saw my father sitting at my table with a cup of steaming tea. Tatsou sat on the other side with a cup between his hands, as well.
“Father! What a surprise.” I walked over and bowed before kissing him on top the head. I sat beside him and poured myself some tea.
“Good morning, Kitty. Tatsou tells me you’ve been holed up in your room sewing dresses lately. I’ve come to discuss your agenda for tonight.” He sipped his tea and looked at me sternly. Great, he’d tell me what I would be doing, and I’d have no choice in the matter. The fact that I didn’t try to argue told him it was okay to continue.
“You’re going to dinner with Mr. Sone. You will dress in a way that would make me proud and act like a lady of the Sakura line.” I started to open my mouth, but he held up a finger to silence me.
“You are a very smart woman, Kitty but it is time for you to settle down. Mr. Sone seeks to have you as his bride. I am offering that he court you until the event in three days where you both can make it official and bring your family great honor.” He set his tea down, and my eyes darted from his to Tatsou’s. Surely, he wouldn’t want me dating another man during our deal. I didn’t think I’d have to worry about this so soon. Maybe I could have Tatsou kill Mr. Sone or end me quicker so I didn’t have to go through with this.
The man was not for me.
“Yes, Father,” I answered when it was clear no one would be rescuing me from this fate. Father stayed and chatted with me about Takeo and Romi. He thought about our talk and liked the idea of them together. Takeo was a loyal member of his organization who would protect his daughter and keep her within his grasp, unlike me, who would be carted off to live somewhere else with a man who would hide me from the world. Once father left, I turned to yell at Tatsou but he was gone, and I had a few hours to work on the dresses before my date tonight.
What the fuck was I gonna do?
Chapter Twenty- Three
