Schooled (Mastered 2.5)

He wore a boyish grin. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“How’d you figure it out?”

“I crawled in bed before the plane took off one night and damn near ended up ass over teakettle. It’s a steeper climb for smaller jets to reach altitude. Now, whenever I’m on this aircraft, I act like a kid who thinks he’s on a rocket ship during takeoff.”

She laughed. “Crazy man-boy. I thought you dragged me to the bedroom because you wanted me to join the mile-high club.”

Ronin rolled her on top of him and kissed her, mouth avid, keeping his hands clamped on her butt. Between his all-consuming kisses, he spoke against her lips. “Maybe we should take the edge off.” He treated her lips to a few more teasing kisses. “You seem tense.”

“You’re up for a quickie?” She moaned when he nipped the side of her neck and then soothed the sting with hot, slow kisses.

“Who said anything about a quickie? It’s a long flight.”

***

“Amery?” A soft kiss brushed her bare shoulder. “We’ve landed.”

She blinked, forgetting for a moment where she was. Why was she naked?

Oh right. She was on Okada’s private jet. And she was naked because her husband was a master at seducing her.

Amery reached up and touched his gorgeous face. “Hey.”

He pressed his lips to her wrist. “Hey, yourself.”

“How long did I sleep?”

“Seven hours.”

“What time is it now?”

“We left Honolulu at four p.m. It’s nineteen hours' difference so it’s eleven a.m. here in Osaka. The next day.” He smiled. “Just in time for lunch.”

Amery stretched and stood. “Do I need to change clothes?” She picked up the pile of clothing and slipped on her bra and panties. “I’ve been in them . . . ? How many hours?”

“The time change will really screw with you if you think too hard about it.” His gaze moved over her as she yanked her black jeans up over her hips. “And technically once we ended up in the bedroom you didn’t have your clothes on for very long.”

Such a smug look. “I’m reminded again why I don’t wear clothes that need ironing since you tear them off me and throw them on the floor every time the opportunity presents itself.”

“At every opportunity, sexy wife of mine.” Ronin flashed his roguish grin before he pulled on his black cashmere mock turtleneck. He’d already slipped his jeans back on. He sat on the edge of the bed and donned his socks and motorcycle boots.

Amery loved watching Ronin get dressed as much as she loved watching him get undressed. Maybe it was a power thing; he wasn’t comfortable showing skin in public. The only time he let down his hair, so to speak, was around her. Only she knew what a powerful, muscular, hot body was hidden beneath his gi or his clothing.

He emitted a growl and she glanced up at him. “What?”

“You know what. Stop looking at me and licking your chops or we won’t get off this plane for another hour.”

She kept her gaze fastened to Ronin as she buttoned the bottom half of her pale pink sweater, leaving the gray lace of her silk camisole peeking through the top. “Might I remind you we’ve joined the mile-high club twice in the past however many hours?”

“That’s the only way to fly, baby.”

She couldn’t help but laugh.

“You ready?”

“Give me a couple minutes to freshen up and then I’m at your command.”

By the time she exited the bathroom, the plane had come to a complete stop. Ronin was in conversation with the pilots and Nick but he broke off the discussion upon seeing her.

“Is everything all right?”

“Fine,” Ronin answered quickly. “Shall we?”

“Don’t I need my coat?”

“Not today. The weather in Osaka is beautiful,” Nick said.

Osaka? But weren’t they spending the first week in Kyoto?

“Everything onboard has been loaded into the car as per our instructions,” Nick added. “Your driver is waiting inside the terminal.”

“Thank you.” Ronin stepped aside so Amery could descend the stairs first.

A temperate breeze stirred her hair and she lifted her face to the sun. Even the sky looked different here. But she didn’t have time to gawk as Ronin steered her across the tarmac and toward the open doors.

A pudgy man in a bellman’s uniform came forward and bowed to Ronin. Their discussion seemed formal and Amery couldn’t pick out any familiar Japanese words besides udon and Kyoto. Then the driver gestured for them to follow him. A black limousine idled at the curb and another liveried man bowed before he opened the rear door.

After they were ensconced in the back, she poked her finger into his chest and teased, “A limo, Ronin? Really? Sweetheart, I already know you’re a billionaire heir so you don’t have to try to impress me.”

He snatched her hand and lightly bit the finger that’d been poking 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.”