“Do you like it?” he asked Niamh as they approached the check-in desk.

She nodded, still not looking at him. “It’s beautiful.”

“Nicer than the pack’s hotel?”

“Much. Theirs is all about showing off how much money they’ve got. This is about Tokyo and thoughtful design.”

He agreed.

“Is Fionn paying for this?”

“Bran called it a bonus.”

Silence fell between them again as they waited in a small line at check-in. When Kiyo approached the clerk, he used the name on the passport Bran had provided.

The clerk checked his computer, relaying to Kiyo in Japanese that they had two deluxe suites booked. Kiyo shook his head, replying in their mother tongue, “We need one room. A suite with a sofa bed. And views of Mount Fuji, if you have one available.” He didn’t know why he added the last part. Maybe because he thought it might cheer Niamh up and pull her out of her strange mood.

“We don’t have sofa beds but our suites have sofas.”

That would do.

“A suite with a view,” he reiterated.

The guy typed and then sighed dramatically. “I’m afraid the only room available with a view of Fuji is our Oriental. It’s a one-bedroom suite with a separate living space. Quite an upgrade.”

Kiyo didn’t know if it was the guy’s tone and its insinuation that he couldn’t afford it or if it was something even more stupid, like a need to do something nice for Niamh, but he said, “We’ll take it.”

“It’s two hundred thousand yen per night.”

Roughly nineteen hundred dollars a night.

Damn it.

Fine.

Fionn was paying him a shit ton of money to protect Niamh. He could afford it. Kiyo would pay Bran back. “We’ll take it,” he replied more firmly.

It must have been firmer than intended, with a hint more of alpha behind it, because the clerk blanched and hurried to book the room.

A while later, once the clerk had photocopied their passports, he handed over two room cards and seemed relieved when Kiyo turned down the offer to be shown to the room.

“What was that about?” Niamh asked as they got on the elevator.

“Bran had us booked into two rooms. I changed it to one. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“I’d prefer my own room.”

Kiyo worked hard to beat down that growl again. “The last time you had your own room, you took off.”

“So I’m being held hostage?”

If she’d snapped at him in anger, he could have handled it. But her dull, emotionless tone irritated him. “No. But in case you didn’t notice, I have enemies here, and by association, you’re in danger. Not to mention the vision you keep having that brought us here in the first place.”

“I hardly think Sakura is your enemy,” she muttered as the elevator opened.

Following the room signs, Kiyo stopped at their door and swiped a key over the lock.

When they pushed inside, he heard Niamh let out a gasp of wonder, and satisfaction filled him.

They stood in a living room with a huge sectional that looked comfortable enough for him to sleep on. It was stylish, minimal but warm, with the same Japanese midcentury design as the lobby. The most impressive aspect of the room was the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window at one end where not only did they have amazing views of Tokyo but on a clear day like today, they could see the snow-covered Mount Fuji in the distance.

Niamh moved past him, striding across the room to stand at the window.

He followed, closing in beside her, subconsciously needing to be close to her scent of caramel and spice.

It felt like they were floating above the city.

“What does the hotel name mean?”

“Natsukashii?”

“Yes.”

“Technically it means nostalgia.”

“That’s beautiful. The hotel, this room … it’s beautiful. You booked this?”

“The room, yeah. Thought you might appreciate the view.”

Just like that, the light in her gorgeous eyes dimmed, and she turned and walked away. She picked up her backpack where she’d dropped it upon entrance and strolled through the open sliding doors that led into the bedroom.

His patience snapped.

He followed her in.

The room was long and narrow, with a mammoth bed and dual-aspect windows overlooking the city. Behind him was the door to a polished marble bathroom with a shower big enough for five people and a tub a person could swim in. He studied Niamh as she wandered into the bathroom, fingers trailing across walls and counters, before returning to brush past him. Without a word, she dropped her backpack on the bed and stared out at the city.

“Is this how it’s going to be from now on?”

“How what’s going to be?”

The growl he’d been holding back rumbled out, drawing her attention. Finally. “What the hell is going on with you? Are you pissed because I didn’t tell you about the pack, about Sakura, before we came here?”

“It might have been good to know so we could have avoided an ambush, but I’m not pissed about anything.”

Tags: Samantha Young True Immortality Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net