Ronin brought both wrists into her lap and began to rub. “Any numbness?”

“Yes. But no pain. Not yet.”

“Soreness anywhere else?” He rubbed her forearms and up to her biceps.

“Just my ass,” she mumbled.

A soft laugh escaped. “No apologies for that.”

“It’s not funny. I’m going to feel it for the next day.”

“Good. I want you thinking about me.”

She traced the edge of his jaw.

Ronin snagged her hand and kissed her fingertips. “Thank you for tonight. But, baby, why are you crying?”

“A rush of adrenaline makes you stronger. It makes me weepy. Sorry.”

He tipped her chin up. “Don’t apologize. You are beautiful, honest, and real. And you are also completely mine.” He kissed her until she sighed and relaxed into him. Then he undressed her and tucked her in his bed where she belonged.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“WE’VE got to stop meeting like this,” Shiori deadpanned.

“Are you afraid people will start to talk?” Amery joked back.

Shiori peered over the top of her sunglasses. “That’s the question of the day, isn’t it? Why did you summon me to your lair?”

“To go over my questions on the contracts. In private.” Amery had set up this meeting after everyone in the office had gone for the day. She still hadn’t shared with her friend and officemate Chaz why she and Ronin had broken up in the first place. Now that they’d reconciled, Ronin’s family connections didn’t matter—at least not to her. But if sexy, mysterious Shiori Hirano sauntered into the office, Chaz would grill her. So the best way to deal with the potential headache was to avoid it.

At least for now.

While Shiori wandered around Amery’s apartment, Amery filled the two lowball glasses with ice. “What would you like to drink?”

“Just water. I’m teaching the late class tonight.”

“How’s it going?”

Shiori took a seat at the breakfast bar. “I enjoy teaching far more than I thought I would.”

“I’m surprised you have time with all the responsibilities of someone in your position.”

She shrugged. “I’d be training there anyway if I weren’t teaching. My sensei in Japan reminded me that teaching is just another way to learn.”

“Philosophical. Are all masters of martial arts like that?”

“The good ones are.”

“You sound like Knox.”

“The only thing Knox and I have in common is our desire to beat each other unconscious.”

Amery raised an eyebrow.

Shiori pointed to the contracts. “What have you decided?”

“You said the terms are negotiable.”

“To some extent. But to be blunt, Okada walks away if the terms aren’t to our liking. Then all negotiations are permanently over.”

“I understand that I need Okada more than Okada needs me. But along those lines, I don’t think I can work for one company exclusively, no matter how well they pay.”

“Forgive me if I don’t quite grasp this. Your company is dangerously close to shutting down because of lack of revenue, and Okada is offering you a permanent, steady income, and you’re turning it down?”

Amery fiddled with the ice in her glass before sucking down a mouthful of booze. “I know it sounds crazy. And believe me, I’ve wrestled with this, but I like the diversity of what I do. Being contracted for a specific project line with Okada would provide me with enough income to keep Molly on and maybe hire another employee. Yet at the same time, I could retain my other clients. They’ve stuck with me, so I don’t want to ditch them when a bigger company waves a big, fat check in my face.” She met Shiori’s confused gaze. “You do get what I’m trying to tell you, don’t you?”

“You’re about loyalty. You’d rather fail on your own than compromise your integrity.”

“Exactly.”

“I can respect that.” Shiori rifled through the contracts. “I believe the language in this one is case specific. I’m fairly confident Okada will agree to those terms, but they will expect you to forego design work for your clients in the restaurant business.” She offered a small smile. “We would prefer consumers were at home eating our line of healthy frozen meals.”

She laughed. “Done. My design work for them is minimal anyway. What about the organic food markets?”

“As long as you’re not creating ads for our competition, I don’t believe that’ll be an issue.”

Amery exhaled slowly. “Then I’ll sign on the dotted line.”

“Good. Have you discussed this with Ronin?”

“No. I’d like that nondisclosure agreement to go both ways.”

Shiori frowned. “You don’t plan to tell him?”

“Of course I’ll tell him. But I want it to be on my terms, when the timing is right. We’re still working through things.” It wasn’t like he wasn’t keeping things close to the vest himself. Case in point: She still had no idea what the doctor had told him. Amery finished her drink. “Like you reminded me, it might’ve been my relationship with Ronin that got my foot in the door, but the work speaks for itself.”

“All right. But if my brother asks me point-blank if you’re working for Okada? I will not lie to him. I’ve done that often enough, usually without choice, that I fear our relationship can never be repaired. Anytime I try to talk to him . . . he shuts me down. Or ignores me.”