ing her new novel for kinii. the book involved two young men who met while on a cross-country trek to taiwan. she glanced over at the clock several hours later. it was two in the morning. her telephone rang. shaundra reached over to answer it.

"i saw your light was still on when i passed your room." "ichiro?"

"yes, can't you sleep?"

"i'm working on a book and lost track of time. how was your meeting?"

"it went well. mr. niigata introduced us to some entertainment people from china. they liked the songs we performed tonight and want us to do a concert in china next year when we return from the united states."

"that's great. aomori is going to take the world by storm and you'll make plenty of money and friends."

"what are you wearing?" ichiro asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"a robe and a smile."

"are you tired?"

"no."

"i'll be there in five minutes." he hung up before she could stop him.

he was at the door in four minutes still dressed in his white suit. shaundra pulled him in quickly. "i hope you weren't followed."

he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the floor. "no, i was stealth. everyone thinks i'm in my room."

shaundra raised her head and kissed him. he tasted so innocent and delicious, and he showed amazing upper body strength by carrying her into the bedroom. he placed her on the bed, removed his jacket and tie and tossed them on the chair.

"ooh, i think i like this new side of you." he was down to his black bikini briefs faster than any older, more experienced man. he had a nice body - brand new, young man muscles, a developed chest and a narrow waist. the legs weren't bad either. a healthy erection strained against the briefs. "i think i have died and gone to heaven."

he reached up and unloosed his hair and it cascaded down past his shoulders.

the little triangle piece of cloth between her legs moistened.

he helped her off the bed and sat down on it. "please, remove the robe now."

shaundra untied the belt and opened the robe just to give him a peek.

she wasn't prepared for the look of shock on his face when she fully removed the robe. "is something wrong?" she asked. "do i not please you?"

his head bobbed up and down quickly. "you please me more than you'll ever know."

"then what's the problem?"

"you're the first naked woman i've ever seen."

"well, technically, i'm not naked." she pointed to the thong. "oh my.

did i just hear you right? you mean you're a...?"

ichiro blushed.

"i am honored." ooh, hot damn, she had hit the mother lode.

everything was falling into place. everything was perfect. she turned, giving him a full glance at her buttocks as she started peeling the band of the thong from around her waist and over her hips. "are you sure you're ready for this?"

"yes," he said huskily.

shaundra moved the thong down her legs and then she kicked them away and turned around to face him.

ichiro gulped and reached for her, burying his face into her stomach.

shaundra shuddered from the softness of his lips on her abdomen. the fire alarm in the room sounded. she groaned. "do you think it's a real fire?"

ichiro said something in japanese that no doubt was a swear word. "it probably is. let's get dressed."

shaundra hurried into some clothes while ichiro put the white suit back on. they slipped out of the door and into the hall. the alarm sounded much louder out there. they followed other people from the floor down the stairwell and out the hotel. harper waved them over.

"we're just trying to account for all our people."

the rest of aomori arrived along with their manager, their chauffer and mr. niigata.

"everyone is here," he told mr. niigata.

the fire truck arrived.

"this better be real," ichiro said as he hugged shaundra from behind.

shaundra nodded her head in agreement. ichiro still had a semi-hard erection.

satoshi inched over toward them. "what's up?"

"my patience," shaundra replied.

"nothing," ichiro said.

"why are you still in your suit?"

"i had just taken it off when the alarm went off. then i had to put it back on." he kissed shaundra on the back of the head and released her.

satoshi reached up and tenderly touched ichiro's hair. "you better put that away before you start a couple of fires out here. can't you see how all those women are gawking at you?"

ichiro looked around quickly. "damn." he took a band out of his pocket and fixed his hair.

the firemen went into the building and left them standing outside for a couple of hours.

"i am so damn tired," dorothy said as she sat down on a curb. "i had just dosed off."

shaundra sat down next to her. "yeah, it couldn't have happened at the worst time. i was preparing for bed myself." she looked over at ichiro.

"you're fighting a losing battle," dorothy replied, getting her drift.

"the fates are fucking with you."

"yes, i know." there was no way ichiro could sneak back to her room tonight with this ruckus going on. yori walked over with amaya. she'd bet the two of them had been together getting busy when the alarm had gone off.

the firemen exited and told them that it had been a small electrical fire in the restaurant and that it was safe for them to return to the room. she walked back inside with ichiro and the others, stopping just outside her door. he looked at his watch. "it's very late."

"yeah, i know."

"do you need me to come tuck you in?"

"no," satoshi answered for her. "it is very late. time for you to go to bed."

shaundra rolled her eyes at satoshi, knowing there was no way she could invite ichiro back in without drawing suspicions. masaaki had probably ordered them to keep a close eye on him. ichiro smiled one of those devastating smiles at her.

she nodded and used her key to go inside her room. her phone rang shortly after she undressed and crawled into bed. "yes, ich."

"it's not ich."

"yori?"

"yes, i just wanted to make sure that you're back into your room safe and sound."

"yes, thank you."

"and alone."

"what do you mean by that?"

"i saw the way ichiro was looking at you while we were outside."

"so what does that mean?"

"nothing, good night."

"good night." she hung up. that man, she decided, was so strange.