“Undone by Her. Another great title to go with the image. He does look to be hanging by a thread.”
You have no idea. Amery loved that she and Ronin were the only two who’d ever know what really happened at the photo shoot to put that look on his face.
“Dammit. Does this mean I can’t tease my big brother about being featured on the cover of an erotic novel?”
“No!”
Shiori laughed. “Kidding. On a serious note, it shows how much he trusts you, Amery, that he let you bind him.”
Amery absentmindedly touched the image on the screen. “I guess. But it’s not his trust in me that’s the issue. It’s whether I trust him.” The second the words exited her mouth, she wished she could take them back.
“I don’t fault you for how you feel. I’m happy you’re giving him the chance to earn that trust back. Maybe he’ll figure out I’m trying to do the same thing.” Shiori’s slip into melancholy vanished. “What are your ideas for the third cover?”
“I’d love to do a shadowed image of Ronin and me. Keeping with the rope theme, either him holding a coil before he binds me or after, right before he unties me. It’d take the series full circle. And the title for the last book is Tangled Together.”
“Have you run the idea by the author yet?”
Amery groaned. “I haven’t run it by Ronin yet. It’d be a difficult shot to achieve without having a third person with us. I don’t know if he’s down with that, but we’ll see.”
“Without sounding creepy, if you need someone to help with the shot, I’m a decent photographer.”
“Thanks for the offer. I’ll definitely let you know.”
“Either way, I want to see the third cover.” Shiori took her phone out and dialed. “I’m ready. Pick me up in the alley. Thanks.” She smiled. “My ride. Time for me to get to the dojo.”
On the way down the stairs, Amery said, “I find it strange there aren’t any pictures of Ronin’s family anywhere at his place.”
“I didn’t see pictures of your family among your knickknacks either,” Shiori pointed out. “But that reminds me.” She reached into her oyster-colored Chanel handbag and pulled out the wrapped package Amery had given her at their first meeting. “I don’t think this was meant for me, was it?”
“No.”
“Give it to him. He needs reminders of you and how you feel about him everywhere.”
“Clashes with your decor, huh?” Amery said lightly.
“Raunchy is more my style. I’ll show you my Hello Kitty whip collection sometime.” Shiori smiled, slipped on her Versace shades, and stepped out the back door.
Yes, she was really starting to like Ronin’s sister—even when she suspected Shiori hadn’t been kidding about the anime whip thing.
• • •
“I don’t think it’s necessary. In fact, if you looked at my proposal, you’d see . . .” Blah, blah, blahdedy, blah.
Ronin stared at Katie, imagining four or five different ways he could choke her out to get that damn mouth of hers to stop moving.
TP had neglected to mention his daughter was a know-it-all pain in the rear who came to work dressed like a hooker, flirted with any male that crossed her path, smacked her gum like a clichéd teenager, and wasn’t nearly the dim bulb her father portrayed her to be.
Katie Pettigrew Gardiner was the antithesis of what he wanted in a promotional lackey for their upstart company. The girl needed humility in a bad way, and since he was her boss, it was up to him to dish it out.
He hated this shit. Hated it.
TP, you bastard, we are more than even after this.
“Ronin, are you even listening to me?” Katie demanded with a pout.
“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me by my first name? I am your boss. Which means you call me Mr. Black, or sir, understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Second, you do what I tell you. Nothing more and definitely nothing less. While I appreciate your initiative, I don’t need it. I need you to put on the ring-girl outfit.”
“But—”
He held up his hand. “No buts. Ever. Meet Sophia down in the dojo locker room. Handing out free tickets for the upcoming event is your job. A job which you are still on probation for.”
Katie pushed herself out of the chair. “I will prove to you that I’m more valuable than being a bimbo ring girl.”
Two raps sounded on the door, and Amery walked in. “Hey, Ronin. I just . . .” She froze, and her gaze flicked over Katie.
A sneaky smile curled Katie’s mouth. “Okay, boss man. Do you want me to come back up and model the outfit? I know how much it means having your approval.”
“No. Get moving. You’re already late.”
“It was hard to tear myself away from such fascinating conversation with you, even when we’ve spent most of the day together,” she practically cooed. “Until tomorrow.” She whirled around and strutted out of his office.
“Who the f**k is she?” Amery demanded. “Is she lost?”
He did not need this today on top of every f**king thing else. “No. She works for Black and Blue Promotions.”
“So she came with Blue’s crew?”
“No. I hired her.”
With the way her eyes turned into lethal arrows? He’d given the wrong answer. “Just how closely will you be working with her in this new promotion company?”
“Why are you acting like this?”
Amery seemed to take a deep breath to try to compose herself, then stalked over and slapped her hands on the desk. “A six-foot-tall Amazon with perfect tits, a perfect ass, perfect blond hair, and a predatory smile just sauntered out of your office, after making it perfectly clear to me that she planned to be around you all the damn time.”
“You’re reading too much into this. Katie is a kid.”
“You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think that kid has designs on you. And she’s not a kid. I’ll bet I’m not that much older than her.”
Ronin counted to ten. “You’ve misread the situation.”
“Then explain it to me.”
“We agreed to stay out of each other’s business. This is business, plain and simple.”
She looked ready to argue, but changed her mind and stepped back. “You’re right. I forgot my place for a moment.”