按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
his voice if not his emotions。 〃There is only honor in what you have brought me； knowing…〃 His eyes slid away from her； staring fixedly at the tatami between them。 〃Knowing that you have never。。。 been with a man； understanding my desires〃…he took a deep breath…〃and wanting to bring me happiness in this sphere。〃
Her head lowered。 〃It is my duty。 I…〃
But his hand shot out again； covering hers。 〃But tonight we are so close to being joined。 Seeing you and…〃
〃What you ask…〃 Her head snapped up。 〃And then what of our wedding night？ Will we make a mockery of tradition？ Will we degrade the path that is ours？ Do you want that？〃
Sato felt her nails digging into his calloused flesh and knew she was right。 He grasped at the fluttering of his intense desire for her； choking it off。 His head nodded on his thick neck and he whispered through dry lips； 〃It is your gift that I desire。〃
Akiko stood by the naga…hibachi； feeling its heat suffuse her。 She paid only the most minimal attention to the work her hands were doing； cooking the soba； the buckwheat noodles； preparing the soy…based sauce in small porcelain cups； pouring the rest into a tiny matching pitcher； setting out the green horseradish and chopped cucumber on a saucerlike plate。
The soba； when done； was lifted in tiny portions into rectangular stacking trays of black lacquer。 Normally； she would be waited upon as would be Sato。 But this was part of her gift to him； and at this time of the night servants were enjoined from this side of the house。
Akiko served the food and more hot sake。 She observed thai Sato and Yoki were talking in low； intimate tones。 She had prepared the girl well。 Yoki knew what to expect and what was expected of her。
Akiko rose and walked silently to the edge of the fitsuma。 She paused with a delicate hand on the light wooden frame。 The sound of them washed over her before she slid the paper door shut behind her。
But she did not leave the house。 Instead； she moved to the left； entering a smaller； two…tatami room。 Carefully closing the fusuma； she slid across the reed mats on her knees until she reached the shoji mon with the room within which Sato and Y5ki reclined。
The screen was actually posed of many long and narrow vertical panels； decorative and pleasing to the eye。 Some time ago； just after she had been introduced into the household； Akiko had secretly altered the nature of one of these panels so that it became removable by a subtle manipulation of its thin wooden border。
Through this rift she now gazed upon Sato and Yoki。 They had finished their soba； the sake was almost gone。 They were very close together。 Kneeling at her spyhole； Akiko settled herself for what was to e。
Sato's back was to her。 She saw the movement of his arm and then the soft slide of Yoki's kimono…for Akiko knew better than to present the girl to Sato in her Western…style clothes…back and down； exposing one soft white shoulder。
Akiko held her breath as the rich play of the girl's muscles was revealed。 Sato's eyes were drawn to Yoki's breasts； the brown and gray kimono lay like wings on the tatami on either side of her； her thighs still partially wrapped。 Then Sato's head bent down and forward and with a soft cry Yoki's head went back； her fingers caressing his ears as his tongue streaked hotly across her nipples。
Akiko crossed her arms over her own breasts； feeling the hot stiffness there like points of fire。 Her mouth was dry and she longed for sake to slake her thirst。
She had almost given in to Sato tonight。 That had shocked her like a lightning bolt out of the blue。 It had been relatively easy to keep him at arm's length all these long weeks； she had been disgusted by the lust clouding his eyes。 But this night had been different。
Yoki was now pletely naked。 Sato's open mouth licked and sucked at her flesh with such intensity that Akiko could feel her own flesh heating； tingling just as if it were she he was making love to。
Why？ What had been different？ Akiko searched her mind； analyzing as Sun Hsiung had taught her to do so long ago： quarter your memory； then divide it into eighths； sixteenths； and so on。 〃Eventually；〃 he had told her； 〃you will find the detail you have been seeking for your senses are the most sensitive of receptors。 They record everything； it is only your conscious mind which filters out what it believes to be all the important data。 The lesson you must learn…and it is a most difficult one…is that your conscious mind often makes the wrong choice。〃
Now； as her eyes drank in the erotic movements unfolding just beyond the aperture in the shoji； Akiko began the quartering search of her memory； for she was well attuned to her own emotions as she was to others'。
Tonight； just like all nights； she had sprung the right trap to ensnare Sato so that she could slip away from his advances。 She had been filled with elation at the frustration she was causing him。 But that feeling had been short…lived。 Why？
Rock music's primal pulse so full of anger； aggression； and lust； sizzled in her blood like alcohol； a room blue with smoke； making figures as indistinct as priests inside a temple wreathed in incense lit for the dead。 She stalked a tiger there； lithe； full of a terrifying atavistic power。 It magnetized her； spooked her。
For now she had traced the loosening of her sexual emotions to the moment when she had been circling Nicholas Linnear like a hungry jackal。 Summoning up the image of him within the confines of exotic Jan Jan； she experienced again the triphammer beat of her heart； the tiny trembling of her inner thigh muscles； and the powerful pulsion to approach him。
Again； as they had at the nightclub； her fingers rose up to touch the flushed flesh of her cheek as if to assure herself that it was still there。 It had not been that long。 She must always keep that in mind。 A stranger to herself； she must learn to bee her own best friend。 She had never been able to do that。 。。 before。 On the advent of her rebirth she had vowed to herself that she would try。 But first； unfinished business。 And that involved Nicholas Linnear。 Oh； yes。 Most surely it did！
Akiko's eyes opened wide。 Sato and Yoki were entangled on the futon。 The folds of their kimonos rippled about the edges of their working flesh like the sea's waves upon the shore； concealing and revealing at once。
The panting bellows of their breaths rose toward her like a flock of gulls； pulling her onward as a third member as it fueled the furnace of their passion。
She saw Sato's erection； large and reddish from the stroking ministrations of his partner。 Yoki's eyes were fluttered closed in pleasure and her soft breasts heaved into Sato's calloused palms as his head slid down and down until his open mouth touched the insides of her heated thighs。
Unconsciously Akiko strained forward； and when she saw his tongue flick out to caress the flesh there； she gasped silently。 A line of warm sweat trickled like a serpent's tail down the deep indentation of her spine； staining her kimono； marking it with her lust。 Her palms traced a circular pattern inward across her own spread…apart thighs until； lifting the material of her kimono； she encountered bare flesh。