Chapter 41: 40. Of Courtships Unintentional

Tatsuo stalked away from the beach fuming mad. He’d agreed, reluctantly, to play on stage, in public. Because Jiao had asked him, as his sister, his only remaining family and his future clan leader… he’d had no choice but to agree.

Oni did not believe in public displays of music. You played to impress a lover, to sooth the spirits of one’s family, or with close friends as an expression of comradeship. You did not play to entertain a bunch of strangers, and especially not humans who were only half listening anyway.

Music was serious, and not to be taken lightly.

But Jiao had asked him, asked not ordered, according him respect as the current leader. How could he refuse that? So he’d swallowed his pride, and joined the humans of the band, and they’d played.

To his shame, he’d perversely enjoyed it.

The music was challenging in it’s unfamiliarity. He’d met that challenge with his whole heart, and bested it. Playing with others was a strange and not altogether unpleasant experience. The way they’d met his improvisations and answered them, it was like a duel. Attack, parry, riposte… there was a measure to it, like… dancing. Which Oni also did not do except during rituals.

He’d been bewildered when the fight broke out in front of the stage, and strangely flattered as well as terrified when it became apparent that they were fighting over him. Oni women fought over men when they wanted to become wives, and the prospect of being married to some tiny frail human girl made his insides squirm.

Tatsuo wouldn’t admit to being afraid, and in truth, he wasn’t exactly. The problem was that human girls reminded him a little too much of Jiao for his comfort, while at the same time, their perfume and shape were at times far, far too arousing.

There were reasons why Oni had a reputation for carrying off human females. Reasons that had a lot to do with the fact they smelled like Oni women did when they were ready and eager to breed… except human women smelt like that the whole time, and even more so when it was their time.

Human women were distracting, and terrifying and…

Tatsuo pinched the bridge of his nose and decided that instead of waiting around for the private bus, he’d either walk, or catch a public bus that at least went some of the way.

He’d gotten some distance away, and was walking down a narrow side street that looked like it went in the right direction. There was a high concrete wall stabilising the hillside to one side, and houses to the other. He’d more or less decided that he actually needed to be on the street on the hill above him and not down at the bottom of the hill, when he heard a shout behind him.

“Hoi, You!”

Tatsuo turned, and froze momentarily. There was a girl at the end of the street, framed by the setting sun behind her. He squinted against the light, shading his eyes with his hand. She was wearing a high school uniform, with some long narrow object wrapped in black cloth slung over her back. Tatsuo immediately suspected it was a sword, or a bokken, a wooden practice sword.

She was tall, very tall for a human girl, maybe only a bit shorter than Yuri. Although she was slender by Oni standards, for a human she had a respectable amount of muscle. She was also beautiful by human standards, her long lustrous and intensely black hair was tied up in a high pony-tail, falling down to her waist like a ribbon of silken night. Her face, which was currently set in a determined expression, was a delicate heart shape with high cheekbones below eyes that seemed to shine like black diamonds, her breasts were firm and full...

Tatsuo gulped, and tore his gaze away. He had no right to be staring at her like that! That way only led to disaster, to outraged humans descending upon the clan like a vengeful force of nature.

“What do you want? I don’t care if you have a winning ticket, I didn’t agree to be raffled off like a prize pig.”

“Fight me!”

Tatsuo’s hand came down and he stared at her, taking in her stance. She was standing with legs firmly planted, one foot slightly in front of the other and about half an arms length apart; her back was straight, in-line with her back foot, ready to take any blow. Whoever she was, she was skilled at fighting.

“Why would I fight you?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll fight you anyway. Or are you a coward, good for nothing but looking pretty?”

With a rustle of cloth she unslung her sword and flicked the cover away from a wooden bokken. In an instant she stood ready, both hands on the hilt… and Tatsuo felt his heart speeding up, the blood pulsing in his temples, his body answering the call to battle.

“Are you crazy?! I’m not going to fight...”

With a scream the girl charged, her long black hair streaming behind her like a war pennant from a helm. Tatsuo barely had time to fall back a step, draw and parry her attack with his sheathed sword. For a moment they stood, swords crossed. Tatsuo tried to push her away… and found he couldn’t. It was like trying to shove a mountain aside. No human could possibly be that strong, could they? It had to be her stance; if he shoved hard enough, something would break in her. But… he didn’t want to.

Eyes bugging slightly, Tatsuo ground out between clenched teeth.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I want to see if you can fight and win!”

“Why?”

The girl sprang back and spun, whipping her bokken around aiming for his ribs. Tatsuo was forced to give ground again, the tip of the hard-wood ‘blade’ scoring a line across his chest. He growled under his breath, his blood singing in his ears, his vision developing a red mist around the edges.

“Hoi! Stop. Now!”

“No! Show me you’re a man and not a boy!”

She made a rude gesture with her pinky finger. Tatsuo snarled, and went on the attack, unleashing a flurry of over hand and slashing blows, dodging her parries. He drove her back, and back, over-powering her, until she was pressed against the railings, her spine aching backwards as he pressed downwards. Tatsuo couldn’t help but be aware of how her body pressed against his. A small sane part of him was yelling warnings, but most of him wanted to rip her clothing from her...

There was a splintering sound, and her bokken snapped. The girl managed to twist aside at the last possible moment, sliding to the pavement, as Tatsuo’s sheathed sword hit the metal railings with a clang, leaving a red line along her cheek where the scabbard had grazed her.

Tatsuo stood, frozen, breathing heavily.

Stiffly, fighting himself, he snapped his sword up and swept it down, before sliding it into his rope belt.

Tatsuo growled

“We’re done.”

“No!”

“I said, We. Are. Done. I don’t know what your problem is, or why you want to fight, but I’m not a dancing monkey here to entertain you.”

The girl sprang to her feet, taking up a combative stance, willing to continue hand-to-hand. Tatsuo took a deep breath, realising that there was no way he could risk that. He fought a very brief battle with his pride, and putting one hand on the railing, leapt, clearing the railings and landing on the sidewalk. He glanced upwards at the concrete retaining wall, with it’s interlocking projections, and climbed. He was at the top before the girl even managed to scramble over the railings

Tatsuo looked downwards at the girl who was looking up at him, her face flushed from exercise.

“Coward! How dare you run away!”

“I’ve already won, and you know it… Princess!”

He grinned, and mockingly saluted her, bowing with one hand over his heart, as below him the girl screamed in rage and frustration. Then, as she put one hand on the wall intending to climb after him, Tatsuo turned and ran.

Minutes later, Tatsuo sat on the bus heading back in the direction of the mountain, his head whirling. Whatever the crazy girl’s reasons were for fighting, he had to admit, it had been glorious! He’d thought his fights with Paul had been an exception, after all everyone knew humans were puny and weak… but this girl, whoever she was, was magnificent! He wondered if there was some Oni blood in her veins, although she didn’t smell like it. To Oni, humans smelled sweet, like perfume or musky roses. Other Oni smelt more metallic, like the taste of copper or blood.

He glanced backwards over his shoulder out of the back window, and his eyes widened as he came out of his seat. The girl was behind them, on a bike, pedalling wildly. For a heart stopping moment Tatsuo thought she was catching up and his throat tightened. He didn’t know what she’d do if she caught him… and he didn’t know what he’d do either!

But then the bus started to pull ahead, and as it rounded a bend, he saw her stop in the middle of the road, one foot on the ground, bike slewed side on, glaring.

Tatsuo sat back down, and shook his head. Humans, they were so confusing.

Tatsuo still hadn’t figured what the hell was going on, by the time he was walking down the hill path towards the mine. He turned a corner… and froze in his tracks, surprised.

The girl was standing in the middle of the path.

She was spattered with mud, twigs and leaves caught in her long hair, strands of it dangling over her face, one bloody knee visible though her torn stocking. She stood, her hands at her side, panting, glaring at him. The bike lay off to one side, covered in mud, the front wheel buckled.

Tatsuo took a step back, wide eyed.

“What is wrong with you?!”

She stood breathing heavily for moment, and then, her face crumpling up, she wailed…

“No one likes me, no one even wants me, not even as friend! I.. I’ve never been kissed, never been on a date... I’ve never, ever, been given chocolates by anyone. Last Valentine’s day I gave a boy I liked some chocolates, and he was so terrified afterwards he quit school!”

Tatsuo blinked, utterly perplexed.

“What?”

“Look at me!”

“I don’t...”

She screamed,

“Look. At. Me!”

Tatsuo took a step back from the force of her shout… and she took several forward, until she was right in front of him, standing on tip toe so her eyes were level with his, the tips of their noses almost touching, as she yelled into his face.

“I’m a freak! I tower over everyone! Everyone is afraid of me. I’m president of the kendo club, captain of the jujitsu and the archery teams, because I thought if I brought honour to the school I’d be more popular and people would like me! Only it didn’t work! Every time I won it made things worse! Everyone said, good job, well done… and then I’d walk home alone. Because they fear me, because they see me as aloof, unapproachable and don’t even try to talk to me! How can I make friends, when every time I approach someone, they back way, stammering? You know what they call me behind my back? ‘Battleship’ Yamato.”

Tatsuo stared at the girl as she fell to her knees at his feet, sobbing.

He remembered Jiao, kneeling in front of him crying, because none of the other Oni children would play with her, because she was too precious, too fragile… too different.

Before he knew what he was doing, Tatsuo was on his knees in front of her, his arm around her with one hand cradling the back of her head. He gently wiped her tears away with a finger.

“Hey. It’s ok. I’m not scared of you.”

“Why though?! I saw you on stage and you looked like you weren’t afraid of anything. I thought... maybe... since you were taller than me... But then the fight happened and you just watched... and I thought you wanted the other girls to fight over you and I thought I could do this. But the fight stopped before I could do anything, so I thought... if I fought you, maybe... So I did my best and you won! And then.. then.. you ran away! Why did you run?”

Tatsuo stared at her, bewildered.

“Um, you know that’s a little crazy, right?”

“Yeah. Now. But... why aren’t you repelled by me? Is it because your sisters are so tall and muscular? You’re used to it?”

“Hoi, are you suggesting I like my sisters just a little bit too much?”

The girl shook her head wildly, her long pony tail whipping in the air.

“No! Nonono..!”

“I was joking.”

“Oh! Aha, hahahaha!”

“That is least convincing laugh I’ve ever heard.”

“Sorry.”

“Ok…” Tatsuo sighed heavily. “...let’s start over. Hello, my name is Tatsuo Lǜ shān.”

“I… I am Katsu Yamato. Um. You have a Chinese name?”

“My parents were refugees.”

“Oh! I… I’m sorry.”

“The raffle and the fight wasn’t my idea. That was someone’s idea of a joke. I don’t date hu… ah, girls. Or boys! People, anyone! I just don’t date… at all.”

“Why not?”

Tatsuo stopped, really wishing he had Paul’s facility with inventing stories. How could he explain he was leader to a clan of Oni, and that getting involved with a human woman would only bring disaster?

“Umm. Reasons.”

Katsu eyed him doubtfully, biting her lip.

“You... don’t have to invent something, if you don’t want me. Just say... no. I’m used to it. Just tell me truthfully. Please. I’m so tired of people lying to me, because they’re too scared.”

Tatsuo made a small growling sound of frustration.

“You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me, please… you.. you’re not.. you don’t like...boys?”

“NO!”

“Then what?”

“I’m an Oni!”

Tatsuo snapped his mouth shut so fast he bit his tongue. But it was too late, the words had slipped out. Katsu stared at him, then slowly she stood up. Her face was as cold and distant as the moon on a winter’s night.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you. I’ll be going now.”

“Katsu. I am, really!”

“Stop, lying! I don’t care what reason you have, or if you think it’s stupid. I don’t even care if it’s because you think I’m a freak or ugly. But at least tell me the truth!”

Tatsuo growled, stood up, and tore off the bracelet holding the disguise spell, throwing it to one side. He suddenly towered above the human girl, for all her tallness. His eyes smouldering in the gathering darkness like hot coals, his horns a deep glossy black, small tusks protruding from his lower jaw, silver hair falling over ruddy coloured skin that was taut over inhuman musculature.

“There. Now... go on, scream, run away. Tell everyone where the Oni live. So we are driven out of our homes once again, or are slaughtered down to the last child. Like so many times before.”

Katsu stared at him, shock and surprise on her face. Then, she reached up, and grabbing Tatsuo’s horns, pulled his head down level with hers… and kissed him. Deeply, passionately and at great length.

Hours later the Moon was sending long spears of pale silver light between the bamboo stems as Tatsuo rested on his side, admiring Katsu’s beauty as she lay in his arms. Her pale skin drank in the moonlight, almost seeming to glow in it’s silver-blue light. The hollows of her naked body were filled with shadows as inky black as her hair.

The same silvery light turned Tatsuo’s russet skin a darker hue, until he seemed to be carved of shadows, with only the highlights of his glossy horns, and his silver hair throwing back the moonlight, until it seemed as if he was carved from the starry sky and wore the moon on his head.

Idly Tatsuo traced his fingertips across the soft swell of Katsu’s breasts, over the taut rippled surface of her abdomen, and down onto the soft velvet skin overlaying the iron of her thighs, marvelling at the complexity of textures and sensations.

Katsu sighed, content, and rested her head against him.

Tatsuo felt slightly stunned still. He wasn’t sure exactly why what had happened, had happened, and he knew that there would be hell to pay later... but right now, he felt far too lazily relaxed to care much.

“Hoi, Katsu… we can’t stay here all night.”

“Don’t want to go anywhere else. I want to lie in your arms forever.”

Tatsuo had to admit, that didn’t sound like a bad idea... although he could think of a few things to do besides just lying there.

It was while he was showing Katsu what some of those were that he felt something cold and wet land on the back of his neck, and then another on his back… within moments, and long before the pair were even partly dressed, the rain started to fall, big fat drops hammering into the ground as if they had a personal vendetta against the soil.

Laughing, mostly naked, carrying what clothing they had failed to put on in a bundle, the pair ran up the path to the temple complex, heading for one of the unoccupied guest-houses. Tatsuo caught Katsu up in his arms and carried her the last few yards up the short path and across the threshold, shoving the door behind him closed with a kick, as she kissed him with abandon.

Outside the rain poured down, plastering to the ground the clothing that Katsu had been carrying and had dropped as Tatsuo had swept her off her feet.

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Paul and Rin had bid adieu to Saori the naga and her guardians then went to look for Inari and the others. Paul absently noticed a girl making her determined way though the crowd in the direction he thought Tatsuo had left.

He noticed because she was unusually tall for a western girl, much less Japanese, almost as tall as Paul was, making her head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the crowd. Paul watched as she cut through the crowd like a warship through a flotilla of smaller craft, her long black pony tail bobbing as she strode in a determined manner. He had a faint recollection of her being one of the girls on the edge of the cat fight earlier and wondered if she was after Tatsuo, maybe as revenge for one of her friends. Paul shrugged inwardly, it wasn’t as if Tatsuo would need any help defending himself against one lone girl, even assuming that was the case.

Paul peered around and spotted Yuko and Yuri, Inari and Kiko bracketed between them. Shoko and Jiao had gotten coloured sparklers from somewhere and were a little further down the beach, using the sparklers to ‘draw’ pictures in the air.

As Paul came up behind the group, the ever-watchful Oni sisters saw him. Yuri winked at him, and said nothing to Inari who was watching Shoko play, Kiko leaning against her, head on her shoulder.

Paul stole up to the pair quietly, leaned in, and said.

“Boo!”

Kiko jumped slightly, while Inari just laughed.

“Oh eek! A ghost come to haunt us.”

Paul chuckled, putting his arms around the shoulders of both of them, resting his chin on Inari’s shoulder.

“I played a ghost once in a school play you know. I was the Ghost of Christmas Past...”

“Oh? Were you any good?”

“Terrible! Imagine a squeaky voiced, scrawny lad of twelve trying to play the part of this huge, booming spirit… I was getting laughter where Charles Dickens never intended it.”

Inari laughed, leaning back against Paul.

“Hard to imagine you as a scrawny young boy...”

“I was though… even today I don’t put on that much weight, despite my love of cooking and rather more sedate life.”

“Sedate?”

“In comparison to a war zone, Inari.”

“Ah, yes… I suppose so. Far less running and being shot at.”

“Yup. And a vast improvement it is to. Oh! Drat, I just remembered something, I’ll be back in a second. I need to find some place quiet to summon Aimi-chan. I said I would once the sun was down and before the fireworks started.”

“Of course, she wouldn’t want to miss those.”

Kiko spoke up.

“May I come with you and watch Paul-san? Inari has been teaching me some magic and I’d like to observe.”

“Oh sure, no problem. Inari, why don’t you wait here with Rin and the others and chat.”

Inari looked doubtfully at Paul, and lowering her voice, asked.

“Are you sure Paul-san? Have you and Rin talked?”

“A little, I think a more in-depth talk can wait until we can get some privacy. But… take the time to get to know Rin, that’s all I ask. Be honest, Rin knows now you don’t remember anything about them, and I’ve suggested a couple of reasons why. Rin is willing to work on rebuilding your relationship, so meet them halfway, ok?”

“Ok… I may not remember Rin, but my feelings are still there. I still love them as a mother does.”

“Don’t tell me, tell Rin, because that would be a good place to start. Rin thinks you don’t trust them..”

“Ah… oh dear.”

“Yeah. I’ll leave you to it then. Back in a jiffy.”

Inari gave Paul a puzzled look

“A what?”

Paul grinned, impishly.

“Measure of time, somewhere between a jot and two shakes of a lamb’s tail. See you later.”

Paul strode off, laughing, a giggling Kiko hard on his heels.

After a short stop at a food stall, Paul found a quiet area backstage to set up the summoning spell. Kiko sat on a nearby crate, watching, as Paul finished the spell and chanted.

“Aimi-chan, Aimi-chan, Aimi-chan, I summon thee, I summon thee, I summon thee.”

Aimi-chan stepped through the glowing rectangle as if it was a door… and ginned at Paul, which was a bit shark-like as she was in her ‘vengeful ghost’ state.

“Hoi Paul-san, that beats taking the bus!”

Paul grinned, and drew the fearsome looking ghost girl into a one armed hug, presenting her with a double cheeseburger with curly fries.

“Thought you might be hungry. Sorry it’s not home made but they’re pretty good.”

“Eee! Thank you Paul-san! You’ll turn me into a gaki at this rate!”

Kiko choked on her soda as she snorted in laughter, causing Paul to look over at her, puzzled.

“Sorry, Paul-san. A gaki can mean either a hungry ghost, or a spoiled brat of a child.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Nice double pun Aimi-chan!”

Aimi-chan bobbed a slight bow in acknowledgement, as her mouth was rather full at the time. She swallowed and picked up one of the fries from her cardboard tray.

“Hey, what’s with these fries?”

“Thought you’d like to try something new, curly spicy chilli fries.”

Aimi-chan took a cautious sniff, then a small bite. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, fanning it.

“Too spicy?” Paul asked.

“No! They’re good!”

Kiko and Aimi-chan chatted amicably as they went back to rejoin the rest of their party. Despite Aimi-chan not hiding her appearance, no-one looked at them askance. Aimi-chan had brought a change of clothes with her for Kiko, who was now wearing a rather archaic set of Miko’s robes over her modern attire. Apparently they were planning on joining the torchlight parade in costume later, as a pair, miko and ghost.

Paul smiled as he spotted Inari and Rin sitting on the sea wall, flanked by Yuko and Yuri at some distance. Evidently they’d made up somewhat, as Rin was talking animatedly with Inari, gesturing widely as Rin tried to illustrate some point or other. Inari doubled over laughing loudly at whatever Rin was saying; Rin was laughing too, and leaned forward until their foreheads nearly touched.

“You two look like you’re having fun.”

“Hoi Paul-san! Inari’s memory isn’t all gone!”

“Oh?”

Inari looked up, her eyes sparkling with tears of laughter.

“Rin started telling me about something from their childhood.. and I remembered it! Not all, but bits!”

Rin nodded vigorously.

“I started filling in the bits she didn’t remember and, well... there’s still holes but some of it came back.”

“That’s wonderful Inari, Rin! It figures though, memory is like a web, break a bunch of strands and stuff gets isolated and forgotten.. but if there’s even just one strand left connected, you can find a way back in. Or at least, so I’ve read.”

Rin nodded.

“He’s right Inari, we should try tugging more strands, see what else we can find.”

Inari nodded smiling.

“I’d love too! I don’t like the feeling of there being blank spots in my mind and I want to regain those precious memories of you dear, and your siblings. To preserve them in memory.”

Paul tilted his head, looking thoughtful.

“You know what Inari, maybe you should write all this stuff down, offload the task of remembering so to speak. Maybe the problem is that you’re trying to shove a few thousands years worth of memory into a mortal brain?”

Both Rin and Inari stared at Paul, surprised. Rin broke the momentarily startled silence.

“Hey, he’s right, that could be why…”

“But… my memory was.. not good even before I incarnated.”

Paul shrugged.

“Well.. what is the memory capacity of a kami anyway? Anyone know?”

“Hoi.. good point! Mother Inari, maybe you’re just getting near your limit?”

“I.. don’t know if there is a limit, but I suppose it’s possible. Still, it would be a good idea to write down everything important… but that would be quite a task.”

Kiko interjected.

“Not with a modern computer.. I’m not an expect but I can type at seventy words per minute; a proper secretary is much faster… as fast as you could speak certainly. It would be a wonderful resource to have. A first-hand account of SO much history!”

Paul nodded.

“Ok, then, although keeping a simple journal would be a good first step, Inari. A lot is going to happen in a very short space of time soon, it would be a good idea to keep a personal record. It’s something I’ve been doing for quite some time actually.”

Inari’s ears literally perked up at that.

“Oh? You have a journal? Might one read it.. if it’s not too personal that is! I would like to get to know my Herald better though.”

Paul was silent for a moment, staring down at the ground, his face shrouded in shadow. Then he nodded slightly.

“Alright. I will give you the password for it, tomorrow. But… there’s rather a lot of very private stuff in it. As well as the usual ‘got up, weather awful, wrote all day, went to bed’ sort of thing. I’m trusting you with my innermost thoughts and feelings Inari.”

Inari nodded slowly.

“I understand Paul-san. And I am honoured. I will not talk of it to anyone unless you ask me. You have my promise.”

Inari used her fingertip to trace a cross over her heart, leaving a faintly glowing trail behind each swift stroke, which slowly faded and vanished. Paul blinked, surprised.

“That...was more than a simple ‘cross my heart’ wasn’t it?”

“Yes. A serious promise made by a god or goddess, sealed by magic, cannot be broken easily.”

“Thank you Inari. Hmm... looks like the fireworks are getting ready to start, care to take a walk with me, see if we can get a better view?”

Inari smiled, nodding.

“Rin, I’m trusting you to look after Shoko for me.”

“As you wish Mother Inari. I promise I’ll keep her out of trouble.”

“Don’t make promises that are impossible to keep Rin!”

Rin laughed, shaking their head.

“Fair point, I shall try to keep her out of trouble, mostly.”

Inari snuggled into Paul’s side as they walked along the beach, holding on to his arm. They’d gone a short distance along the arc of the natural cove when Paul stopped, and indicated a log of driftwood.

“Let’s sit there Inari.”

“Mm. My legs are tired.”

Inari shivered slightly in the cool breeze as she sat next to Paul. Without saying a word, he slid out of his coat, and put it around her shoulders. Inari sighed as she settled against his chest.

“I’m glad you made me stay Paul-san. Today has been a good day. One I’ll treasure the memory of for as long as I exist.”

“Me too, Inari, me too… even if that is likely to be less than you.”

Inari shrugged.

“None of us know how long we have. I could beg special dispensation for you, since you are my Herald. I could even fetch you back if I had to, provided you had not moved on yet.”

“Hm. Well, that’s something I’ll need to think about. Tomorrow. However, tonight I owe you a kiss.”

“Oh, that… you don’t have to Paul. The day has been it’s own reward.”

Paul chuckled.

“Ever graceful Inari. Thank you for giving me a way to back out while saving face. But it’s not necessary. I had a bit of a think about it in between other things, and came to the conclusion that Kate would probably box my ears if I didn’t. Quite apart from the fact she’d never approve of reneging on a bet, she told me often enough she was comfortable enough with our relationship, she didn’t mind me flirting or even kissing other women. I just never took her up on that pass before. Never met anyone I wanted to.”

“And now?”

“..and now.”

Paul bent his head and very gently kissed Inari on the lips. Feeling her still, he drew back, looking a question at her. Inari wrapped an arm around his neck, drawing him down, parting her lips as they met eagerly, her tongue exploring, caressing. Paul cradled the back of Inari’s head, one thumb finding the sensitive base of her ear, rubbing gently, making circles as her body arched towards him, molding her slender body against his solid frame.

Inari made a soft liquid sound deep in her throat, as Paul lifted her into his lap, kissing the hollow of her throat, before trailing small kisses up onto her lips, covering her mouth again with his as she wrapped both her arms around his neck, holding onto him as if she’d drown in his kisses.

Unnoticed by either of them, the fireworks display started bursting in the air above them.

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