Chapter 323

Chapter 323
Kenji placed his hand on the elevator wall beside Ice's head, his gaze unbreaking.
​"Rule number one: no condoms," he repeated calmly.
​Ice burst out laughing, patting Kenji's shoulder as he did. "Alright, alright, I know you're trying so hard to prove you're not all that boring. I get it, and seriously, you got me with this one... that's a funny joke." He cleared his throat. "Who would have thought Japan's most successful businessman knew how to joke?" He tried to subtle Kenji's brazenness, but it only seemed to aggravate the fire in Kenji's eyes.
​Kenji smirked, straightening. "We'll see, kitten."
​Ice didn't get to respond as the door hissed open and Kenji strode out with proud shoulders.
​He sighed and strode out, pulling his phone from his pocket as he followed Kenji out of the building.
​Tar was calling.
​He gritted his teeth in anger. What did he want? Did he not see the news Kenji put out?
​He wasn't going to answer it; there was no need to entertain his sly cousin. He currently had a weirdly mysterious husband to deal with. He was so sure as hell that Kenji was joking earlier because... why wouldn't he be joking?
​Did he really want to have sex with him?
​Why, then?
​They had only met once at a Parisian beach six months ago—was that enough to... Ice paused his thoughts, slowly realizing the reality.
​He knew men like Kenji, always trying to prove a point. He hurt Kenji's ego six months ago; maybe getting him in bed was Kenji's way of regaining his bruised ego.
​He chuckled.
​Then Kenji was in for some real disappointment. Ice needed Kenji's help, not his dick. And as it was, they were both helping each other—no one was doing anyone a favor, so he had every right to stand his ground and refuse manipulation.
​As he walked through the door, he saw the security man bowing to him and smiling. He felt sorry for lying to the man, but he had no other choice at that moment.
​He returned the respectful bow and stepped into the sunny afternoon. He glanced around and couldn't find Kenji anywhere.
​"Where did he go?" he muttered.
​He was about heading to his car when a black-tinted car rolled in front of him, the driver's window slowly winding down.
​"Get in," Kenji gestured with his head to the passenger's seat.
​Ice frowned. "It's alright, I drove here."
​"Your car is safe here, kitten. Get in," he ordered.
​Ice had a feeling they might stay there arguing about whether he fit in the car or not, so he walked around and got in beside Kenji.
​"Seat belt," Kenji stated.
​"I know," Ice replied, his seat belt clicking in place.
​Soon, they were weaving through the Tokyo streets, and Ice stared out the window, thinking about how the world was such a small place.
​A few days ago, he was frantic, searching for a solution; last night, he made a crazy decision; and now, he was married to a familiar stranger who happened to be Japan's most eligible bachelor.
​"They don't know, do they?" Kenji suddenly spoke up.
​Ice turned, raising his brow. "Huh?" He gently released the tie around his neck, finally breathing properly as he pulled it off, shoving it into his pocket.
​Kenji smirked, peeking at the slight tattoo showing as Ice undid his first two buttons. "Your parents. Do they know the version of you from the beach?"
​Ice frowned. "Why? Asking so you could blackmail me by threatening to expose me to them?" he questioned.
​Kenji smiled calculatedly. "You're smart. And you're right, too."
​Ice sat up, frowning. "You can't blackmail me," he bit out.
​"Oh, but I can." Kenji glanced at Ice's face, then his lips. "And I will. Now, be a good boy and simply do whatever I ask you to do... properly," he ordered huskily.
​Ice blinked, his eyes flying to Kenji's lips for a second before they hardened. "Fuck you—"
​"Oh, that's my plan, kitten. Not just here," Kenji murmured, his eyes turning dark as they locked on Ice's pink lips.
​Ice clenched his fists. "Listen," he turned to fully face Kenji, "if we're working together, there's going to be a whole lot of fucking rules." He seethed, slowly leaning toward Kenji.
​"I only agreed to marry you for business purposes; sex was never the plan, and I will not let you blackmail me into sleeping with you. If you're so horny, call an agency to provide you with whatever you like. Some of us have dignity," he stated.
​"Relax, kitten—"
​"Ice, or Mr. Arisaka," Ice cut him off sternly.
​Kenji was quiet for a while, driving into the exclusive estate.
​"Kitten... relax," Kenji murmured, driving through the towering white gates.
​Ice sighed, looking through the windshield to see the beautiful white mansion in front of him. He scoffed, never understanding why anyone would waste so much money acquiring a property they wouldn't use.
​He knew because his father used to have one like this before his mother sold it after their company meltdown. Why buy a house with many rooms when you literally just sleep in one?
​Okay, the living room and kitchen are essential, but that's it. He might be born rich, but he saw more to life than just money, and he hated that these rich folks spent money on material things instead of really using it to better the world.
​"Are you coming out?" Kenji knocked on Ice's door.
​Ice blinked rapidly, realizing he'd spaced out. "Yeah." He quickly got out of the car, straightening his clothes.
​Without speaking, Kenji walked toward the house, his stride slow but intimidating.
​Ice took a deep breath and trailed behind him. The moment he walked into the house, his eyes almost got blinded by how bright everything was.
​He didn't peg Kenji as the white-design guy; he was expecting dark designs, but instead, he met the opposite.
​The sofa, TV, walls, tiles—everything was immaculate, as if this were some earthly angels' resort.
​It looked intimidating and annoying, and it showed just how controlling Kenji was. White was a delicate yet powerful color. Keeping it clean was the trick, and it takes discipline to maintain it, which boiled down to Kenji's boring life.
​Ice knew that he would leave a dozen stains on the walls if he lived here. He'd throw a party each night and have the fingerprints of drunken people in replacement of the wall paintings.
​"Do you ever party?" Ice questioned.
​Kenji nodded. "Yes."
​"I doubt that," Ice muttered, walking toward the large television.
​Kenji hummed. "You do not know me," he stated.
​Ice spun around, eyes widened in mock shock. "Ah, now you recognize we're strangers? So you ask every stranger to sleep with you?" he poked.
​Kenji walked over to Ice, pausing right in front of him. "No, kitten... just strangers I'm married to," he whispered.
​Ice shook his head in disbelief. "I am not comfortable with this, Kenji. I promise you, I have not punched your teeth down your throat because—"
​"You're one wild cat, Ice, but I've got my leash on you, and you know it. Behave," Kenji said smoothly, touching the tip of Ice's nose before walking away.
​"I'll show you to your room," Kenji said, heading toward the stairs.
​"What room?" Ice was slowly getting pissed off by Kenji's continuous disrespect.
​Kenji paused at the foot of the stairs, facing Ice. "You surely do not think we will live separately. We are married, kitten. We live together."
​Ice was about to reply when his phone suddenly rang again.
​Tar was calling.
​With his mood already ruined, he answered the call, ready to give Tar a piece of his mind.
​However, the phone was pulled out of his hand before he could answer.
​"What are you doing?" Ice asked.
​"You don't need to explain anything to anyone. We'll do that when we go to see your parents," Kenji said, ending the call and giving the phone back to Ice.
​"About that, there's something you should know—"
​"That you like men but would prefer to be a coward and hide it from your parents, continuing to play their straight, perfect son with hidden tattoos and piercings?" Kenji listed calmly.
​Ice smiled. "You know what? You're right." He nodded. "And that's not all. We do not just tell them that we're married for love like you made the president believe. We tell them what it really is: a beneficial agreement for both parties until each of us achieves our goals," he stated.
​Kenji smiled. "Agreed... on one condition," he whispered, suddenly closing the distance between them.
​Ice sighed, not moving from his position. He tightened his jaw and glared at Kenji. "I am not sleeping with you," he spat.
​Kenji nodded once again, his face inches apart from Ice's. "I'm not asking that... yet." He smirked.
​"What do you want?" Ice questioned, refusing to back down.
​"You seem to have a lot of favors to ask. For each favor, I require a payment," Kenji informed, his hands slowly pulling Ice in.
​Ice immediately placed his hands on Kenji's chest, resisting. "How much are we talking?"
​Kenji shook his head. "Priceless. Just one priceless kiss for each request you dare to make." He smirked.
​Ice chuckled. "You think I'm kidding you again?"
​Kenji shrugged, releasing Ice. "I guess your mother would be thrilled to see footage of you from the beach. You remember Sebastian? He's the owner of the resort, and trust me, he's keen with those security footages. One call, and your mother would see exactly—"
​"Shut up." Ice yanked Kenji's collar, pulling his face down. "You will do no such thing," he seethed.
​Kenji only smiled, waiting.
​"I've built my image from scratch; you have no right to tarnish it," Ice muttered.
​Kenji nodded. "Do what you need to do, kitten," he whispered huskily, his eyes falling to Ice's pink lips.
​Ice seethed, his grip tightening on Kenji’s collar until his knuckles turned white. His heart hammered a fierce, irregular rhythm against his ribs, driven by raw fury and the suffocating proximity of the man holding all the cards.
​Kenji didn’t even flinch. He just stood there, wrapped in that immaculate luxury cologne, his dark eyes fixed on Ice’s mouth with an expectant, maddening patience.
​"Fine," Ice hissed, the word a bitter vow against Kenji's lips. "You want your payment? Take it."
​Ice closed the remaining distance with a sudden, sharp jerk. He slammed his mouth against Kenji’s, intending for the kiss to be an act of pure, unyielding defiance—a hard, punishing bruise to show this arrogant CEO that he couldn't be broken. He kept his lips rigidly locked, pressing forward with an aggressive, unwilling force, trying to push Kenji back, to make him feel the bite of his anger.
​But Kenji didn't budge. He absorbed the impact like stone, his hands remaining casually in his pockets, refusing to play into the hostility.
​Realizing his attempt at dominance was failing against Kenji's infuriating stillness, Ice’s tactics shifted. A dark, reckless streak of his nighttime persona flared to life. If he couldn't bruise Kenji's lips, he would drive him crazy.
​Ice slowed the pressure, letting his lips soften just a fraction against Kenji's. He deliberately flicked the very tip of his tongue over Kenji’s bottom lip—an agonizingly brief, teasing swipe—before pulling back just a millimeter. He let his breath mingle with Kenji's, his blue eyes narrowing into a challenge as he deliberately dragged the soft skin of his mouth back and forth in a slow, tormenting friction, mimicking an invitation he had absolutely no intention of fulfilling.
​It was a dangerous game of tease-and-retreat, a silent taunt whispering, You can look, you can blackmail, but you can't touch.
​He expected Kenji to snap, to break his professional composure and pull him in. Instead, Kenji simply let out a low vibration of a chuckle deep in his throat, a sound that vibrated straight through Ice's chest.
​Before Ice could pull away entirely to claim victory, Kenji’s hand shot out of his pocket. His long fingers wrapped firmly around the nape of Ice’s neck, his thumb anchoring under Ice's jaw with a sudden, terrifying strength that froze Ice in place.
​"An unwilling payment," Kenji murmured against his wet lips, his breath hot and commanding, "is subject to interest, kitten."