Chapter 23

Kurtis

Unhooking Astari's hands, I grab her and carry her to the bathroom. Placing her on her feet, I lean over the tub and turn the water on. Some buttons on the side seem to be associated with the liquids in containers next to the tub. Pressing one, the tub begins to smell of Rosemary and fill with bubbles. Astari watches me shyly. I cannot help but chuckle. I assist her in removing the rest of her clothes before placing her into the tub.

"Are you not getting in?" She asks.

"No." There's no way I would be able to hold myself back if I got in the tub with her. Instead, I grab a sponge and begin washing her back.

"Not that I am complaining, but what changed your mind…." Astari asks, avoiding my gaze.

"Changed my mind about what?" I ask her as I move the sponge to her arms.

"Um… about… what we just did." I move her hair to the other side to see her face clearly.

"I had only considered there were other ways to please you. Then you asked about Danielle and Lady Alisha. So I decided I could compromise now. Originally I was going to wait a little while longer." I answer as I move the sponge across her collarbone.

"You don't have handcuffs in here, do you?"

"No. But I might consider it." I laugh.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous in a bathtub?"

"Then perhaps the shower?" I drag the sponge across her breasts, and she gasps. I slowly slide it over the mounds and peaks in a circular motion.

"Focus." She says, slapping her face with her hands. Finally, she pushes my hand away, snatching the sponge first. "I can wash myself."

"Mn." I laugh and sit back, watching her.

"So you're saying Danielle and Lady Alisha did what you did."

"Whether she did or not, only Danielle can say. I showed you what women do to please one another in such relationships."

"How do you know?" Astari glances over her shoulder with suspicious eyes.

"So fierce." I laugh again. "I am a man. I have seen flicks. If you're asking if I have seen it in person, my answer is no."

"I see." She relaxes. Finishing washing herself, she leans back in the tub, using her hair to cover those delectable mounds. I leave her alone for now, but if she thinks that will be enough to keep me from playing with her, she'll find out that nothing can stop it soon enough.

"What are you going to do about the Shin? What happened 10 years ago?"

"10 years ago, Myo and I were just entering training with Chief Kwan and my father. We weren't here."

"The council made it appear as if you should know, though."

"No. I don't know, Myo might know, but the Yaotián and the oldest Sooyung would definitely know. You could ask Prince Xaoi-He, Prince Yantián, or Prince Xie-Yu. Although, Prince Xie-Yu may not be a good choice at the moment. Lady Yanyun is also another you could ask."

"Do you support marriage between Lady Alisha and Prince Jaidan?"

"This… this might be why my father left in a hurry. Someone on the State council must have tipped him off. They didn't have a resolution, leaving it to Chief Yaotián to sort out. Also, it seems Chief Yaotián already knew this as well. His wording was very exact."

"What do you mean?"

"He said, 'Those responsible will pay.' He doesn't seem thrilled about the situation, and I cannot blame him. If Chief Yaotián wasn't in the KBS Alliance, especially now that he is one of the lead branches, he would have already taken action. His position is much more difficult than mine now; he cannot act rashly." I lean forward and grab her hair. There's a brush on the side of the tub, and I use it to begin brushing her hair.

"What if they find out that you are the future leader?"

"Nothing, I am not the leader. I am sure they will still address this issue with me. I had no desire to talk about it today. I need time to process this. The Alliance is in a tough position. The State Council only agreed to allow the Alliance to do as they pleased in China if they could maintain and control the other syndicates in the area. If what Fang Kai says is true, then the south has calmed down because of the presence of the Shin."

"With the backing of KBS, the Shin will be able to completely quell the chaos. There's a lot of lawlessness down there. So many unsanctioned smuggling and drug lords. Kids are being abducted, and drugs are circling through primary and secondary schools. Jaidan has been able to clean up the southwest while Ruyun has cleaned up the northwest. I am sure that's how Lady Alisha even heard of Jaidan. He's closer to her area than any of the other Alliance members besides the Wen Syndicate."

"Do you think it was Alisha's idea to marry Jaidan?"

"No, not initially anyway. But I think that Alisha approached Danielle with that in mind. However, Danielle wasn't interested in anyone." My hands move down her collarbone to her breasts.

"I cannot imagine Danielle doing this with her secretaries," Astari says, grabbing my hands to stop me.

"Just ask her yourself." Leaning down, I kiss her lips and break free of her grasp.

My hand continues down her body. I insert a finger into her, slowly moving it, using my thumb to caress her clitoris. My other hand grabs her arms, forcing them to her chest as I refuse to stop kissing her. I swallow her moans and move my finger faster as her hips begin to fuck my finger. I don't stop until her body finally stops spazzing from repeat orgasms. Draining the tub, I wrap her in a robe and tuck her in bed before heading to the shower to take care of myself.