SIMOUN'S POV

I flipped through my phone, checking my emails while my eyes darted to the clock on my phone. Not only was Kai in the fucking hospital with food poisoning all of a sudden, the woman he apparently hired to occupy my side was late. Kai's "bright idea" to seal this deal for me was fifteen minutes late. I hated it when others were late. I hated it more than not working. Punctuality ruled my world, and this sorry excuse for a woman already had me fifteen minutes behind schedule. A had a dozen different businesses I ran within a given day. I couldn't afford to wait hand and foot on a woman who spent too much time dousing on mascara and applying fake eyelashes.

I glanced out the window as I shot a text off to Kai. didn't like that he was sick. Not only did that leave me down the only person I trusted in my world, but I couldn't stay behind to make sure he was okay. Kai was a bachelor like myself, so if the hospital staff weren't taking care of him, then he was in bed until things like this passed. I should've known things would go terribly wrong once he told me he was sick and not able to make it to Japan.

"Miss Villadoza?"

"Yes, Mr. Cardenas?"

"Go ahead and close the door. Apparently, my other passenger isn't going to be making it either," I said.

"Yes, Mr. Cardenas. We'll get you up in the air soon enough."

I watched my personal flight attendant walk over to the stairs to get them pulled up. I tried Kai's bright idea. It wasn't my fault the woman didn't know how to set an alarm. I tried it, and it didn't work. Which meant I was officially off the hook. Then, I heard the clicking of heels coming up the stairs.

"Sir?" the flight attendant asked.

"Yes?"

"I believe your party has arrived."

A woman came around the corner, and the second I saw her, two things happened. My cock stiffened against my pants, and my anger flew out of control. I gripped my phone tightly as the long-legged, brown-haired beauty came walking down the aisle with her head held high, her long neck accented with a dainty emerald necklace and her suitcase rolling behind her.

It was the beauty I told Kai not to hire.

When it rained in my world, it poured.

"Mr. Cardenas. I'm Amber. Your companion for the week."

She came close and held out her hand, and her scent blanketed me. Musky, with a slight hint of fruit. An expensive scent that forced all the veins in my groin to pulse. I looked down at her hand, at the dainty fingers decorated in the slimmest rings. Rose gold, a beautiful color that accented the lightly tanned nature of her softness. I was so distracted by her grace and her long, fluid legs that I'd almost forgotten to respond.

This was exactly what I didn't want to happen.

Exactly what I didn't need this week.

"Simoun Cardenas," I said as I took her hand. "But call me Sion. Or any other pet name you wish to regard me as for the week."

"I took a look at the file my boss put together on you. I thought something along the lines of 'honey' or 'darling' might suffice."

I whipped my gaze up to hers, and she graced me with the smallest grin. A sense of humor. A dry sense of humor.

My cock throbbed as I gazed into her hazel eyes.

Her long brown hair was set in natural waves that cascaded just beyond her shoulders. Her eyes were highlighted with a neutral eyeshadow and cat-winged eyeliner that drew me into her mysterious grace. Her shoulders were strong yet harnessed a delicacy that dripped into her voluptuous bosom. Her waist fell inward, beckoning to my hands as I took in the softness and warmth of her handshake. I released her, concerned that if I kept a grip on her I'd soon find my palms at her hips with my face between her thighs.

What I wouldn't give to toss those legs over my shoulders and fold her in half.

"Mr. Cardenas? Miss Amber? It's time to buckle up and take off."

I peeled my gaze away from her face and nodded toward my flight attendant.

"Of course, thank you, Miss Villadoza. Amber, won't you take a seat?"

"I'll get these for you," the flight attendant said as she took Amber's suitcase.

She sat down with ease into the leather seat across the aisle from me. Her deft fingers quickly buckled her body into the seat before she crossed one smooth leg over the other. My eyes drifted along her lines, along the long form she donned before taking in her heels-red-bottomed with a black, sleek outline. Saucy, but with a conservative cover. I felt the back of my neck heat as I cleared my throat.

I didn't have time for distractions. Not when a huge deal like Onel Satoh's partnership was on the line. I released the grip on my phone and opened up a text message to Kai. I had a very serious bone to pick with him.

To: Kai

What the hell is wrong with you? This was the woman I specifically asked you not to request.

He shot back with a response that made me chew on my inner cheek.

From: Kai

I did. Her name was Samara. But her passport was expired, and Amber was the only other woman with the necessary skills to pull this off. She'll be fine. Good luck.

I was tempted to shoot him a text message back to tell him to choke on his own vomit, but I resisted. The plane began to taxi on the tarmac, and I slipped my phone in my pocket. I needed to calm myself down. Take deep breaths and not think about the fact that the most beautiful woman alive was sitting across the damn aisle from me. I snuck a glance at her and watched her turn her head. That long, graceful neck swiveled, and her veins rolled underneath her glistening skin. I held back a groan as I watched her gaze out the window, losing herself in her own little world as she folded her hands in her lap.

She was perfect for the role. Even when she thought no one was looking at her, she held herself with a poise I only found in women raised with riches around them.

I wondered what her life was like outside of that website.

"Have you ever been to Japan before?"

Her voice caught me off guard as the plane leveled out in the air.

"I haven't," I said.

"It's a beautiful place. I enjoy walking around it at night. I went to see one of my favorite operas in the New National Theater Tokyo."

She turned her gaze to me, and I watched her eyes twinkle.

"You enjoy opera," I said.

"Very much so. My favorite Madama Butterfly , but Kurofune is a very close second. There's this bakery that sits not too far down from the opera house, actually. They make these wonderful apple strudels that make me salivate even before I turn the corner. And if you make your way to the 'snack market,' as they so accurately call it, there's this chocolate shop that has a small edible city that lines the wall of the shop. You can actually pay a small fee and choose what part of the city you want to devour and then watch them make a replacement in the back. It's incredible. One of my favorite places to go, by far."

I sat there, entranced by the look on her face. She talked as if she knew the place well. The sparkle in her lovely eyes pulled me in, but the lilt in her voice and the happiness she seemed to exude kept me hooked. She told me stories of strolling up and down the streets and the street performers that had pulled her into her acts.

I enjoyed listening to her talk.

"What do you do for fun?" she asked.

I drew in a deep breath as a small smile crossed her cheeks.

"I read," I said.

"Oh, so do I. Though I'm a sucker for my tried-and-true love stories. What do you read?"

"Technical manuals. Business books. Self-help things. I enjoy staying on top of my industry as well as my mental health."

"Mental health is very important," she said. "For many, it's a constant struggle. It's a facet of many people's lives that goes unchecked because of the stigma it comes with in this culture."

A sadness permeated her eyes for a split second, and I wanted to ask her about it. But she changed the subject before I could.

"What about movies? Do you enjoy any recent ones?"

"Not really a movie-goer," I said. "Don't own a television."

"Isn't technology your industry?"

"It is, but that doesn't mean I enjoy surrounding myself with it when I'm not working."

"Are you ever not working?" she asked with a grin.

I chuckled and shook my head. She was intuitive. Another facet of her I enjoyed.

This really wasn't good.

"Would either of you enjoy anything now that our flight has stabilized?" Miss Villadoza asked.

"I would love a mimosa, if it's possible," Amber said.

"I'll take one as well," I said.

"Anything to eat?" Miss Villadoza asked.

"I'm okay for now, but thank you," Amber said.

"Two mimosas will be all, thank you," I said.

I had every intention of ignoring the drink, but I needed to get into the habit of doing things alongside her. If she ordered something, then I needed to order something. That was how being a couple worked, right? I knew she was asking me questions and telling me stories so I had some so I had some sort of backstory on her, so I needed to make sure I got into the same groove-to learn the same kinds of things about her in case Onel started asking me things about my fiancée.

The flight attendant came back with the mimosas, and Amber reached for hers. And the second she did, her dress rode up her thigh. The soft skin came into view, riding up just beyond the middle of it, and suddenly I was reaching for my drink and taking it down in one gulp. My mouth felt dry. My cock screamed out in anger. She lowered herself back into her seat, but her dress stayed put, taunting me with its softness and direct trail to the place where a woman's body was always warm.

Before I knew it, I was on my third mimosa and feeling very mellow.

Damn it. This was the problem-the issue with women like Amber. I shoved my empty glass away and pulled out my phone, relegating myself to something else other than conversing with my call girl for the week.

"So, what exactly does your business-"

"I need to work," I said.

I felt her look over at me, and I forced myself not to look back.

"Then I suppose I'll take a nap," she said.

"Enjoy."

I started responding to emails and checking on certain things as Amber leaned herself back. I had no idea how long I was staring at my phone, but the second I heard soft, even breaths coming across the aisle, I could no longer keep my eyes away from her. I tried not to stare at her as the hours passed. I attempted to get as much work done as I could. But she was too damn beautiful, and I had way too much champagne in my empty stomach.

It was going to be a very long week.

AMBER'S POV

By the time we landed in Japan, it was after midnight their time. I stretched myself a bit as the flight attendant gathered my things, and I walked behind Simoun to disembark the jet. There was a car already waiting for us, blacked out and sleek as the night sky of Japan back dropped the airport we had descended into. I still felt groggy from the flight, but with each step I took toward the car, I grew excited.

Awake. Alert. I hadn't been in Japan since my days at boarding school in China and I couldn't wait to take in all the familiar sights and smells.

I missed my former life. It enabled me to travel the world in first class at the drop of a hat. I missed having my father around. I missed indulging my sweet tooth with him. I missed watching him and my mother kiss under the Cherry blossoms tree while I'm eating my favorite sushi.

Now, I was lucky if I didn't have to fly coach.

Being on Simoun's private jet was decadent, much like the life I used to live. I hauled my things into the back of the car, watching as he bypassed me with his nose in his phone. Well, I guess I didn't need to expect a gentlemanly demeanor from him during the week. I shut the trunk and slid in beside him, trying to keep up my poise while containing my excitement.

Simoun didn't strike me as the type of man to get excited about anything.

Without a word uttered between anyone, the driver pulled off the tarmac. We traveled through streets I recognized and rushed by shops I used to shop in as a little girl. I smiled as I peered out the window at the darkened world behind the tinted windows of the SUV The partition was rolled down, and Simoun was typing away on his phone, doing whatever it was he did.

I ran through some of the information he had fed me on the plane about himself, trying to piece together who this man might be. I needed to be able to talk intelligently about him and act as if we were in love. If I'd read the file right, I was acting as his supposed fiancée. That came with an entirely different set of parameters for how I needed to address him, appear around him, and act with him.

But I didn't have much to go on. Even after a nine-hour plane ride.

The car pulled into a very old, very expensive hotel I recognized immediately: Amanemu-ishe-shima National Park. I contained my excitement as it bubbled in my gut. I'd only been to this hotel once, and it was by far the best stay I'd ever had in the country.

And even though Simoun was quiet and removed, he really was a looker.

I stole a glance at him as he started talking to the driver.

He had dark blond hair swooped meticulously to the side. He was tall, with long legs that sprawled out and comfortably occupied the space he demanded as his own. His suits were tailored to his body, allowing my eyes a peek of the lean muscle he had underneath the layers of expensive fabrics. He had on thick-framed glasses that hid his emerald-green eyes, and his long, dexterous fingers continuously rolled over his phone screen. His hands were large, his legs were strong, and his wingspan was easily double mine. His jawline looked as if it had been chiseled from marble, and his pouty lower lip jutted out whenever he was deep in concentration.

Maybe making some bonus cash with him wouldn't be as distasteful as it usually was.

I enjoyed sex.

I was an independent woman at the prime of her life. I loved it, actually. I loved experimenting with it and sweating during it. I enjoyed the sounds and the tastes and the memories it created. I considered myself a strong, independent woman, one who owned up to her faculties in life and never once shied away from things many men traditionally expected a woman of my stature to shy away from. But that didn't mean having to pretend to be aroused with random rich men who wanted what they could pay for was enjoyable. In fact, it was the exact opposite And in a lot of ways, it had spoiled sex for me.

After my first three encounters with men who wanted nothing more than to do with me as they wished, I went the other route with my temporary career. Straight arm candy, and nothing else. I enjoyed that line of work. I enjoyed clients who wanted me to be charming, intelligent, and well-mannered without all of the other stuff that came along with the reputation of a "call girl." Of the three men I'd been with throughout my career, they had one equal complaint: that it didn't seem as if I was enjoying myself. And I hadn't. I couldn't. Sex was something to be enjoyed only when one's heart was in it.

And rich men who had diaper fetishes didn't trip my trigger the way it did theirs.

Then again, I was a call girl. So why should my heart be in it? I let out a silent sigh as Simoun climbed out of the car. If he had addressed me, I'd been too deep in my thoughts to notice. I slipped out of the car and pressed my heels into the ground, then wrapped around to the trunk and grabbed my things out of the back.

The driver was grabbing his things, and I had half a mind to tell 'Simoun darling, get your shit here.'

The penthouse suite of the hotel was gorgeous, quite unlike what I remembered from my childhood. Everything had been updated. The walls had been painted a gorgeous cream color-much better than the brown they used to be. The furniture was all new. That terrible leather was gone, and it had been replaced with a microfiber that felt almost like silk. I looked around the room and smiled. Part of me wanted to regale Simoun with the memories I had of this place.

And part of me wanted to go to my room and put space between us.

"I'm going to work for a few hours, then turn in early. If you want, you can order room service. Just charge it to the room. The bar, the fridge, the snack bar-all of it you can use. The spa services as well. I want you to use those. You'll need to be relaxed and look your best this week."

"Of course," I said. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I am very eager to try the tub in the bathroom, however, so I'll make sure to keep it down."

Simoun flickered his gaze up from his phone before he turned his back on me. Without another word, he dipped for his bag and made his way into his room. That man really had a stick up his ass. I rolled my things into my bedroom and headed straight for the bathroom, pouring an insane amount of bubbles into the hot water I had running. The tub was carved deep, made specifically for those with longer legs, like myself. The marble was beautiful, and I stroked it with my fingertips. The feel of luxury underneath my toes was something I'd missed. It reminded me of a time when I was happier. A time when my family was whole.

A time when my life felt complete and not like the chaotic disaster it had become.

I placed my folded clothes into a chair in the corner of the bathroom. Then, I slipped myself underneath the bubbles. They popped along my skin as the hot water took over, and my muscles relaxed with each second that passed. I ran my foot up my smooth leg, sighing as I leaned back.

I tried to ignore the throbbing between my legs as I closed my eyes.

Simoun was good-looking. And obviously, my body thought so as well. I leaned my head back and allowed the water to soak the tendrils of my hair. The bathroom filled with the scent of rose petals, and I smoothed the bubbles over my skin, cleaning myself of that long flight and the grogginess that still lingered upon my mind.

Then, my stomach let out the loudest growl I'd ever heard in my life.

Despite the finger foods I'd had on the jet, my stomach still roared for more. So much for a long, hot bath. I slipped from the bubbles and unplugged the tub, then reached for the fluffy robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door. I wrapped myself up in its warmth and sighed. I closed my eyes and imagined the arms of my father enveloping me in their comfort. Tears rushed to the back of my eyes, and I shook them away, setting my sights on food. I needed food, not to be stuck in my past.

I headed out of my bedroom and made my way into the living room. I picked up the phone on the table and dialed the kitchen, then ordered a miniature feast fit for a queen: matsutake mushroom, a shrimp cocktail, kujira, a bottle of red wine, ruby roman grapes, and a matcha cake for dessert. I set the phone down and made my way to the couch, falling down onto it, my robe running up my legs. I sighed as

I sank into its softness. It cradled me like a cloud as I propped my heels onto the arm of it. I reached down and wiped away a small trail of bubbles that led up the outside of my thigh, the sensation causing me to giggle. My robe fell down my body even more, exposing my damp skin to the air-conditioning of the room.

Goose bumps puckered against my legs as I reached for the blanket tossed over the back of the couch.

Then, a small movement caught the corner of my eye.

SIMOUN'S POV

For the love of heaven, Amber was fucking beautiful: her skin all flushed from her bath, that little giggle of hers as trace amounts of bubbles still lingered upon her skin, the way her long legs stretched out and rested easily against the damn couch arm. She was driving me insane.

My cock had been hard since she said she was going to take a damn bath. And the second I went into my room, I couldn't stop thinking about her naked body in that warm water. I came out into the living room to enjoy the view of Tokyo from the massive windows that lined the living room, and there she was, ordering an impressive amount of food that made me salivate as well as my cock leak.

Her robe was nothing but a fluffy sheet of fabric. Here I was, trying to get some damn work done at a small table while overlooking Tokyo, and she was out there, waiting on food and exposing her legs to the point where I wanted to bend her over the damn couch and slide my cock right into her body. This fake fiancée shtick had been tempting me the entire flight, and watching her spread her long limbs out on the couch made me ache to be against her, to press her into the couch, to fuck her until she called out my name so the whole of Japan knew who she belonged to.

At least for the week.

Her eyes met mine, and that cute little smile of hers fell into a shocked sort of stare. I wasn't used to having this sort of reaction to a woman. They pursued me, never the other way around. I'd never paid any attention to them. I preferred to concentrate on building my empire and personally vetting all those I surrounded myself with. Plus, I wasn't into the gold-digging type.

Most men enjoyed that. Many men enjoyed women who gladly parted their legs as long as they bought them expensive things. But that wasn't my type of woman.

I wanted to worship a woman who worshipped me. Not my wallet.

Sure, plenty of women threw themselves at me. It happened on a regular basis. But they were always after my money. None of them wanted to know me or what I was about, nor cared a damn about my business or why I traveled. They wanted to travel with me as long as I gave them free reign of my bank account and my credit card. They didn't bother with me, so I didn't bother with them.

Period.

But then again, the sexy vixen known as Amber-whose body was sprawled out onto a couch as the lights of Tokyo twinkled against her skin-was a professional. She didn't have to know me, and I didn't have to know her. Not really. Not truly. I could use her body to satisfy my urges without regret or worry because that was what she had been hired to do. That was her profession. Hell, she was my fiancée for the week, and if I ever got engaged myself, I would most definitely take advantage of the prime situation I found myself in. If Amber was really mine, I'd rip her luscious body off that couch, pin her back against the floor-length windows, and gaze out along the beautiful city while listening to her chant my name. I could possess that beautiful body of hers, and the simple thought caused my cock to leak against my pants.

"Excuse me," I said. "Enjoy your dinner."

I felt her eyes on me as I exited the room. And the second I stripped down, I sighed with relief. My boxers were soiled, and my thighs glistened with the cum that dripped from my cock all the way from fucking Manila. I flipped on the shower and made the water as cold as I could stand it, then stepped into the stream. I let it flow over my body. I allowed it to penetrate me to my core, causing me to shiver. The cold water would help my erection go away, help my body to calm down. Help my urges to recede.

Except it didn't work at all.

I reached down for the warm water and turned it until steam filled the bathroom. Then, I laid my forearm against the wall and pressed my head into it. If I couldn't get my girth to die down, then I had another option at my disposal.

I allowed my mind to wander as I wrapped my hand around my cock. I closed my eyes and imagined myself storming into that living room. I saw myself ripping her off that couch and crashing my lips against hers, listening to her sounds as I slipped that pathetic excuse for a robe off her body. Fuck, I'd lick her from head to toe. Run my tongue around her nipples and drive my cock into her tight pussy until she gasped and cried out for mercy. I'd delay her orgasm, licking her clit and burying my face between her thick thighs until she quaked for me, only to back off and slide my cock in again.

Over and over, interchanging and driving her wild. My cock. My tongue. My fingers. Each one different than the last. I saw myself slamming into her pussy, inching my way into her asshole. Sliding between those pillowy lips of hers that were still clad in a crimson shade of red that made my balls hang low with want. I licked my lips and stroked my cock. I squeezed it as I imagined myself tossing her legs over my shoulders. I'd pin Amber's wrists above her head and pound into her, listening to our sounds of wetness as she arched into me, pressing her tits into my face. She'd explode on me as her juices sprayed from her pussy and soaked my skin...

"Fucking... hell... shit."

My legs pulled taut, and my balls pulled up into my body. I felt Amber's lips against mine as her sighs and giggles of pleasure filled my ears. I fucked my hand, shooting thick threads of cum against the shower wall.

And even as I sank to my knees, heaving for air, my mind still lingered.

What I wouldn't give to trace my fingertips along the outline of her long legs. What I wouldn't give to lick her from head to toe, listening as she gasped my name. What I wouldn't give to taste the sweetness of her juices on the tip of my tongue until she fisted my hair and drew me closer.

I sat on the bottom of the walk-in shower and caught my breath as my mind filled with images of her.

I cleaned myself up and got out of the shower, but my mind still wandered. Even as I sat down in my room and opened the blinds to work, all I could do was surf the internet. I clicked around and filled my mind with the newest updates in my industry.

And of course, that name popped up the second I refreshed my news feed.

Hugo Centrio.

A frown overtook my entire face, and suddenly Amber was the furthest thing from my mind. It looked as if my nemesis had a sharp new startup that had become lucrative. I opened the article and scanned it, growing angrier by the second.

Apparently, the Japanese military had given him a very hefty contract for his work.

I wondered how much of my recycled tech was in Hugo's new software.

Anger bubbled in my veins. I closed my laptop and tossed it off to the side before I closed the blinds. I turned off the light and slid my naked body underneath the covers, figuring I could get some sleep. But all I did was toss and turn the entire rest of the evening. Jet lag. I hated jet lag.

It always threw off my schedule for days. And by the time I got on a decent schedule, it was always time to go home and deal with it again.

At least, I blamed it on jet lag.

For all I knew, my sleeplessness could be because of the wildly sexy woman beyond my bedroom door.