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  Heading inside, the staff politely directed the trio of women up to the proper floor, where Erica and Elizabeth were pulled away by a pair of Japanese women who seemed to be involved in the show. Kelly stood back, unsure what to do, when Elizabeth turned to her. "Relax, there's nothing too difficult going on right now. Take a look around, enjoy the sights, and I'll call you if I need any help."

  "Okay," Kelly replied, wandering off. Even though the event was still a week away, the hall was a bustle with activity, as carpenters were setting up what looked like a miniature sound stage. Apparently, the female part of the designs were to be accompanied by a girl group called "Nogizaka 46," although Kelly had no clue what that meant. From the posters around the hall, she assumed that there were forty six girls in the group, but that couldn't have been correct in her opinion. What sort of chaos would trying to harmonize forty six pop singers at once be? Moving on, she watched a few carpenters work on the arrangement, when she felt someone bump into her shoulder.

  "Sumimasen," the voice said, before realizing that Kelly wasn't Japanese. "I mean, sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

  Kelly turned, and felt her stomach twist. The man looking down at her was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. He was about six feet tall, with wavy reddish black hair that came down to just above his shoulders, creamy skin, and green eyes that seemed to be alight with their own inner fire. She felt her breath catch, and stuttered for a moment. "No, it was all my fault. I was kind of in the way, I was just looking."

  "I see," the man said, his sensuous mouth spreading into a smile. His lips were inviting, and Kelly wondered absently how they would feel on her skin. “I’m doing the same thing, actually. I was just distracted by something, and wasn't looking where I was going. I'm Peter Tanner, by the way."

  Kelly detected a hint of accent in his voice, and wondered where he was from. It didn't sound like any accent she had heard before. "Kelly Simmons. I'm supposed to be helping my boss with the part of this that is supposed to be for Erica Williams, but since I'm totally clueless when it comes to Japanese, I'm kind of free to do my own thing right now."

  Kelly knew she was babbling, but couldn't seem to stop herself. Peter had an aura about him, and she felt herself responding to his presence like she had never done with a man before. Peter's smile broadened, and she felt her skin flush with heat. "I see. Well then, I will be seeing more of you, I hope. I’ll be working with Miss Williams myself. I'm one of the models for the show."

  Kelly was surprised. "Really? You don't look like a model."

  Peter chuckled. "I'm not sure how to take that."

  Kelly felt her blush deepen, and she shook her head. "Sorry, I mean, well, I thought most models were kind of effeminate looking pretty boys."

  Peter's chuckle turned into a full blown laugh. "Right to the point, aren't we?"

  "I get that a lot."

  "Well, don't worry, I do that too. It hurts the pocketbook, but I can't seem to help myself. Say, if you are up for an adventure, would you like to get some lunch with me? That is, if your boss isn't in need of your services."

  Kelly thought for a moment. Whatever was happening, it was developing awfully fast. Still, she felt a connection with Peter, and wanted to see what might happen. "Okay. But let me check with my boss first."

  Kelly and Peter looked around, finding Erica and Elizabeth off on the side of the hall, as the two Japanese women Kelly had seen before kept pointing and explaining things in rapid Japanese. Even Elizabeth was having problems keeping up it seemed. Finally, Elizabeth held up her hands. "Chotto matte kudasai," she said, smiling politely. "Shaberukotoga hayaisugimashita. Moichido kudasai?"

  The two women nodded and apologized, giving Kelly a chance to interrupt. "Sorry, Elizabeth, but I was wondering if I could take off for a little bit," she said, smiling and nodding to the two Japanese women who smiled and nodded back. Kelly felt like she was doing a lot of that. "Peter here wanted to take me to lunch."

  "Oh, hey Peter, nice to work with you again," Erica said, bumping fists with the model. "Yeah, I don't see a problem with it."

  "Okay then, go on and have some fun," Elizabeth said with a nod. "Just keep your phone on you in case I need you to get back quickly. But so far, everything is routine."

  "Thanks. See you guys later."

  Leaving the building, Kelly quickly became lost, and was glad that Peter was with her. As they made their way towards the train station, Peter told her about himself. "I grew up in Finland actually," Peter said, "So I developed a bit of an accent. The Fins have a beautiful language of their own, but because of that I had to struggle to lose the accent when I came back to North America. Thankfully, I'm able to make my living as a model rather than as a public speaker."

  "I like it actually," Kelly said, as they made their way inside another department store building. "It's kind of subtle."

  "Really? Thanks. I've been working on it a lot. Actually, the model gig is going to be coming to a close soon. I'm turning thirty-one next month, and for male models, that's practically geriatric. In fact, I think I had a modeling request for Geritol on my calendar when I get back."

  Kelly laughed at the small joke. "So what will you do afterwards?"

  Peter shrugged. "Not sure. I mean, modeling has paid well, and I saved my money, but a lot of the fashion industry is just too bitchy for my taste. I'm ready for a more straightforward type of life."

  "What does that mean?" Kelly asked, stepping off the escalator and following him to a cafe. The place was busy, but they were able to find a small table. "I mean, what is a straightforward life?"

  "I don't know, I guess the American dream from the movies. You know, house, wife, two point five kids, minivan, and a dog."

  "Two point five?" Kelly asked, arching her eyebrow. "And what does that mean?"

  Peter chuckled. "Ask the mathematicians. Most of my education has been via school of hard knocks. After finishing high school, other things got in the way of higher education."

  "You don't sound like an unintelligent man," Kelly said, nodding politely as the waitress brought them two steaming cups of tea. She sipped, enjoying the bitter green brew. "You must have picked up some further education somewhere."

  "Online mostly," Peter said, "although my Kindle has a very large collection of stuff from Amazon on it. I don't party with the other models and stuff, I'd rather just crash in my hotel room and read most of the time."

  The lunch continued, and Kelly enjoyed every bite of food the cafe offered. She had expected Japanese food, but it seemed Peter had brought her to a French cafe, and as she tucked the last bit of croissant in her mouth, she patted her tummy.

  "When I get back to the hotel, I'm going to have to run the stairs for at least an hour after this," she said, stifling a burp. "Delicious."

  Peter reached out, and brushed away a crumb from her lips with his thumb. The feeling of his skin on hers was electric, and Kelly felt her body respond to his gesture, following his hand as he drew it away, leaving her with a desire for more. She could tell from the look in his eyes he wanted more too, and the thought filled her with warmth.

  "Well, I think if I keep you away any longer, your boss will be very upset with me, and I have some fitting work I need to do at the department store," Peter said softly, standing up and holding his hand out to her.

  She took the offer, and as they walked back towards the Sony building, they stayed hand in hand, quietly enjoying the physical contact. At the door, Peter looked up before pulling her in close. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" he asked, his breath soft on her forehead.

  He was so much taller, she felt tiny in his arms. She snuggled in closer, and laid her head against his chest. "Sorry, but I can't. Erica's fiancée Dwayne is taking us all out for dinner."

  Peter nodded and continued. "Okay. How about tomorrow night then?"

  Kelly pulled back, and looked up into Peter's green eyes. She nodded, smiling. "Okay. Tomorrow night. Where are we goin
g?"

  "Shinjuku station. I'll send Erica my cell phone number to pass along to you. Eight o'clock?"

  "Eight o'clock."

  Peter held her fingers to his lips, and kissed her hand softly, sending ripples of pleasure through her body and warmth between her legs. "Until then, Kelly Simmons. I had a wonderful lunch."

  He turned and left, disappearing into the crowded foot traffic and Kelly had to shake her head to gather her wits. Despite the sensations in her body, she still had work to do, and she made her way indoors, her mind already on the next night.

  CHAPTER 11

  T he lights were low, and the jazz was perfect as Kelly walked into the New York Grill & Bar inside the Hyatt Hotel in Shinjuku. It felt strange still, going to a hotel to find some of the best restaurants in Tokyo, but Elizabeth had assured her that Peter wasn't lying. He was sitting, waiting for her just inside the door, and her heart beat sped up just looking at him. He was dressed very handsomely, in a black silk shirt with a high collar, gray sportcoat and black slacks. She didn't know the labels, but it didn't really matter to her.

  "My goodness, you look dashing," she said, as he stood up and took her hand, kissing her fingers like he did the day before.

  "And you look like the most beautiful woman in all of Tokyo," Peter replied, admiring her. "I'm going to sound very fashionista now, but where did you get that dress?"

  Kelly turned around, showing off the loose skirt and tight waist of the classic cocktail dress. "It's actually a birthday gift from Erica," she replied, running her hands over the crushed silk bodice, which had a built in balconette bra and corset to allow her to go braless underneath. "She designed it herself, she told me."

  "Wow. I knew she was good with men's wear, but I had no idea she was so good with women's clothing too. Shall we?"

  The meal was exquisite, with tremendous views of the Tokyo skyline. Kelly didn't think she had ever seen so much neon on the streets, even the one time she had been to Las Vegas couldn't compare.

  "I have a question," she asked him, as they each enjoyed their appetizers, "we're here in Japan, yet all I've seen you eat is Western foods. Aren't you going to try any local foods?"

  Peter shrugged, and took a bite of his foie gras. "It's not that I don't, but I save it for after the show. For some reason, I tend to gain a lot of water weight on Japanese food. Probably something to do with MSG or something. They don't have the same problems with it that Americans do, you can buy it in bulk in the supermarkets even. I can't have that screwing with my look."

  "You really have to watch that, don't you? The look, I mean."

  "Not for much longer. I mean, I keep myself in shape, but a lot of it is makeup and last minute dehydration. I long ago mastered the wrestler's art of sweating out weight."

  "Is that healthy?" Kelly had read so much about models and eating disorders, but Peter looked pretty healthy from her point of view. She hoped he wasn't hiding something like that from her.

  "Not particularly, but at least I do it naturally. There are a lot of the guys and girls who do some really dangerous stuff to show up on the walkway looking the way they do."

  The conversation continued through dinner, Kelly's attraction to Peter growing the entire time. She had never felt such a connection to a man before, to the point that by the last bite of cheesecake was eaten, she had never felt more aroused in her life from just food.

  Watching Peter eat was a sensual experience. The way he wrapped his lips around his food, the way he closed his eyes as he enjoyed each chew, even the way he swallowed gave her images of his lips on her skin. Combined with the flashing power of his green eyes, and Kelly swore that the restaurant was at least five degrees too warm. When the meal was finished, she was desperate for the date to not end.

  "Would you like to go for a walk?" Peter asked. "I've come to really enjoy the look of Shinjuku at night."

  “I’d love that," Kelly said, taking his arm and letting Peter lead her around the area. He pointed out some of the famous signs and buildings. As they walked along the southern terrace of Shinjuku Station, the late winter illumination created a romantic visual.

  When they found a saxophone player playing for change outside the Krispy Kreme, Peter stopped, pulling her into his arms. "Dance with me," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Don't worry about the crowds, or the weather, or anything. Just dance with me."

  Unable to resist, not even knowing if she wanted to, Kelly reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling herself close to him. She could feel the muscles of his torso even through their jackets, and her nipples hardened as she swayed with him. The saxophone player, seeing he had an audience, shifted his playing, his notes becoming even more sensuous.

  After about two minutes, Kelly looked up at Peter's face, captured by his amazing green eyes. "I wasn't lying when I said you are amazingly beautiful," Peter said softly. Leaning down, his lips caressed hers, his soft kiss melting against her.

  Kelly had never been kissed so tenderly before. Her heart beat hard in her chest as she pulled herself up using her arms, feeling Peter lift her off the ground to assist, bringing their lips and tongues closer. When he set her down, she could see in his eyes what he wanted. "Take me to your hotel room," she said, cutting off his question.

  The taxi ride back felt surreal. Peter kept his hands very still, only holding her hand, keeping his outer polite persona until the door to his hotel room closed. He was using a smaller room than she had, in a less luxurious hotel, but she didn't even notice. As soon as the latch on the door clicked shut, he swept her literally off her feet, carrying her the few steps across the room to the bed, laying her carefully on the mattress. Kelly’s heart began racing faster than it already was before, anticipating what was to come.

  CHAPTER 12

  F or the next three days, Kelly and Peter were inseparable. She invited him to share her hotel room, and each night she was thrilled as they explored each other's bodies. Every day they were together constantly, only separating when their work duties called them to be in different areas. She watched as he finished his fittings, worked with Erica and the Japanese designers on practice walking the runway, and then afterwards as he mentored some of the other younger men. She found his presence not only exciting but helpful as he introduced her to the world of fashion. It wasn't until the third day as Peter was pulled away for another fitting, that Erica found a moment to talk to her friend.

  "Hey Kelly, how's it going?"

  Kelly rolled her eyes. "As if you couldn't tell. I'm having the time of my life."

  "I thought so," Erica replied with a knowing look. "You two have been making gooshy eyes at each other almost ever since you met. I'm actually surprised."

  “Oh really, why’s that?”

  “I don’t know, it’s just that I’ve never seen this side of Peter. He was coming on the scene just as I was getting my design shop together, and he's always been a mystery man."

  "What do you mean?" Kelly asked nervously. "He told me he's not a player. Was he lying?"

  "No no no, he's not a player at all. In fact, he's always been a bit of a monk almost, and for a fashion model, very shy. It's been one of the reasons I've enjoyed working with him so much, he reminds me of the way I was as a model. He's well regarded in the industry, but he always sticks to the smaller shows, the lower profile lines and houses. As soon as a designer starts to become famous, or the show gets enough media attention, he stops taking assignments with them. He's been offered quite a few high profile jobs with magazines, designers, and even a television gig or two, and he's turned them all down. It's like he just wants to walk the runway, make his money, and be as anonymous as possible. Really weird in this industry. And to be honest, you're the first woman he's ever been seen with near a show. I don't know much about his private life, but whatever else, be sure you've made an impression on him."

  Kelly could feel her face warm as she leaned in close to Erica. "Thanks. You know, it's weird, but I swear I could use the L w
ord with him."

  "Really?" Erica said, a smile spreading on her face. "Wow! That fast?"

  "Like you can talk," Kelly replied. "From what you told me, you were in love with Dwayne within forty eight hours of knowing him."

  "Well, if you go by the calendar, longer than that," Erica said with a chuckle. "Remember, we spent a few weeks using e-mail and Skype to talk after the first time we met in London. But yeah, it was quick for us, even with all of the weird drama involved."

  "Speaking of drama, you look tired," Kelly said, changing the subject. "Is everything okay?"

  Erica sighed and rubbed at her temples. "Yeah. Tina, Elizabeth and you have been great help, but there's just so much to do. I mean, prepping a normal show is a process, and that's when you're working with all professional models. Now I'm needing to coordinate with another designer, who is using singers for models that will also be performing, and on top of all that, I have a wedding to plan. Dwayne's handling what he can with that, but with Baby Liz thrown in, I'm getting exhausted."

  Kelly thought for a moment before replying. "Well, how about you let Peter and I watch Liz for a day? A fashion show isn't the best place to have a baby, Dwayne can't watch her constantly, and it'll give you a break. Let Tina handle things for an afternoon, you get away with your soon to be husband and relax. I'm sure between all of us we can handle things for a few hours. Go to one of those onsen things they keep talking about. I'm planning on going to one once the wedding is over."

  Erica's tired face spread into a smile. "That does sound great. Let me talk to Tina and Elizabeth, maybe tomorrow?"

  "Excellent. No worries about me and Peter watching Liz together?"