Take Me

Chapter Twenty: Bargain

It seemed the entire city celebrated the success of the House of Suzuki couture show. It certainly looked that way during the Rebel Gala where conversation buzzed about how structural yet strangely wearable the gowns were. Words like innovative, genius, the future of fashion were bandied about. Already the women were swooning over which ones to purchase. There wasn’t any doubt about Kenji’s talent. Cassandra sure knew how to pick them.

The expert use of fabric manipulation to create almost impossible angular shapes almost brought Milo to tears. Each garment resembled moving sculptures. He couldn’t deny the beauty in the artistry of Kenji’s work. Yes, he mourned the loss of what could have been with Kaz, but after watching what might have been the most magnificent show in Paris Fashion Week history, he knew he had done the right thing. It would have been a great shame for the magazine to lose its exclusive with House of Suzuki because of his feelings for the designer’s best friend and business partner.

All was with the world.

Except . . . as he stood in the middle of the opulent ballroom decked out in the theme of Japanese fantasy in honor of Kenji’s success, Milo never felt more alone in his life. He lifted a champagne flute from a passing waiter dressed like a Samurai and downed its contents in several swallows. The bubbles when straight to his head. He swayed for a moment then regained his footing, depositing the empty glass on another passing tray and liberating a fresh one.

Getting drunk as fast as he could seemed like a great plan. Cassandra had given him the night off as a reward for good work. He could have done better if he weren’t a zombie half the time from the lack of sleep. Damn dreams. But waking up with the memory of Kaz in his mouth mattered little at that point. In the morning the team would fly back to New York and everything would be business as usual.

Except . . . how could it be business as usual when he felt nothing inside?

Speaking of feelings, he hadn’t seen his wayward best friend since that night Tommy had decided confessing whatever misguided feelings he had was the best idea in the world. The two of them spending some time apart might be a good thing. Milo still couldn’t fathom what drove Tommy. It certainly wasn’t s*x. Copious amounts of liquor, yes, but in all their years as friends never had he thought of the model as impulsive when it came to matters of the heart. Until recently he wasn’t even sure the guy had a heart to give away.

Feeling a little light-headed after his second glass, he wound his way through the crowd. Hundreds of red paper lanterns hung from the ceiling, giving the space a moody atmosphere. Potted miniature cherry blossom trees were scattered along the walls and filled with white twinkle lights. Instead of hors d’oeuvres, he suggested a live sushi bar with chefs flown in from the land of the rising sun, which seemed to go over well with the assemblage. For all intents and purposes, they were supposed to be in Japan when Milo knew they were further from the truth. There was nothing authentic about the party.

Normally, the fake wouldn’t bother him. He worked in an industry that thrived in it, after all. But with everything that had happened, stomaching the superficial gave him gas. At least with Kaz what he felt had been real. Intense to the point of earth shattering, but real.

Another pang of pain echoed in the hollowness within. He must have been a masochist to continually put himself through the torture. A chuckle escaped him. It was over. He had ended things. He had to live with the consequences.

As if the mere thought of Kaz conjured him up, the crowd parted to reveal the stunning Japanese businessman in a tux. Hurt warred with desire in Milo’s chest. All that gorgeous black hair was slicked back. It begged for fingers to rake through them while in the middle of a passionate embrace.

Milo’s mouth watered as a myriad of lurid thoughts the sight of Kaz assailed him. He would never admit it aloud but he actually missed Kaz. Even impassive, his face was still strikingly handsome. He had his hand in his pocket while the other rested on—

“Not even a month since you two broke up and already he has his hand just shy of a super model’s ass,” Tommy said from beside him, having materialized from thin air. “I’d say it’s looking like you don’t mean anything to him.”

As much as he wanted to hate Tommy in that moment, his words took root. Milo couldn’t un-see what was happening before him. And as much as he wanted to pretend Kaz wasn’t practically fondling the reed-slip of a girl who looked barely legal, the evidence was so in his face he couldn't look away. It was a car wreck and Milo was the driver slowing down to get a better look.

“Did you really mean what you said the other night?” he found himself saying without really thinking of the consequences of his words.

“Are you going to use me to make him jealous?” his friend asked back.

Milo looked up at him and thought maybe a relationship between them could work. He had never entertained the idea before. Why not? It wasn’t like he had anything better to do.

“And what if that’s the plan?” No harm in going with the truth.

Tommy’s eyes narrowed. “On one condition.”

“What is it?”

“You need to tell me why you broke up with him in the first place.”

The benevolence in his tone took Milo aback. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s obvious you’re in love with him for you to stoop as low as using my feelings for you to make him jealous.” Tommy wrapped his arm around Milo’s shoulders and pulled him in close. The rest of his words he whispered into Milo’s ear seductively, sending shivers down his spine. “So you need to give me context if I’m going on a limb for you.”

The blush didn’t come from their close proximity to each other. Milo was mortified with himself. He thought he had been right ending things with Kaz. He thought he prioritized his career more. But seeing him with someone else? After the man boldly claimed ownership of him?

“I’m a horrible person.” He dropped his gaze. “I shouldn’t manipulate you like this.”

“It’s not manipulation if I’m aware of what’s happening.” Tommy placed a kiss on his temple. “So, what happened?”

“But the other night—”

“Forget about it. I was drunk. After thinking about it a little more I knew you were right. I was taking advantage of the situation without thinking things through.”

Milo tilted his chin up so he could look into those startling eyes the color of moss. “How did I get so lucky to have someone like you in my life?”

"Alright," Tommy grinned that charming smile he reserved for the ladies. “My ego is sufficiently inflated. Are you going to tell me or what?”

He placed a hand on his friend’s chest and sighed, inching closer so the only barriers between them were the clothes they had on. “Kenji threatened to pull his exclusive from Rebel if I didn’t break things off.”

Tommy pulled him even closer, if that were possible—they were practically hugging—and muttered into Milo’s hair, “That son of a bitch.”

The shrug came and went. “I can’t blame him. He’s in love with Kaz.”

“What’s that guy got that I don’t?”

“An extra-large dick.”

At the joke, Tommy threw his head back and laughed, drawing the attention of everyone within hearing distance. Ashamed at the attention they were getting, Milo hid his face in the crook of his friend’s arm. Then Tommy’s lips were on his ear again.

“You’re doing good,” he whispered. “He’s looking this way.”

“He is?”

But before Milo could turn to check, Tommy shifted so all he could see was the model’s shoulder. “Don’t look. He’ll know we’re bluffing. Just keep doing what you’re doing and flirt like your life depended on it.”

He plastered a rueful smile on his face as he looked Tommy in the eye again. If he focused on his face, Milo wouldn’t have to hear the extreme pounding of his heart.

“And remember,” Tommy said with a saccharine smile, “no one can force you to do anything you don’t want to. So what if Kenji is in love with Kaz? You’re the one he wants.”

“But my career . . .”

“Nothing will happen to it just because one designer decides to go postal. In our world, you're in one day then the next you're out.”

“Are you seriously quoting a reality TV show at me right now?”

“But it’s the truth.”

Of course, it was the truth. Fashion ate new designers for breakfast and s**t out old ones for dinner. It was a dog eat dog world. And those who weren’t fast enough died in a gutter with the fashion victims and has-been trendsetters.

“If you really love him then nothing should stop you from having him.” Tommy placed a kiss on his forehead before he bent down in search of Milo’s mouth.

Milo closed his eyes to accept the kiss even if he thought it was going a little too far. He was drunk enough on champagne to be bold. Everything was going to be okay. At least he hoped it would.

The lips he was expecting to touch his never landed. Instead, he was yanked away from Tommy's hold so abruptly that when he opened his eyes a wave of dizziness assailed him. He had to take several deep breaths to keep down the bile threatening to climb up his throat before he could get a sense of what was happening.

The giant wall of Kaz’s back blocked his view of Tommy. Somehow, the guy had pulled him out of his friend’s grasp and positioned him behind his bulk. He skirted past Kaz in time to see Tommy about to get punched in the face. Without thinking, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Kaz’s middle, moving him barely a couple of inches, but it was enough to keep him from marring the model’s face.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Milo asked indignantly.

Breathing hard, Kaz said without taking his feral gaze away from Tommy, “He was about to kiss you.”

“We are not doing this here.” Milo looked around at the mix of concerned and curious faces surrounding them. He tugged at the arm he clung to. “Come on, Kaz. Come with me.”

“I think you should—”

“Shut up, Tommy,” Milo hissed.

The last thing he needed was for a brawl to start. Casandra wouldn’t forgive him. And by now Kenji would have caught wind of what was happening. He was all for making Kaz jealous, but not to the point of causing any more of a commotion. They had to get out of there.

“Are you sure about this?” Tommy pressed.

Milo positioned himself between the still fuming Kaz and the model inches away from the grave. “Thank you. I’ll take it from here.”

He lifted his hands in surrender and backed away. “Then my job here is done.”

“What does he mean?” Kaz growled as Tommy disappeared into the crowd.

Turning around to face the man he could no longer deny he had feelings for, Milo said, “Take me to your hotel room.”

In an instant, all the anger drained away from those cool blue eyes, replaced by a heat he had missed fiercely.

“Are you sure about this?” Kaz asked in Nihongo.

Sending a silent prayer in gratitude for the dispersal of the gathered onlookers, he nodded. "I've never been surer about anything in my life."

Taking his hand, Kaz led them to the exit. A thrill went through Milo as he eagerly followed. The man hadn’t even bothered taking his leave. Kenji would surely be fuming before the night was out, but the sense of satisfaction he felt at the thought of pissing off the designer who threatened to poison him made the possible fallout worth it. He would apologize to Cassandra in the morning.