Men of Tokyo: Sudden Bliss
Author: Sedonia Guillone
Series: White Tigers – Book 1
Previous book: Men of Tokyo: Forbidden Cravings (Prequel)
Genre: Gay romance; Yaoi; M/M
Length: Novel
eISBN: 978-1-937796-57-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-937796-58-7
Buy from: Amazon and read free for Kindle Subscribers!
Cover art: Les Byerley
In a world where passion and spirit find union, there is no in between…
Desperately in need of a vacation, Koji spends the most deliciously erotic week of his life at the White Tiger, a luxurious love-hotel for gay men. Naoto, his personal attendant, is everything Koji has ever fantasised about: muscular, long-haired, ruggedly handsome, gentle yet commanding. Naoto is a White Tiger, after all, trained in the erotic arts, knowledgeable in every way to bring a man to bliss.
Naoto’s appreciative eye sees the honourable and sexy man Koji-san is under the work-driven shell. Little by little, his massages and more coax the real man, the passionate, artistic, sex-loving Koji, to the surface. Yet, the more time Naoto spends with Koji, the more he finds his own soul craving a partner again, the one thing he thought he’d never find after his lover was killed three years ago. He’s not sure he’s ready to get that close again. And even if he were ready, it doesn’t mean that Koji wants the same thing. In fact, Koji once mentioned that he was supposed to get married. Yet, when an agonising secret from Naoto’s past is revealed to him, Naoto wants only to turn to Koji.
When Naoto comes to him for help, Koji is suddenly faced with a harrowing decision: remain in his work-driven, soul-killing world or follow the path his body and heart have really chosen for him? And he must choose – for in a world where passion and spirit find union, there is no in between.
Excerpt:
“This is your time to relax, Watanabe-san.” Naoto kept his voice a soft murmur as he let his protective desire to nurture another man in distress come out. That was one of the things he was good at. Otherwise, Kiku wouldn’t have given him what was appearing to be a hard case. “Everything you could want or need is here while you’re our guest. Everything.” With the last word, Naoto let his hand rest briefly on the other man’s chest.
Koji Watanabe didn’t answer but Naoto could see that his eyes, for the first time seemed to focus for more than a couple of seconds.
It was then that Naoto had a glimpse of what Watanabe might look like if he hadn’t been so haggard. Large dark eyes with thick lashes drew his gaze. He followed the straight bridge of his nose to the nostrils, which widened slightly at the end. The high cheekbones that looked a bit too sharp now would probably give him a kind of star quality when he’d put on a few pounds, as would the light gold of his complexion when less sallow.
The one thing that stood out, untarnished by stress, was his lips. Firm yet full, a dusky pink and beautifully shaped, like a slightly pulled back bow, there was one word for Koji Watanabe’s lips—kissable. Well, maybe lickable and suckable too. Naoto caught himself staring a moment longer than was appropriate.
Oh, and Watanabe’s hair, cut in a typically conventional office-guy style, short around the sides and barely longer on top, was also really beautiful. Just long enough to sift one’s fingers through, if given a chance.
Naoto’s heartbeat had kicked up a notch. He had always been a close observer and admirer of the male face and form, and it was clear this man was better looking than most of the men he serviced. Of course, there were good-looking guys that came in, but only once in a while did one have a certain something that gave him that…feeling…
Firmly putting his attention back on the task at hand, he dared to work open the top button at Watanabe’s collar. A small expanse of pale gold skin peeked through, making Naoto suddenly itch to see more. To see what the rest of Koji Watanabe looked like. “Is that better, Watanabe-san?”
Now he caught the other man looking directly into his eyes. Watanabe’s lips had parted slightly and his breathing sounded shallow. “You have long hair,” he said, then shook himself as if starting from a trance. “I—I’m sorry, I meant please, call me Koji.” Then he covered his face with both hands and slumped over. “I don’t know what I meant.”
Naoto stared at the top of Koji-san’s head, at the beautifully-shaped fingers peeking out from where they were buried in his hair. How he yearned to pull the man to him. But he held back, sensing Koji-san might not be ready. “You have no need to apologise. If you prefer a man with short hair we can—”
Koji-san’s head shot up, eyes wide. “No! I’m sorry. It wasn’t a complaint.” His breath started to come in short bursts and his pale face grew even paler.
Anxiety. Naoto recognised the signs. If Koji-san was as work-ridden as he appeared, he was probably in withdrawal. It wasn’t uncommon among the guests who came here, especially the Japanese men. “Koji-san,” he said, keeping his tone soothing. His hands came up and he rubbed the other man’s shoulders. Through the thin white shirt, Koji-san’s muscles were wiry, though also a bit too thin. “There is nothing to apologise for.”
“This was so wrong. So wrong. I should be there.” The words tumbled from Koji-san’s lips and his eyes were wide with that haunted look.
“It’s all right, Koji-san.” Without thinking, Naoto rose higher on his knees and embraced the slimmer man. Koji-san was trembling as if he’d been outside in snow without any clothing on and his breathing had that choked sound Naoto had heard men make in terrible circumstances…like when they actually were dying…from gunshot wounds.
He rubbed the man’s back in gentle circles and tilted his head aside so Koji-san’s forehead could rest on his shoulder, all the while trying to erase the image of his lover’s gunshot wound. “It’ll be all right. You’ll see, Koji-san. I know it will.” He kept rubbing, feeling the wiry muscles of the other man’s back flex as his body trembled and shook. The poor guy was a basket case. It was going to take much more than a massage with a happy ending to help him unwind.
Naoto held the other man for what seemed a long time, rubbing his back and just simply letting his anxiety attack run its course. Venturing one hand upward, he massaged the nape of Koji-san’s neck. The man had a gracefully curved neck. Naoto had noticed it when unbuttoning his collar, and the skin there was warm and smooth. Not only that, but he smelled good, like clean laundry and soap with just a hint of male musk.
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