Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

habit of always saying good morning when I wake, but I'm not in the habit of sleeping so late."
    "It was a long night." Kazuhiro turned away. "Walk with me."
    Jonathon rushed to walk at Kazuhiro's side. "Did you sleep well?"
    "No, I didn't. I was restless thinking about you."
    "About me?"
    "Yes, and what I should do with you."
    Jonathon's heart leaped to a galloping pace. "And, have you decided?"
    Kazuhiro looked at him, a smirk at the corner of his lips. "Possibly."
    Kazuhiro's tone was light, teasing, but Jonathon could hear the attraction in it. Was Kazuhiro trying to make his interest known? He had to be. Elation soared through Jonathon. He knew there was a chance he could be hearing only what he wanted, but he refused to give that theory credence.
    They passed through a gate to the gardens. Kazuhiro motioned to the veranda for Jonathon to sit. As he did, Kazuhiro remained standing, but his pose was relaxed, his left arm casually resting on the hilt of his short sword.
    It struck Jonathon for the first time that Kazuhiro had the weapon, but then during his lessons, Mr. Jenkins had told him a samurai was always armed. Always . Even if it wasn't visible, somewhere on their person was a weapon. It seemed it was true. In the security of his own home, Kazuhiro still wore the wakizashi - short sword -, the longer katana most likely stored.
    It also spoke to the danger of the times. Kazuhiro may be in his own home, but that didn't mean he couldn't be attacked. An enemy or spy could still infiltrate the complex.
    Kazuhiro fixed him with an unwavering stare. "Tell me about yourself."
    Jonathon looked up at him in confusion. "What? Why?"
    "I want to know about you."
    "But why?"
    Kazuhiro replied with silence, his friendly expression hardened.
    Jonathon mentally cursed himself. Kazuhiro had made a direct request of him, and he'd questioned his motives. Twice. What he'd done was a gross insult. He'd been so focused on his arousal, he'd started looking at Kazuhiro as if he were just like any man. But he wasn't. He was a lord and a samurai.
    Jonathon started to stand so he could bow to him. "I apologize, my lord. I didn't mean…"
    "Don't stand to bow. I do have some patience for you since you're not familiar with our ways, and much of that patience you've earned by showing an effort to learn."
    Jonathon dropped back to sitting. "Thank you. I think I was just startled by your request. What would you like to know about me?"
    "Everything."
    Jonathon stared at Kazuhiro. Was this an interrogation? It would make sense if it were. Kazuhiro would be seeking to gain any kind of information about Barrett he could. "I started working for Mr. Barrett about three months ago…"
    Kazuhiro shook his head. "No, I want to know all about you. A man's past can reveal much about who he is today."
    "I see. Then I'll start from the beginning. I was born in London, England. The first twelve years of my life were fairly uneventful. My family lived comfortably, and I spent my days studying. My father was in charge of the accounts for a wealthy merchant, a job that cost him his life. He was working late one evening, and a man broke into the offices to rob them and he shot my father. My mother, who had suffered from fits of melancholy for as long as I could remember, was overwhelmed by a spell so powerful after his death, that she took her own life." Jonathon's gaze lowered, his voice softened. "They were all I had."
    He looked up to Kazuhiro again. "I was afraid I'd be put in an orphanage, so I stowed away on a merchant craft bound for America, but was soon uncovered by the crew. Rather than punish me, the captain took me under his wing, and I spent the next six years on the seas. It was during those years my formal education became complimented with the sailors teaching me not only their trade of seamanship, but how to fight with swords, knives, and my fists." He decided it was time to let Kazuhiro see a little of his own interest and allowed flirtatious innuendo into his voice. "And how to do other things."
    Kazuhiro's smirk returned. "You sound very skilled. What did you do after being a sailor?"
    Jonathon swallowed the disappointment that he hadn't distracted Kazuhiro enough to have the man drag him inside and ravish him, but he also wasn't surprised. Kazuhiro seemed to not be easily swayed from anything he had a focus on. "I traveled America. My captain had passed away when I was eighteen, and I decided it was time to return to land. I made my