Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 24436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
She was already bracing herself for a harsh rebuke, but her husband only looked at her gravely. "You've probably lost a lot of sleep over the thought of marrying a complete stranger. I'm the one who should apologize. I should have taken the time to meet with you again before the wedding. But I didn't, and I apologize for that. Will you forgive me?"
All Summerine could do was nod. Never had she met someone this...this...smooth?
Ryu offered his hand once more after stepping out of the limousine, and her whole body tingled as his fingers clasped hers in a thrillingly firm grip.
(He's just holding your hand, girl.)
I know!
(So why are you acting like he's given you his heart?)
A-Am n-not!
(Then again, you're also that kid who's never been hugged by her parents—-)
Summerine duct-taped her Inner Troll and refocused her attention on reality. And she did so just in time, with Ryu smiling down at her as he presented his home.
"Welcome to Kagami."
Mirror.
Her mind automatically translated this to English, but she wasn't aware of how her lips had also silently formed the word until she saw Ryu arch a brow in her direction.
"I'm impressed."
All she could do was smile weakly...even as she was forced to gloomily accept the truth. Inner Troll was right. She was a loser, and in more ways than one, since this was also her first time to impress anyone.
"You took Japanese as an elective, didn't you?"
Summerine nodded even as she wondered if that was merely a lucky guess...or a result of the background check he had mentioned earlier.
"Shall we?"
He took her hand in his, and Summerine couldn't help but wonder if he was this chivalrous with everyone. A sharp pain pinched her heart at that moment, and Summerine wondered if she needed to have her heart checked.
While the exterior of Kagami was of sandstone, arched windows, and balconies draped with bougainvillea, her first glimpse of its interior was a mix of white marble and oak and a grand L-shaped staircase that immediately commanded attention.
"We can have a full tour tomorrow," Ryu murmured as he led her up the stairs.
It was when they reached the second floor that Summerine finally understood why his home's name was Kagami...while realizing at the same time that the man she married was far more complex than she could ever imagine.
The entire hallway consisted of mirrors. The walls. The ceilings. And even certain parts of the floor. There were also windows that mirrored each other's reflections. Mirrors that concealed storage or passageways. And mirrors that were, well, just mirrors.
By the time they went through a mirror that opened to the master suite, Summerine could barely understand what he was saying. Inside their suite was a palatial living room, a balcony on one side, a state-of-the-art kitchen on the other, and finally, a long row of mirrors (she counted ten!) opposite the entrance, and all of them doors!
Summerine's mind continued to spin as she followed behind him.
"This is your room." Ryu pointed to - guess what! - another mirror. "That's the connecting door between yours and mine. Just knock if you need anything."
So many mirrors, Summerine thought. Why were there so many mirrors?
"Do you need anything?"
She shook her head.
"I'll let you rest then. Good night, Summerine."
It was her first time hearing him say her name, and it took every bit of her willpower not to blush. "G-Good night...R-Ryu."
She found herself stupidly and inexplicably hoping that this would earn her a smile, but all he did was nod...before stepping out of her room and closing the door behind him.
Summerine crashed on the velvet couch in a state of collapse. What in the world have I gotten myself into?
She didn't even know what to think about this house, which was more maze than mansion, or her new life as a married woman, which now seemed more Agatha Christie than Mills & Boon, more gekiga than shoujo, and—-mm.
The gilded full-length mirror mounted on the wall next to the TV console had caught her eye, and Summerine was momentarily distracted by a surge of curiosity. Was it really just a mirror or something more?
She gave it a little push, and oooooh. It actually swung open, and that was how Summerine found herself straight into her husband.
Who was in the shower.
Naked.
Enough
RYU DIDN'T SEEM ASHAMED at all as he faced her without a stitch of clothing. It even seemed as if he was giving her a chance to stare at her leisure, and so stare she did...while wondering absently if there was a Guinness record for the highest number of gulps achieved under one minute.
Because she was at #20 right now...and could anyone blame her, with how mesmerizingly virile her husband turned out to be?
Every inch of him was hard.
Like, seriously hard.
From his broad shoulders.
To his muscled chest.
And ripped abs.
Bordered by a well-defined V.