Danilo was in the shower, his eyes closed as he rinsed shampoo from his hair, his head tilted back slightly. Rivulets of water ran down the hard planes of his body down to his cock. My core tightened with a mixture of desire and anxiety. I was curious to know what it would feel like if I allowed Danilo to touch me and make me feel good. How it would feel if he buried his face between my legs like he’d mentioned? Some of my scribblings had been short stories about Danilo and me, and how I imagined our intimate encounters.
My cheeks grew even hotter.
I wouldn’t go down that road for a while. I hurried past the open door and left the bedroom. I hadn’t paid much attention to my surroundings last night, so I had a hard time finding the stairs in the huge house. Eventually, I found myself in a huge living room. Like the bedroom, this room, too, was furnished in a modern, sleek style, contrasting with the old house. My eyes were drawn to the French doors that opened to a beautiful patio and an even more stunning garden with a cascade leading down to a pond. I opened the door and stepped out, following a pathway of white steps down to the pond. Pink and white waterlilies floated peacefully on its surface. I squatted down to touch one of the gorgeous flowers when a huge orange head bobbed out of the water. I cried out in surprise and fell on my butt on the lawn. More heads burst through the surface. Large goldfish from the look of it.
“They’re harmless. They thought you’d feed them.”
I turned my head toward Danilo who headed down to me, obviously stifling amusement. “What are they?”
“Koi fish,” he said. “My father used to collect them. When he died, I took them in. My mother doesn’t like animals much.”
He held out his hand to me, so he could pull me to my feet. I gave him an embarrassed smile, brushing grass from my butt. I tried to see if I still had dirt on my dress but couldn’t twist my head all the way around. Feeling daring, I presented my butt to Danilo and asked, “Did I get all the dirt?”
He took longer than necessary to assess my backside for any stains, then he shook his head and growled, “It looks fine.”
I turned back to the fish and stifled a laugh. More had now gathered near the surface.
Danilo took a box with pellets out from a small wooden box hidden among the reed lining parts of the pond. He poured a small heap on his palm then squatted next to the water. He held his hand in the water, but not deep enough for the pellets to drift away. Immediately several Koi fish appeared and began eating out of his hand.
My eyes widened in surprise and I crouched next to Danilo. “I didn’t know fish could be this tame.”
The corners of Danilo’s mouth twitched. “Koi are the exception. Some of them are more than ten years old. They even have names.”
“What’s his name?” I asked pointing at the biggest Koi with a splattering of white on its back and a white mouth.
“Takeda,” Danilo said. “My father named them after famous Samurai. He admired the codex of the Samurai.”
“I never figured you for a pet person.”
Maybe Danilo was right. I didn’t know enough about him to justify the strong feelings I’d had for him all my life. But I was drawn to him.
He smiled wryly and pulled his hand out of the water. “I’m not, really. I like animals but I don’t really have time for them. Fish aren’t demanding, and I like feeding them after a long day at work. It calms me down and reminds me of my father.” For a second, it looked like he was embarrassed by his admission.
“I get it. It’s peaceful.”
He held out the box of pellets. “Do you want to try to feed them?”
I bit my lip. “They don’t bite?”
Danilo took my hand and piled fish food on it, then guided my hand into the pond. The water was cooler than expected and goosebumps flashed across my skin. Maybe the cold wasn’t the only reason for my body’s reaction. Danilo’s gentle touch might have had something to do with it as well.
I giggled when the first Koi touched my palm. It was the big one, Takeda. Its strange eyes seemed to fixate on me before he snatched up more food.
They were really careful and watching them fascinated me. I couldn’t take my eyes off them, but Danilo watched me.
I pretended I didn’t notice. I’d longed for his unwavering attention for so long, so I didn’t allow myself to let self-consciousness take the lead.
Danilo and I stayed like that for a while, and I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in forever. I got why Danilo sought this place after a long day of work. I doubted his duties as an Underboss could be classified as peaceful in any regard.