Wet: Undercurrent by Zenobia Renquist Read Free Book Online Page B

moment.” He stood as he unhooked the phone from its clip and took a few steps away to talk.
    Lulu looked around for an escape route while trying to appear like she wasn’t looking. What was it with her and trying to run away from the Mizuno men? Sure, she’d stopped running from Hotsuma after she got to know him, but she doubted the same would be true of Masato.
    She watched him while waiting for a chance to leave. Hotsuma said he and Masato could be twins. Masato had piercing dark eyes framed in a slender face and a square jaw that sported a closely trimmed beard. His lean, muscled body was her type. But that didn’t mean anything. Even if she thought Masato was hot, his personality was a real turnoff. She liked Hotsuma, but imagining him in Masato’s body did nothing for her.
    Masato returned to the table but didn’t sit. “I have business to attend to, Ms. Swade. I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Mizuno.”
    He held her gaze for a moment before leaving. Lulu almost oozed out of her seat in relief. This whole situation was getting heavy. She needed to get to Hotsuma and tell him what was happening. Masato had already called in a priest. But if he suspected Lulu was involved, then he might find a way to keep her and Hotsuma apart.
    She skipped going back to her room to change and headed straight for the hot springs. Like the day before, the hot spring was full of giggling women. She would be upset at Hotsuma playing around if she wasn’t so frazzled over her meeting with Masato.
    She went to her cubby and sank into the water. After a calming breath, she whispered, “Hotsuma.”
    No answer.
    “Damn it. Stop diddling those women and get over here. We have issues.”
    “Believe it or not,” Hotsuma said in a soft voice, “this is not my doing. The women are entertaining themselves. I’m only watching.”
    A little of her upset faded. “Oh.” And then his words sank in. “Oh!” She glanced in the direction of the giggling women, now glad she had decided to sit away from them. “That’s your fault, you know.”
    “I take full blame.”
    “Yes. You sound all apologetic.”
    He laughed while running one hand up her leg. “What has you so frantic?”
    “Masato threatened me.”
    His fingers gripped her thigh. “What?”
    Lulu glanced around to make sure their conversation was private. She lowered her voice more and put her hand to her ear to pretend like she was talking on a phone. “At breakfast, Masato came over and talked to me. He made all these veiled threats that amounted to him telling me to quit while I’m ahead.”
    “ Kuso .”
    “If that’s a curse word, then I agree one hundred percent.”
    “How did he find out?”
    “That’s your fault too. That scent you put on me when we first met. Masato must have recognized it. I thought I played it off by saying it was the hotel soap, but he must have known better.”
    Hotsuma sighed, making the water around her bubble. “I’m sorry. I had just awakened. I managed to follow you to the hot spring but you ran. Marking you with my scent was the only way to track you. I didn’t want to lose the only woman who could set me free.”
    “That’s sweet, but we still don’t know why I’m the woman who can set you free. And speaking of which, let’s get to it. Masato is getting serious. We need to get you out of that room before he brings in the priest.”
    “Duck down.”
    Lulu took a breath and slipped below the water. She felt the shift this time when Hotsuma moved her from the hot springs to the pool room. She needed to ask how he could do that. Then again, it didn’t really matter. She was just happy he could. It saved her from trying to sneak down the hidden hallway.
    She surfaced in the middle of the pool and looked around. Nothing had changed. Masato might suspect something, but he hadn’t done more than summon a priest. She hoped that was all he did.
    “Are you ready?” Hotsuma hugged her waist, bringing her