Behind the Mask

A Cacophony of Noise

The car pulled up to the front of my building and Hiro got out, rounding the vehicle to open the door for me. I got out right before Kenji, and he took my hand. He walked me up to the door.

"Thank you for dinner," I said.

He smiled. "The pleasure was all mine."

We stood there for a moment, neither of us speaking. I could hear the sound of my heartbeat, pounding in my ears. I glanced down, noticing that we were still holding hands. Then I looked up. The lights in my apartment were turned off. Juri had texted earlier to let me know when she was leaving. My mother and Chiho were probably asleep.

I cleared my throat. "I should go."

"Yeah," Kenji said, letting go of my hand.

My chest tightened, and I stepped away. What was I hoping for? That he'd kiss me? I spun around. "Kenji."

He hadn't moved. He was watching me, his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. He raised a brow.

I stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. A moment passed. Then another. My mind was racing, my emotions were all over the place.

"Do you want me to walk you to your door?" he asked softly.

I wanted to spend a few more minutes with him. I nodded, trying to hide my excitement.

He walked over to me as I opened the door. We stepped inside, and I led him to the elevator. Inside, he pressed the button for my floor. The doors closed, and we began ascending. I looked at him from the corner of my eye, studying his profile. His dark hair fell across his forehead, and I wanted nothing more than to run my fingers through it.

I slipped off my glasses and placed it gently in my purse. Then without thinking, I hit the stop button. The elevator shuddered to a halt. Kenji staggered and caught himself on the wall, looking at me. "Ami? What the—"

I shut him up with a kiss.

His eyes widened, but a moment later, his hands were on me. He pulled me close, his lips warm against mine. The heat between us was unbearable. He tasted like wine and something else, something I couldn't quite place and couldn't get enough of. His tongue slid across my lower lip, and I gasped.

There are kisses that you forget and there are those that burn into your memory forever, the ones that you know will leave a mark with their passion and intensity. This was one of those kisses.

The world fell away.

Kenji's mouth was soft, his lips smooth. His fingers dug into my hips as he pinned me against the wall, his body pressing against mine. His hand slid up my spine and into my hair. He gripped it, gently pulling my head back. He kissed my neck, his teeth scraping against the sensitive skin. I shuddered, arching my back and pressing my body against his.

It felt so good, too good.

"Kenji," I breathed.

He captured my lips again, sliding his tongue into my mouth. My hands found their way to his hair, running through it.

It was soft, just like I imagined.

The air was thick, and the sound of our breathing filled the small space. My body burned, a fire spreading through my veins while my head spun. There weren't enough words that could describe what I was feeling as we kissed, the heat that pooled inside me. My legs were trembling, and my knees were weak. I felt dizzy, drunk on his touch.

Kenji's hand traveled down my waist, resting on my hip as he released my hair. He pulled away and his eyes were dark, hungry.

I stared at him. I wanted more. It wasn't like me to do this, to want someone so badly. I hadn't felt this way in years. I bit my lip, feeling a blush creep across my cheeks.