What about Harper?"
"Harper is forty," Shaundra answered.
"Yes, and he's a stud muffin. He also has a great ass. Have you seen him at the gym?"
Shaundra smiled. "Harper is my publisher. I don't think it's wise to mix business with pleasure, no matter how tempting. I'll stay out of his bed while in Japan."
"So you've changed your mind about the trip?"
"Maybe. Why is it so important that I go?"
"Well, I don't know if I should be telling you this or not, but Harper plans to score some brownie points with his new Japanese business partner, Goro Niigata, by using you guys to help promote Niigata's boy band."
"You're losing me here."
"Goro Niigata runs this big entertainment business in Japan and Korea, and one of his bands, Aomori, will be making their American debut here in New York in a couple of months, and what better way to help them than by pairing them up with Kehoe's hottest romance authors?"
"Aomori? Never heard of them."
Charlotte got out of her chair, walked over to a file cabinet and took out a manila folder. She walked over to Shaundra and handed it to her.
Shaundra opened the folder and looked down. "Oh my. They're beautiful." Her stomach clenched and her panties dampened. She moved around on her chair and crossed her ankles to stave off the quivering between the legs.
Charlotte chuckled. "Yeah, I had the same reaction the first time I saw that picture. Aren't they something?"
Shaundra looked down at the picture again. They were four Japanese men, each pleasing to the eye, but very young. Her stomach clenched again. Did that mean she was attracted to them? Hell, she had stretch marks older than them. No, it couldn't mean that. The one in the center of the picture had very pale skin and his lips were incredibly pink and full.
Charlotte cleared her throat.
Shaundra closed the folder and slid it back on Charlotte's desk.
"Maybe a trip to Japan might not be such a bad idea after all."
Charlotte smirked at her. "Yes, I kind of thought you'd change your mind once you saw them."
Shaundra rose from the seat. "Girl, this is silly."
"Where are you going?"
"To get that doctor's phone number from Harper."
Charlotte's girlish laughter followed her out of the door.
Chapter Two
Yori Morioka played around with a glass paperweight on his manager's desk while his other three band members, Satoshi Hayashi, Takumijo Yamazaki and Ichiro Yoshida sat haphazardly in chairs around Masaaki Fugimoto's office while they waited for him to enter. Masaaki had sent them each an email to meet with him to discuss some important matters about their future.
Yori liked Masaaki. He was a bit of a nerd, but he was a very good manager. He hoped Masaaki would discuss their upcoming tour in the United States, which he was very interested in. Satoshi had been teaching all of them English and he had a pretty good grasp on it. Satoshi was the only one of the four of them that had been there and Satoshi always bragged about what a great place it was. His father was an ambassador, which meant he'd gotten to travel with him from time to time when he was growing up. He especially liked Los Angeles and New York, where they were scheduled to perform.
Yori looked over at Satoshi who dozed on and off while he waited. His face was hidden behind thick black hair and a New York Yankee baseball cap. Their hair stylist had him growing his hair longer so he wouldn't need extensions added for their next video. He'd been wearing it in a ponytail, which allowed a rare glimpse at his handsome face. Yori had no problems considering other men handsome. There was no other way to describe him.
Ichiro noticed Satoshi sleeping and rose to mess with him. He gently ran a finger across Satoshi's cheek.
Satoshi's lids slid back as he lifted his head, revealing dark brown eyes. "What?"
"Wake up. Masaaki will be here shortly." Ichiro walked back to his seat and sat down.
Satoshi yawned, stretched, and tried to be attentive.
Yori smiled. Satoshi still appeared very sleepy.
Their manager entered several minutes later dressed in a dark blue business suit with a matching tie. Masaaki, as he allowed them to call him, was thirty years old and had been their business manager for five years.
His father and Goro Niigata were childhood friends. Goro hired Masaaki on as soon as he graduated at the top of his college class.
It was easy to talk with Masaaki since he was only five