Dark Temptation

Lullaby

She was waiting for Devon in front of the airport. It was almost six am and Anne was having her third coffee.

She hadn't slept at all and spent the night sending emails to whoever she wouldn't be able to contact during the whole flight from London to Tokyo, but had to update on things.

"You should dress casually more often."

Devon was getting off the taxi, smiling at her while making a show of checking her out. She wasn't wearing the usual suit or an evening dress, instead she was in plain jeans and a hoodie.

Whatever he said always made her wonder if he was complimenting her, or making fun of her.

"I was almost sure you wouldn't make it and miss the flight."

"How disappointed are you I'm here?"

"From one to ten?"

"It's eleven, right?"

"I was going to go for a hundred, but eleven works too."

"I like to disappoint people, you know me already."

They exchanged a few more remarks and headed for the exit.

Devon was way too helpful with her suitcases and she was sure that would cost her later.

Once they were on the plane the only thing Anne wanted to do was open her laptop and do some work.

She was hoping Devon would agree to switching seats with her and take the one next to the isle. It was probably obvious she wasn't feeling very well, so he agreed immediately.

Anne was just turning on the laptop when a baby began crying.

"Are you kidding me."

She tried to ignore it, but it wasn't working. It's not that she didn't like kids- well, a bit of that too, bit she hadn't slept in two days and the coffees were starting to make her anxious.

The kid was probably about to begin learning how to walk and started crawling around, then crying again. Then more crying.

The little girl had almost crawled up to their row and looked at Devon. He was reading something, but dropped the book immediately after he saw the little creature examining him curiously.

"Hey there."

It was coming closer, but then suddenly burst into crying.

The girl's eyes filled with tears and Devon quickly got up and took her in her arms.

"Shhh, it's okay." He cradled her in his big arms and Anne heard his deep voice dropping lower into humming a song.

" I'm so sorry. I went to the restroom and she must've crawled from her baby chair."

"No, no problem. She's lovely." Devon held up the girl carefully, returning it to its mother.

Anne moved and adjusted her head back on Devon's shoulder.

"Ohh, I'm sorry again, I hope we didn't wake your wife up."

"Oh no, she's not my..." Devon began saying.

"You're a great couple, both so attractive and interesting. " The woman smiled "But you probably get that all the time. Have a nice rest of the flight."

"Ummm... yeah. Thank you, you too."

A slight thud woke Anne up.

"What happened?"

She straightened herself and looked frantically around. "Where are we?"

"We're landing shortly."

She was still disoriented and Devon was smiling at her, closing the book he'd almost finished. "You've been drooling on my T-shirt for the past six hours. You still have some here

"

He outstretched his hand to her and she pulled back, wiping her cheek. "I wasn't."

"No, but you were very cute."

She closed her eyes and relaxed against her seat. She could never, and that means absolutely never- sleep on a plane, regardless of how tired she was.

She looked out the window. It was early morning, the next day, though as far as Anne calculated.

The Sun was just rising over Fuji mountain and it's light coloured everything in rose gold. The view stopped Anne's breath. She felt a sudden mixture of nostalgia and excitement.

"When I was a child I always dreamed of coming to Japan, seeing all this."

She had no idea she had said all that aloud before she felt Devon's warm body very close. She probably looked like a small kid meeting her favourite super hero or book character in person.

"Beautiful."

She turned and saw he was resting his head on his hand, elbow propped up on the arm rest of the seat.

"It is, very." She replied and turned back, watching the piece of nature revealing itself in the distance and the skyscrapers underneath.

He didn't explain he hadn't meant the view.

They were greeted by presumably someone's assistant, holding a name tag with their names.

They got on the car and the driver announced their direction.

"I am hopeless with Japanese and kanji, I have no clue how we'll make it. Thank goodness we have someone to pick us up." Anne said, her eyes still devouring everything she could see, landscape changing every minute.

"You'll love it, I'm sure."

She then turned to him

"Is this your first time here?"

"Nah."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you never asked me?"

"Are you kidding me? When?"

"The first time was when I was a kid, I guess, but we've been here a few times with The Ravens. That is the name of a band I was in."

"No, I know you were in a band, Devon."

"You've been stalking me, baby girl?"

She didn't say anything."Woah, you actually have. I can't believe it."

"I haven't." Anne crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, staring into the seat in front of her.

He had the sudden urge to pull her back in his arms and...

"I wasn't stalking you, I just saw some stuff by accident."

"By accident? I should thank fate, then."

He laughed. "I won't ask you what you thought about it."

He was sure whatever she'd heard a big part of it was bad. The Ravens were musicians initially, then just became the topic of every second tabloid's first page or column for scandals. Anne'snext words pulled him back to the moment.

"I actually think..." she rubbed her nose " Well, I think you were very good. You are, in fact- maybe you still play."

That was the first time in a really long while he felt the need to say yes, I still play.

The driver left them in front of the five star hotel and wished them a pleasant stay.

"We're staying in the same room, right?"

Anne gave him a look "This is not some rom-com, please."

"It's not?"

After they did the check in and headed for the elevator, the bellbiy got in with them and pressed the button. They were silent for a second, then Devon said:

"My room is next to yours, right?"

"Right."

"If the bellboy wasn't here with us, I'd press you really hard on that mirror behind us and kiss you until I know you're wet."

"Oh my god." Anne hid her face in her palms. She knew she was blushing really hard, desp the fact Devon was insane.

"She loves it when I do this." Devon told the bellboy who looked totally stunned.