Taming the Tiger: Chapter 10

"You only need to know my name. I'm just an ordinary person," Kit replied. Marco didn't particularly care for Kit's attitude; it made him feel as though there were two Romans sitting there. One Roman was already more than enough.

"But we should get to know each other, don't you think? Besides, Marco is Roman's older cousin. As a guest, you should make some introductions," Karina spoke in a sweet voice accompanied by a gentle smile, which Kit sensed was feigned.

"I only get to know people I actually want to know," he shot back. Danil turned and gave him a thumbs-up with a grin, instantly causing Marco and Karina's faces to tighten. Marco was about to open his mouth to reproach Kit—

"Order something," Roman cut in, his voice indifferent. "Let’s not waste time. We’ve got things to do."

"You're going fishing, aren't you? Take Rina along. She came alone, without friends," Marco immediately seized the opportunity.

"Alone?” Roman raised an eyebrow. “Didn't she come with you? Are you planning to abandon her? Or are you planning to ditch her?" 

"I have business to attend to," 

Kit, uninterested in the exchange between Roman and Marco, continued eating casually.

"Business on my boat?" Roman pressed.

"I ran into a friend. We need to discuss some work," 

"I'd love to join you, Roman. I promise I won't be any trouble. Karina would like to try fishing," the young woman coaxed sweetly. Roman gazed at her silently.

Danil, unable to hide his irritation, smirked. "You do realize it'll just be you and a bunch of guys, right? Not worried about that?"

"Why would I be? Roman will be there," Karina answered innocently, pretending not to notice Danil’s skepticism.

"If you want to come, fine. But let’s get one thing straight—I'm not looking after anyone. Take care of yourself," Roman declared. Karina nodded quickly, eager to lock in her spot before he changed his mind. In her head, she convinced herself that Roman must care at least a little. Otherwise, he would’ve rejected her outright.

"After we finish eating, I'll give you 10 minutes to prepare. My people will escort you to the speedboat," Roman added. Of course, he wasn’t doing this for her sake. He wanted someone to keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn’t try anything suspicious—or wander where she wasn’t supposed to.

Marco, finally seeing things go his way, allowed himself a small smile before turning his attention back to his meal. Everyone else followed suit.

When they finished eating, Karina hurried off to prepare, while Marco slipped away, satisfied that his plan had worked. Roman led the rest of them to the speedboat.

"You sure you’re okay with that woman tagging along?" Jake muttered to Kit, keeping his voice low.

"Why would it matter to me whether I'm okay with it or not? Besides, Mr. Roman already gave his permission," 

"Still, she seems to dislike you for some reason. Strange, isn’t it? You two don’t even know each other personally, never had any issues before, but she already doesn’t like you," Jake voiced his thoughts. Kit, however, remained unbothered.

"I've had someone prepare the fishing rods. Would you like to check them first?" Roman approached, cutting the conversation short.

"Sounds good," Kit responded, then walked toward the back of the large speedboat. The vessel seemed well-equipped with plenty of amenities. There were seating areas at both the front and back, and a sunbathing spot on the middle deck. The boat also had a bathroom and a lavish bar.

They weren’t just launching one boat; there were two additional smaller speedboats as well, where some of Roman's bodyguards would be stationed to escort them. Kit examined the fishing equipment and nodded in satisfaction. Shortly after, the woman arrived, and Roman gave the signal to lower the boats.

His ship remained anchored in place while the speedboat was lowered into the water. Once everything was ready, the boat operators navigated toward the designated fishing spot. Kit stood at the bow, enjoying the breeze, while the others stayed inside or at the back, preparing their fishing gear.

"Would you like to go diving? I can have my men take us to a good diving spot right away," Roman asked as he approached Kit.

That made Kit realize that Roman's ship wasn’t too far from the shore.

"If there's time, that would be interesting," Kit replied.

"Of course. Whatever you want, I can arrange it," Roman answered. Kit looked at Roman through the dark sunglasses he was wearing.

"Hmm, didn't you tell Miss Karina that you wouldn't have time to take care of anyone?" Kit teased. Roman laughed softly under his breath.

“I only take care of the people I want to take care of,” Roman replied, locking eyes with Kit. Even though Roman was wearing sunglasses like him, Kit could still feel the heat in the other man’s gaze.

“You want something to drink?” Roman asked.

“I’ll start with something light—a cocktail will do,” Kit answered. Since Roman had claimed he wanted to spoil him, Kit figured he might as well let him.

Roman walked back to the bar and ordered a cocktail from the bartender attending to them.

"Are you having a cocktail, Roman?" Karina, who was sipping fruit juice, asked with surprise.

"No, it's for Kit," Roman replied. After getting the cocktail, Roman immediately brought it to Kit at the bow which was followed by the irritated and suspicious gaze of Karina. 

Seeing Roman giving Kit special attention, she recalled hearing that Roman slept with both women and men, making her wonder if Kit might be one of Roman's lovers. Still, she wasn't convinced, because although Kit was slimmer than Roman, he didn't seem like Roman's usual type—he didn't have the delicate, submissive quality she'd heard Roman preferred in his partners.

"Thank you," Kit said when Roman delivered the cocktail. He turned to catch Karina's piercing stare from inside the boat.

"Your fiancée doesn't seem to like me very much," Kit remarked casually as he took a sip of his cocktail.

“She’s not my fiancée,” Roman said firmly. “And she never will be. Don’t waste your time worrying about her.” Kit's lips curved into a slight smile.

“Mr. Roman, can we sunbathe up there?” the young woman came out to ask.

"Yes," Roman answered flatly. Karina smiled sweetly in return.

"Perfect! Rina's going to sunbathe for a bit," she announced before removing her shirt and pants right in front of Roman and Kit, revealing the tiny bikini she had on underneath. Kit glanced at her, purely for the sake of appreciating the view. Roman, on the other hand, looked visibly displeased.

Swaying her hips, Karina made her way up to the sun deck, basking in the attention—or at least trying to.

“Heh. She’s really putting in the effort,” Kit chuckled, clearly amused.

“Ridiculous. We’re almost at the fishing spot. Let’s head to the back,” Roman said, entirely unfazed by Karina’s display.

The two of them walked toward the stern to join Jake, Ivan, and Danil.

"II just looked up for a second and nearly choked," Jake whispered to Kit, nodding toward the upper deck. Kit chuckled softly in response. 

Once they reached the fishing area, Kit, Roman, Jake, and Ivan got started right away. Danil, meanwhile, opted to sit in the shade, cheering them on from the sidelines.

“Oh! Got one!” Jake was the first to catch something. He reeled it in expertly while Kit watched from beside him. One of Roman’s men helped scoop the fish up with a net.

“Mackerel,” Jake identified the fish with a pleased grin.

“Oh, saba,” Kit remarked absentmindedly.

“Saba what now?” Jake asked, confused.

Kit just chuckled.

"In Japan, they call it 'saba.' In Thailand, we call it that too," Kit explained with a smile. Just then, Ivan’s fishing rod jerked, pulling everyone’s attention back to the excitement of fishing. No one noticed the woman who had quietly moved to the back of the boat, looking down from the deck with a displeased expression. She wasn’t receiving nearly as much attention as she thought she deserved—even though she was a famous model. 

The four men took turns catching various types of fish, releasing those that weren't edible or were too small for their species.

WHIRRRRR!

Kit's fishing rod made a loud sound, causing him to lunge quickly to grab it.

"Hmm, looks like a big one," Kit said, as the fish pulled so strongly that he had to tense his arms to hold onto the rod.

"Can you handle it, Kit?" Roman asked with concern. The bend in the rod made it clear that Kit had hooked something massive, and now, everyone was eagerly watching to see if he could reel it in—except for one particular woman.

"Boss, I think it's a swordfish," said one of Roman's men who was helping with the net when he spotted the fish jumping not far away.

“Whoa, those things are dangerous. If that beak stabs you, you’re done for,” Jake exclaimed in alarm.

“Sounds fun,” Kit grinned, but just as he was enjoying the challenge, an unexpected jerk from the rod yanked him toward the back of the boat. Before he could stumble further, a strong arm caught him just in time.

“I got you,” Roman said as he wrapped an arm around Kit and helped him hold the rod steady.

Kit froze for a moment, suddenly finding himself in Roman’s firm embrace. He never thought of himself as small or fragile, yet in Roman’s arms, he suddenly felt… smaller than usual.  He felt an inexplicable warmth rising to his face, though he kept his composure. Their arms brushed against each other as they struggled with the fishing rod, the friction sending a strange sensation through Kit’s skin.

"Why don't you just hold the rod yourself? It might be easier," Kit suggested, looking for a way out of this embrace that was making him feel unlike himself. He wasn't repulsed—just confused by something stirring inside him.

"Let's do this together," Roman murmured, his voice low and close to Kit’s ear. 

Jake observed the two and sensed a pinkish-purple aura surrounding them. Danil was covering his mouth to suppress squeals of delight, while Ivan simply smirked at his friend's craftiness. Ivan suspected Kit could tell that Roman was making small advances, but Kit didn't seem to mind—otherwise, he would have let go of the rod and left it to Roman long ago. This made Ivan wonder if his friend might actually have a chance with Kit. Only one person was watching from the deck with displeasure.

Now Kit and Roman were working together to reel in the fish closer to the boat. Though the fish was nearly a meter long, its sharp, elongated bill made it even more dangerous. Ivan and Jake took a few steps back, just in case the thrashing fish accidentally speared someone when it was brought aboard.

This time, it took two of Roman’s men to help lift the powerful fish out of the water as Kit and Roman managed to drag it to the back of the boat.

"Step back," Roman pulled at Kit's waist to make him step backward, smoothly maintaining his embrace. Kit, excited about the fish he'd caught, completely forgot about Roman's arms around him. Finally, they managed to bring the fish aboard. Kit smiled with satisfaction as Roman's men worked to subdue the fish so Kit could get a closer look.

"Want to take a photo as a memento?" Roman asked.

"Sure," Kit agreed, before becoming aware that Roman was still holding him. Kit turned to look at the larger man behind him.

“Before that, maybe you should let me go first?” Kit asked in a calm tone, though his heart was pounding so hard he silently cursed himself.

“My bad,” Roman replied with a sly smile. Kit wanted to roll his eyes but held back, choosing instead to stay silent. Kit held the fish while Jake took the photo. Danil came over, fascinated, and joined in on the excited conversation about the catch.

"Roman, you're so skilled! You caught such a big fish," the young woman called down from the deck, causing everyone to look up at her as she posed provocatively.

"Kit was the one who caught it," Roman replied flatly.

"But you helped, didn't you? Kit surely wouldn't claim he caught it all by himself, would he?" the woman said with a smile. Kit gave a slight smirk before walking over to grab Roman's hand and pull him to stand beside himself.

"That's right. You helped me catch it. Let's take a photo together," Kit suggested, handing the fish to Roman to hold for their picture together. Kit was simply trying to annoy the young woman a bit, which succeeded in making her purse her lips in irritation. 

Roman smiled with satisfaction at the chance to take a photo with Kit, causing his men on the boat to exchange shocked glances, as if they'd seen a ghost. Their boss rarely agreed to pose for photos like this. 

After Jake finished taking their picture, Kit handed the fish to Roman's men to store in the cooler immediately.

“Want to go diving?” Roman asked, seeing that they had caught enough fish for the day.

“Great idea!” Danil immediately chimed in, eager for a change of activity since fishing wasn’t really his thing.  

Kit and Jake both nodded in agreement, prompting Roman to give the order for his men to head to the snorkeling spot.

As soon as they arrived, Karina hurried down from the upper deck to join them. This particular dive only required a snorkel mask, making it easy for everyone to participate.

Kit pulled off his shirt before heading into the water, exposing his tattoos—something that seemed to capture Roman’s attention completely.

Jake, noticing Roman's gaze, glanced between Kit and Karina. The woman stood confidently in her bikini, flaunting her curves, yet Roman’s eyes never strayed toward her. Instead they remained fixed on his friend, who had neither a large chest nor curves. This realization made Jake pause.

No wonder he's treating him so well, Jake thought to himself as everything clicked into place. He wondered if Kit had realized yet that he had somehow captured the interest of one of the most powerful men in the world.

Kit, however, wasn’t clueless. Roman’s unwavering gaze, paired with their previous conversations, had made things quite clear.

"Want to dive together?" Roman asked, taking off his own shirt and stopping right in front of Kit. Kit gave a slight smirk.

"Just try to keep up with me," he said before putting on his snorkel and immediately jumping into the water. Roman watched with satisfaction, then put on his own snorkel and jumped in after him, leaving the young woman—who had been preparing to flirt with Roman—standing there awkwardly.

"I think I can keep up with you," Roman said as he swam up to Kit, who was floating in the water. Kit smiled slightly.

"Did you ever consider that I was deliberately letting you catch up?" Kit asked in return. That response only made Roman even more intrigued. Meeting Kit had made him realize that he wasn’t drawn to people who fawned over him or catered to his every whim. Instead, he preferred those who could keep up with him—quick-witted, strong, and not weak to the point of being a burden. His life was filled with danger, after all.

"That's exactly why I find you interesting," Roman replied, causing Kit to narrow his eyes slightly.

"Are you finally going to reveal your true intentions?" Kit teased. Roman chuckled softly as they both continued floating in the sea.

Jake was snorkeling on the other side, while Danil was with Ivan.

"Not yet," Roman answered, and Kit didn't press further.

"Then I'll go snorkeling to look at the fish for a bit," Kit said before diving to admire the underwater beauty. There were quite a few fish in the area where Kit was diving, with Roman swimming nearby. Roman barely looked at the fish, too busy watching Kit's swimming movements. Kit didn't feel uncomfortable with Roman following him like this. After watching for a while, Kit decided to return to the boat. Roman climbed up first, then helped pull Kit up.

"Roman, could you help pull me up too?" called the young woman who had been snorkeling alone, extending her hand toward Roman who was standing at the boat's entrance.  There was a ladder she could use to climb up, but she chose to ask for his help after seeing him assist Kit.

"Norris," Roman called to one of his men.

"Ahh!" Karina exclaimed in surprise when Norris suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her up with one hand until she was standing on the boat.

"Wow, you're strong as hell," Jake commented, having witnessed the scene. Karina pressed her lips together in displeasure but couldn't say anything. She quickly went to get a cover-up for herself, while Kit had a towel draped over his shoulders.

"If you have time or get the chance to visit Thailand, I recommend you try diving in the Thai seas," Kit suggested.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you to take me there," Roman replied. Kit smiled but didn't say anything. When everyone had returned to the boat, Roman ordered them to head back to the Kraken immediately.

"Thank you so much, Roman," Karina said when they had boarded the Kraken.

"Norris, please escort Ms. Karina to her room," Roman instructed, completely ignoring her gratitude. He had never intended to invite her in the first place. Without a choice, Karina bit back her irritation and obediently headed to her room.

"You should go shower and change," Roman told Kit. "I'll have some of the fish we caught prepared for lunch. Once you're done, meet me in the dining room."

Kit and Jake then went their separate ways to clean up and change before regrouping for lunch.

***

"Roman, I forgot to ask—are you sure you want to get the tattoo today?" Kit asked as something occurred to him.

"Why?" Roman asked in return as they sat having lunch together.

"Well, after getting tattooed, you need time to care for the wound. But I imagine you'll be working continuously while on this boat. It might make things difficult for you, especially when the wound scabs over. Wouldn't it be better if I tattooed you on your last day on the boat?" Kit suggested, considering that Roman's tattoo was quite large and located on his thigh.

"Even with a bullet wound, he can still work," Ivan answered for him.

“Exactly what Ivan said. Just do it now,” Roman confirmed.

Kit nodded. He had already shown Danil the tattoo design, and Danil liked it so much that he wanted to go first. His design was relatively small, so it wouldn’t take long to finish.

Once everyone finished their meal, they moved to the tattoo room that Roman had prepared. Danil wore a button-up shirt, which allowed him to expose his collarbone for the tattoo. He immediately lay down on the tattoo bed while Kit transferred the stencil onto his skin. After putting on gloves and preparing his equipment, he got ready to start.

Jake stood nearby to watch, while Roman and Ivan sat on the sofa. The buzzing of the tattoo machine filled the room.

“I’ve missed this sound,” Kit joked as he carefully started tattooing Danil.

“You have a really light hand,” Danil complimented. Kit smirked under his mask.

Before long, Danil’s tattoo was finished. Kit gave him instructions on how to take care of it.

“I’ll take Danil back to his room,” Ivan told Roman, since he had only stayed to wait for Danil to finish. Roman nodded.

Then, Ivan turned to look at Jake, who frowned in confusion at him.

“I think you should get some rest,” Ivan said, clearly wanting to leave Roman and Kit alone in the tattoo room. Jake caught the hint from Ivan’s intense gaze.

“Oh, right! Kit, I’ll go think about my tattoo design first. Once I decide, I’ll let you know,” Jake said quickly.

Kit had previously asked Roman if he could use the equipment to tattoo Jake, and Roman had no objections. Kit nodded in response.

One by one, everyone left the room—leaving only Roman and Kit alone.

"You'll need to take off your pants, leaving just your underwear," Kit said, since the tattoo would be on the upper thigh. Roman walked to the shelf and began removing his pants.

Kit cleared his throat softly as the other man continued undressing while looking at him. After placing his pants on the shelf, Roman returned to lie on the tattoo bed. Kit brought a towel to cover Roman's crotch, leaving only the area to be tattooed exposed.

"I'll transfer the design first," Kit said, carefully applying the stencil to the position for the tattoo. Soon the tattooing began. Roman rested one arm behind his head, watching Kit work with focused precision. He had to admit—Kit had a surprisingly light touch. He had been tattooed by well-known professionals before, and they were far heavier-handed than Kit.

"Does it hurt?" Kit asked, trying to make conversation.

"Not really. I can handle worse," Roman replied casually.

Kit turned his focus back to tattooing Roman. The position required Kit's hands to work close to Roman's groin, and seeing Kit's hands moving so near caused Roman's manhood to stiffen defiantly, despite Kit wearing gloves. Roman bit his lip slightly. Kit noticed something moving in his peripheral vision and couldn't help glancing over—then froze, feeling his face flush, though he knew it was a normal male reaction.

"Ahem. Would you like to use the bathroom first?" Kit asked, trying not to look at Roman's midsection where the towel was now tenting upward. Jake's comment about Roman's father being "generous" suddenly flashed through Kit's mind. Though confident in his own size, after roughly gauging Roman's dimensions, Kit felt a slight irritation at being outdone.

"That's not necessary. Is it bothering you?" Roman teased. Kit maintained a neutral expression, pretending not to care.

"Not really. It's normal. I just asked in case you wanted to take care of it first," Kit replied in a steady voice, not wanting Roman to know he was feeling a bit flustered inside.

"Ah, you can continue tattooing. I'm fine," Roman answered. Kit returned to focusing on the tattoo, but throughout the session, Roman's manhood would twitch whenever Kit's hand moved nearby. Kit tried to keep his hand away from that area as much as possible, but sometimes it couldn't be avoided, making him silently curse Roman. Kit was certain Roman was teasing him deliberately. 

Roman lay watching Kit with a satisfied smirk. Kit took breaks occasionally, and Roman used his phone to give work orders. The session stretched into the evening before Kit finally finished. Roman immediately got up to look at the result.

"I love it. How much do I owe you?" Roman asked.

"No need. The equipment is yours, and I consider my labor a repayment for your hospitality while I've been on this boat," Kit replied. Roman didn't press further, but he had already decided that once they reached shore, he would find Kit's bank account to transfer money into it. Kit wrapped Roman's tattoo in plastic and gave him aftercare instructions, which were more extensive than Danil's since Roman's tattoo was considerably larger.

"Then you should come clean it for me.” Roman said without missing a beat,  “I don't know how to do it properly.”

"You're really getting your money's worth with me, huh?" Kit joked back. Roman smiled slightly. Since meeting Kit, Roman felt he'd been smiling more often, but only for Kit.

“If you want anything, just tell me,” 

"Big spender, aren't you," Kit muttered to himself. 

"It's fine. If you want me to help clean your wound, I will. You don't need to give me anything," Kit replied, considering it his way of returning the favor for Roman’s kindness.

“I won’t be able to have dinner with you tonight,” Roman said, as he had a sudden meeting to attend.

“I was planning to eat in my room and get some rest anyway. I’m feeling a bit drained,” Kit replied. After all, he had spent the day fishing, diving, and then tattooing both Roman and Danil.

“Thanks a lot. Go get some rest. If I need someone to clean the wound, I’ll call you,” Roman said. Kit simply nodded.

Roman put his pants back on and left the tattoo room with Kit, who then headed to his own quarters. He didn’t have to order food—Roman had already taken care of that. After eating and letting his food settle for a bit, Kit went straight to bed.

He woke up again sometime past 1 AM. Since he had gone to bed early, he was now wide awake. He got up to use the bathroom and figured he might order a late-night snack.

Beep! Beep!

The sound of a message notification interrupted his thoughts just as he stepped out of the bathroom. He picked up his phone and saw a text from Roman, asking if he was awake and free.

Kit decided to call him back.

(“Did I wake you up, or were you still up?”) Roman asked as soon as he picked up.

“Do you have a camera in my room or something? Your timing is weirdly perfect. I literally just woke up and walked out of the bathroom,” Kit said, glancing around suspiciously, only to hear Roman chuckle softly on the other end.

(“No cameras. Just good instincts,”) Roman replied.

“So, what do you need?” Kit asked.

(“I need someone to clean my tattoo wound. Would that be too much of a bother?”) Roman asked.

Kit rolled his eyes. Roman might call it a ‘bother,’ but in the end, he’d just find a way to sweet-talk Kit into doing it anyway.

"The owner of the yacht went out of his way to trust me with cleaning your wound. I guess I have to go then," Kit replied sarcastically. He knew Roman caught the sarcasm, but Roman chose to ignore it.

("Great. I'll have someone bring you to me.") Roman said.

"If I'm coming over, order some food for me too," Kit said, taking the chance to make a request. Roman agreed immediately before hanging up.

Kit was wearing a deep-cut tank top and long pants but didn't bother changing. Soon, one of Roman's men knocked on his door. Kit walked out casually, stopping by the tattoo studio to grab supplies before heading to Roman. 

Kit raised an eyebrow slightly when he realized the subordinate had brought him to a room he'd never entered before—Roman's private quarters. Inside, Roman was seated on the sofa, wearing only a bathrobe, his eyes fixed on Kit. He hadn't expected to see Kit in such a relaxed, bedtime outfit.

"Is that what you sleep in?" Roman asked.

"Yeah,”

"I ordered food for you. It'll be here soon," Roman told him. Kit nodded.

"Let me clean your tattoo first," Kit said, placing the cleaning solution on the table. He instructed Roman to rest his leg across Kit's lap, then lifted the bathrobe around Roman's leg to clean the tattoo. Roman watched Kit work with obvious pleasure.

"Is he sleeping right now?" Kit suddenly asked. Roman raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who?" Roman questioned. Kit laughed softly.

"Your little brother here. I thought he might wake up to greet me," Kit said, nodding toward Roman's groin. Roman burst out laughing.

"Well, well. You really make me drop my guard in almost every way," Roman remarked, not expecting Kit to tease him about such things, but not embarrassed either.

"Actually, he does want to wake up and greet you, but I didn't want to scare you," Roman replied casually.

"Why would you think I'd be scared?" Kit bantered back.

"Hmm, you're not afraid? That's good. If there's ever an opportunity for him to greet you properly, I won't have to worry about frightening you," Roman said, looking at Kit with gleaming eyes. Kit pretended to busy himself with the cleaning cream to avoid Roman's gaze, which felt like a black hole capable of pulling in whatever it desired.

"I never thought you and I would end up having this kind of conversation," Kit admitted.

"Why not?" Roman asked.

"To be honest, we live in completely different worlds. Our statuses are worlds apart. Everyone fears and respects you, yet here I am—nobody special, just an ordinary person—sitting here joking around with you… and you're not even mad," Kit explained.

"Truthfully, if it were anyone else, they might have been swimming with sharks by now. But as I told you before, you have special privileges," Roman replied easily.

"So I'm lucky then," Kit responded. Roman just smiled slightly before a knock at the door announced Roman's subordinate wheeling in a cart of food.

"I ordered something light for you. It wouldn't be good to eat anything heavy at this hour," Roman explained.

"Why are there two sets? Are you eating too?" Kit asked.

"Yes. I didn't want you to be lonely eating by yourself," Roman answered, making Kit think to himself that Roman was indeed coming on strong lately.

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