Fanfiction: Mo Yuan and Shao Wan - Chapter 73 (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms 三生三世十里桃花)
Chapter 73
written by MiniOrchidedited by kakashi and Panda
Several things occurred in his mind when he woke up, blindfolded and bound. First, he was no longer at Ziming Palace, and he was sure he was outdoors. He could feel a nearby warmth, and the sound of flickering fire. For torture perhaps? It had been long since he experienced abduction. As he recalled, Si Yin had more experience with this than him. But he knew it wasn’t by chance, because there wasn’t any part of this that could have happened by chance. He had chosen a path, and he knew it would lead to a certain end.
Second, he wondered who among the Generals or Warriors despised him so much that they would risk offending their Queen. Several options came to mind, but the ones close to Yan Zhi were all loyal, despite a bit of hostility. So, it must be one of the traitors, he concluded.
Third, why wasn’t he dead? He had known that sooner or later, someone would target his life. He was among enemies, he knew the risk of staying, of having all his actions scrutinized by ally and foe, especially since he purposefully made himself a target to draw attention from his Queen. It was only a matter of time until someone took action, and this would create an opportunity for them to make mistakes - mistakes that may well be worth dying for.
It didn’t take long for him to contemplate these thoughts and soon, he heard the rustling noise of something moving through what sounded like grassland. Only one being, he realized. He waited, silently. This may not be an abduction that would end in his demise, but it was a battle nonetheless. He knew that when it came to interrogation, the one to speak first would be at a disadvantage.
But all remained silent until he heard a rustling that sounded like falling gear. As the person drew closer, he instantly felt a familiar presence. A hand lifted his blindfold, his eyes squinted for a moment at the bright light, then, his raven goddess appeared before him.
“Yan Zhi?” he could only manage that much before her lips came down hard against his. He almost tumbled backward, but she drew him back, settling herself on him, straddling his waist.
He was suffocated, starved for breath. He made a helpless noise of fury against her lips, but she only deepened the kiss. He instantly knew her intent when he felt her hands pulling at his garments. Her tongue swept into his mouth and his world began to spin from deep tender caresses that sapped his strength. He wanted to hold her, but he couldn’t: his hands were bound behind him. As much as his body wanted this to continue, he didn’t think they had time for such fleeting pleasure. They had to leave!
He managed to tear his mouth away from hers, grappling for composure. “Yan Zhi, this is not the time, we have to leave this place. You have to untie me.”
“Untie you? Why would I ever do that?” she frowned.
“You’re not here to save me?” he asked in astonishment, utterly confused by her demeanor.
Her head arched with a short laugh. “That wouldn’t make sense, considering I’m the one who abducted you,” she said.
For a moment, Zi Lan couldn’t react, his flabbergasted expression must have delighted her, because he saw her eyes sparkle with amusement.
One thing was clear, no matter how good he was at deduction or how well he had anticipated everybody’s moves, this was unexpected. He was so enthralled by her presence, he had not realized this was no hide out for an abduction. His eyes surveyed the area. He had known he was nowhere near Ziming Palace, but he had not expected them to be by the edge of the open plains with tall grass surrounding them. They were on a slope, surrounded by myriad of bright glowing fireflies that reached beyond the plains and the surrounding distant forest, eclipsing the stars above them with their light.
Yan Zhi had discarded her riding gear and was clothed only in a thin layer of soft red silk. She was a vision of delicate loveliness, with fiery shades of black and red against her radiant pearl skin. Her hair was unbraided and hung loose over her shoulders. How could he have been so slow - he sat on black pelt, with her intimately straddling his waist. This was a place of seduction. A love nest. For consummation.
When he returned his gaze to her dark yet alluring eyes, her pure smile was so captivating, he momentarily wanted to kiss her again...only momentarily, because he caught himself before he succumbed to temptation. This must be karma, a cruel twisted joke for his many misdeeds.
Suddenly, her hands grasped his neck. She leaned to the side, her lips at his ear: “You’re not going to ask why?” came the voice of the enchantress.
He inhaled sharply when she licked the lobe of his ears. “I’m waiting for you to tell me.” His voice quivered and he was unable to stop the rush of heat to his ears.
She turned her attention back to him, the back of her hand caressing his face. “I’m performing Qiang Qin,” she declared promptly.
“Qiang Qin…” he sucked in his breath at the foreign words. Qiang Qin: “Abduction by Marriage”. A custom used by older, mostly extinct tribes. It seemed Ghost Tribe was one of the few who still practiced it.
“I thought I had already given you my answer,” he proclaimed, then stiffened when he felt her mouth on his throat, nibbling on his sensitive spot.
“Yes, you did,” he felt her snicker against his skin, “that’s why abduction was necessary, it is the way of my people.”
Still trying to comprehend his current situation, he steeled himself when she pulled back his collar and laid feather kisses on his exposed flesh. “So the stories I heard about your father capturing his consorts and his lovers from all over the realms were true?”
“Unlike Celestials, the Ghost Tribe never asked for arranged marriage, nor are we in need of alliances with other clans through marriage. We only seek the best warriors - breeders, I might say, to enrich our bloodline.” To prove her point, she pressed herself against his body. The tantalizing friction made him tremble in response.
“I did not know your tribe still practiced this custom,” he said shakily, trying to keep his lucidity when control began to slip away.
“We do take tradition seriously. My mother was also captured by my father, enthusiastically so, from her recount of that night.”
“Your father lived a prolific life didn’t he?” he bit back a groan when he felt her tongue dance in his ear.
“He did. But have no fear, I won’t take other Consorts,” she teased, her hand reaching the strap of his belt.
“I swear I heard that kind of seduction line before!” He began to struggle with the rope, “Release me!”
“Zi Lan, stop struggling, I promise to be gentle,” she assured curtly with an unsettling calmness as she removed his belt completely.
Refusing to obey, he tried to push her off with his body, thighs clamped down in place. She continued to remove his clothes as he stared back at her in frustration. “Why are you doing this? You know my answer.”
Yan Zhi removed his second robe with ease. “You refuse to listen to reason, hence, Qiang Qin is the only viable choice,” she shrugged.
“Is that the only reason why we’re here? Because you want to protect me?” he asked angrily.
Her hand paused at her task, calm eyes narrowed at him. “You continue to protect me from the shadows, but now it is from the shadows of your heart. You couldn’t trust yourself with me, as you continued to manipulate me at every turn. Please tell me how that was fair?”
“It’s not, but fate has never been fair to neither of us,” he argued without remorse.
Suddenly, she grasped the back of his head, pulling his hair, forcing him to stare into her burning eyes. “That’s why you tormented me, until I pushed you away? You still tried to deceive me, with your amorous attention. I didn’t see it at first, because I thought you were playing the rogue again. Why are you afraid of being close to me?” she demanded to know, her passion morphing into anger.
Zi Lan wanted to refute but he couldn’t. She saw through everything. “Yan Zhi…let me go.”
“No, I won’t. I want you to tell me the truth.” She pushed him onto the pelt and hovered over him. He felt raw rage emanating from her as she continued her attack “Why don’t you want to take the position, my protection? Why is your pride more important than me?”
That’s when he knew, instinctively, that she was angry and in pain. Pain that had been caused by him. If only his hands had not been not bound, he would have held her. The reason why they were here was due to his attempt to deceive her once again.
“You got it all wrong!” his body shook in denial. “My pride has never been more important than you! Yan Zhi, I want nothing more than to be by your side. I can’t promise to solve all your problems, but I can promise you, you won’t have to face them alone.
“Then be by my side.”
“But not as your Prince! Not unless your people accept me with their free will. I won’t be your hindrance when you are to become the rightful Queen of your realm,” he continued to argue.
He saw the moment his words reached her, because her eyes became unfocused as understanding dawned. She sat back, then eased him back up again. But her gaze continued to be locked to his, so powerful, he couldn’t look away.
“Then why do you push me away?” she asked softly. Unknowingly, those were piercing words.
Zi Lan closed his eyes as dread and uneasiness descended upon him. It had finally come, the time...he could no longer avoid the question that he was so afraid to ask. “Would you want to be with me, if you had not found out the truth at Kunlun?”
She stared back at him, an unreadable expression on her face. He had not realized he was holding his breath. When she finally spoke, her answer was not what he had expected her to say. “I want you to stay by my side.”
He chuckled lightly at her evasion and closed his eyes in despair. “I refuse the title of Prince Consort,” he answered evenly, unyielding til the end. “Not when I don’t deserve it, not out of guilt. I don’t need your protection.”
“Zi Lan, I’m not asking you to be my Prince.”
His eyes snapped open, his body froze, an ache grew in his chest, sudden disappointment consumed him. He had kept himself in check, because he had suspected, had surmised that she had only offered herself that night because she felt she owed him. Had she pitied him all this time?
He was about to ask, but she reached behind him, hands on the knot that bound his wrists, pulling on the ties, releasing him. His heart sunk lower for what was about to come, but her steady gaze held his, the rosiness of her cheeks owed nothing to the robe she wore. Grasping his hands, her fierce determined eyes never ceased to enrapture his mind....his Queen did nothing by half measure.
“I’m asking you to be my husband.”
“Your husband…,” his voice rasped, her words were so unforeseen, he could barely breath.
Eyes widening with understanding, as both delight and alarm consumed his thoughts, his head shook. “Yan Zhi...you’re not playing fair.”
Her smile...so warm like the summer sun, it could warm the chill of the night. “Fate has never been fair for us, why can’t we cheat, just this once?” What a temptation for a man who could only hope...only dream for this day.
“Cheat?” his voice was barely a whisper.
She eased forward, her delicate hands cupped his face, her head rested against his, their pulse quickened. Her voice was like silk velvet as she spoke: “Let the stars and the sky above be our witness. We need no others, except for the fluttering fireflies of this night. That is the sacred tradition of Qiang Qin.”
Her cheek rubbed against his ever so gently as yearning took hold. “Will you be my husband?” she asked softly, her web spun, drawing him in, as his mind absorbed the tantalizing words, so irrevocable...yet irresistible. Treacherous, trembling hands covered hers. Their breaths synchronized in harmonizing rhythm, mingling with desire ready to ignite.
Would he dare? Dare to cheat fate?
Dare to seize the moment...only a moment...an unprecedented decision. He should listen to his senses...but no, he couldn’t. His hands delved into her silky loose hair, fragrant with the scent he craved. She may be the vision of a Goddess whom he would worship until his last breath, but she was also a woman… a woman who desired, needed, and most of all longed for him. He wanted to feel, to possess, because there was no time to debate as his soul called out to take action. Destiny and fate may rule them all, but to be fated, one had to take the risk.
He cupped her face in his hands. It was impossible not to lose himself in sheer sensation as their body sizzled with desire and awareness, longing that wouldn’t subside. There were others who could take his breath away, but only one who reminded him to breath.
“Yes, I’ll be your husband,” he heard himself say, the impossible, the words that were foreign but so right.
He touched his mouth to hers as the binding words escaped his lips: “In thousand of lifetimes, in thousands of worlds, in any form we shall take. I’ll be your husband, and you shall be my wife.”
******
Warning NSFW
Yan Zhi had been selfish, more selfish than she had ever been. She had become like her father, her brothers...maybe selfishness did run in their veins, but she didn’t care. Because there was no reason for them to return to the way things had been. No…never again. She wanted him more than she wanted to breathe. She wanted him, just Zi Lan.
She didn’t care how much they had had to endure for him to be here, to protect her, just to be close to her. She couldn’t handle the thought of them parting. She had to bind him, in every way possible. But was it acceptable? Could one cheat fate, when they may not be destined? When the odds were against them?
She should have seen it, his true intentions that he hid behind a facade of outrageous behavior. She understood his reservations, it was his noble honorable self again. All this time, he had believed she had offered herself out of guilt. How foolish he was...to rationalize her comfort as repayment of debt…
He was a fool, yet he was still her fool.
Although their vows were spoken on a whim in the heat of passion, they had come from their hearts and would forever remain true. There was no grand ceremony and attendance, but they couldn’t ask for a more perfect night.
With that knowledge...she smiled brightly as she secured the knot around his wrist again.
An alert expression crossed his face. “I thought I consented.”
“You did…,” Yan Zhi answered calmly as she pushed him down once again, “but we still have to follow the ritual.” She secured his hands and tied them against the post above his head.
“Ritual?” Zi Lan asked, as sudden wave of amusement washing over her as he stared up at his bound wrists.
She watched him, her tiger, vividly radiant, so golden that even the fire beside them could not compare to his fire. “The ritual of Qiang Qin, of course. You are the captured groom, you have to show some unwillingness of being captured. ”
“I’m debating if I like this tradition of yours,” he said. Yan Zhi suppressed her smile because he couldn’t help himself pulling at the ropes holding him from above. Losing control must be driving him mad, but only excited her more. It was time for him to pay, she mused.
He stopped struggling the moment she pulled on the ties of her robe. Never taking his gaze away, he watched intently as she began to undress, slowly, deliberately, with tantalizing glimpses of naked flesh, only a little at a time. He swallowed hard, his eyes glowing with desire. Once completely nude, she crawled over him, her hands moving over his hard rigid steel body, as she worked on his clothes once more. She thought she would make it quick, but she couldn’t help herself, she had to lay kisses on his flushed flesh when it became exposed. He groaned and moaned, as though he was in agony. She stripped him as far she could, prevented from fully undressing him because of the tied wrists. Her naked, him still clothed.. It was intensely erotic to her.
Zi Lan’s patience was short lived, he pulled on the rope again. “Release me…,” he ordered, not pleading.
She shook her head, marveling at the sight of him, held hostage yet undefeated. Heightening her own desire, she laid claims to his lips, and he responded eagerly, gasping for more. Her lips clung to his as she ground herself against his swollen shaft. Her hand began to stroke the hard, hard muscles of his inner thighs, making him tremble. Once he was in her hand, she could hear his moan against her lips, as she stroked and caressed, feeling the hardness pulsing for more.
“Yan Zhi...” he gasped in pleasure.
Dark sensual eyes stared back at her, the heat from his body seared, burned, and consumed her, making the raw ache of arousal flooding the space between her thighs. A space that had been crying for fulfillment ever since he had crashed into her world once more. Somehow, that thought inflamed her passion further and she became slick, wet, and pulsing with desire. Easing upward, thighs open, the hot probing head poised at her entrance was a hair thread away. But as their gaze locked in heated desire, they froze. She could tell Zi Lan was battling for control: it wouldn’t have been hard to arch his hip at this very moment and enter her, but he did not. Patiently, he waited for her, because he was hers to take.
Slowly, she lowered herself onto his engorged shaft....spreading, filling, expanding the intimate walls, moving deeper and deeper. He was large, he was wonderful. Her head fell back in rippling ecstasy, she could feel his tense body continuing to battle for control from the exquisite torture they both had to endure. With one quick movement, she pressed down to completely sheath him, as they both caught their breath.
She tensed, relaxed, fought for control. But he wouldn’t let her, the cad that he was, a sudden upward thrust from his hip sent her body vibrating in response. He was not as passive as he had let her to believe. She glared at him, his heated eyes challenging in response. Never taking her fiery gaze away, she slowly lifted herself up, inch by inch, in exquisite pace reaching the tip, just the tip, as it hovered over her entrance. Before he could react, she thrust down without warning with one quick stroke so that his body shook from the impact. She rose again, sliding away from his length, then thrust down once more. Tightening her pelvic muscles before he could retaliate, his eyes closed in sweet agony. She had bested him.
He knew, he understood not to interfere. Her fingers drove into the hardness of his chest, she began to ride, with freedom, as she guided him to her own rhythm. Pleasure started to rise higher and higher as she evoked groans, gasps and heavy breathing from the man beneath her. As she rode him, her body began to clench in a slow steady pulse, she began to lose control, her legs started trembling, his hips moved against hers. This time, she welcomed his thrusts, taking him more deeply than she ever would have thought possible, letting him guide her body....demanding her attention. Yan Zhi felt climax rushing toward her as each hard, savage thrust sent waves of rapture through her body. Then, like a rush of waterfall, she was floating...crashing...drowning all at once, as he sent her spinning over the edge of reality. Her names burst from his lips when he exploded inside of her. Her body bucked and arched at the same moment, reaching her own ecstasy as she collapsed on him.
Once their breathing returned to normal, Yan Zhi reached above their heads and released his wrists. But Zi Lan caught her around the waist and quickly turned her on her back. His mouth clamped down on hers as he kissed her with urgency, like his life depended on it.
“Let’s make sure there is no question about my consent,” he said as he hurriedly stripped away the rest of his garments. Settling on top of her, his mouth eagerly laid claims to her lips. Fierce passionate kisses, pulsing breaths that continued to devour as she gasped in response.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she felt his mouth slide along the fragile arc of her throat, tracing the simmering pathway of nerves. She writhed against him, still helpless as her hips rose to meet his, as a brilliant bloom of heat began inside of her. A shaking moan rose in her throat. She felt him everywhere, his mouth and hands making her quiver more and more.
His lips were hot and restless, shifting over hers in sensuous coercion. She moaned and thrashed as his fingers circled her sensitive domes of flesh, caressing it, testing the nipple, until it burst into a bloom rosebud. Her eyes clamped shut. Fear...reservation...worry...all were just distant memories because she was floating within the haze of sensation, wondering if she would drown. Then without warning, his mouth fastened around her sensitive nub. As he began to suck, her body arched, her cries and moans unceasing. She forgot to breathe, because she couldn’t think beyond the sensation of his hot wet tongue sweeping over the taunted bud. The agonizing pleasure was too much, she felt like she was on fire. A fire she wanted to get away from, but couldn’t, or wouldn’t, because the flames that engulfed her completely were not enough. She wanted more. Her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him to her other breast. But the rogue that he was refused.
“Zi Lan,” she begged.
“Not yet,” he muttered against her flesh, as his relentless ruthless tongue continued to stroke between the space of her breasts.
“Stop teasing me,” she scowled.
He gave a chuckle before he relented, drawing his lips over her neglected breast. Her mind was in the clouds again, she had no desire to escape his tormenting torture, no desire but to melt even further as the hot mouth suckled, nibbled, and kissed, her muscles tensed, as her body constricted, arched upward…then he was gone. She moaned in protest, but he had eased himself upward, to capture her lips with wet savage hunger. She thought he wanted to devour her completely, but he broke up their kiss shortly. Hovering just above her, he stared down at her.
“Yan Zhi.” his hand brushed the wet tangled strands away from her face and cupped her face tenderly. Firelight illuminated his features, shining in a mysterious unearthly aura that she couldn’t decipher.
His eyes were like the dark sky above, velvety black, almost mythical, the deepness that could captured her mind. “Shall I stop?” he asked, harshly.
What? Why is he asking that now?
“Yan Zhi, shall I stop?” he repeated. It only took a mere moment, but she knew what he wanted, he needed her words, like a spell that needed to be cast, before he could continue. He was still afraid...
“No...don’t stop,” she answered. Not now, when they were so close, seeking something beyond words.
He smiled triumphantly before he turned her around on her stomach. He lay down partially over her body. Sweeping her thick hair to the side, his fingers ran down her spine, his palm smoothed over her lower back, over the curves of her bottom. Her eyes shut in anticipation. One of his hands stayed on her waist, the other moved to her inner thighs, fingers caressing the soft sensitive flesh as they glided towards her core. She was ready, more than ready when his fingers tested the hot delicate wet folds, but she bit back her moan. Then she felt it, the first, just one, but the teasing and taunting was enough to make her body shake. Her breathing quickened, her body tightened, but she couldn’t let him win just yet. Then the second finger, more demanding than the first, entered deeply into her the swollen clefts, playing with her inner flesh. She couldn’t see him, she could only immerse herself in the rapturing sensation. He slipped in another, then his fingers moved backward, hitting her tender spot; in her frenzy, she let out a harsh cry. Breathing became harder as her pulse fluttered in her throat, inner muscles tightening around his fingers.
“No…” she cried in frustration when he removed his hand, but Zi Lan had climbed over her, lowering himself fully. As his hot searing body scorched hers, she felt his breath on the back of her neck, one arm anchored on one side while the other was on her waist. Trembling in the suspense of the moment, she fought for control. He slightly lifted her hips, positioning her at just the right angle for the sweet invasion between her thighs. The slow penetration, a melting intimacy, sent shivers of pleasure through her body. She bit back a moan when he withdrew, but he started filling her again, in articulate slowness that was driving her mad. She wanted to scream for him to hurry, but she knew, he would only torture her more, the more she begged. So she waited for the moment he thrust into her, stretching and demanding, until she had nothing left to give, as his root completely hit the hilt, making her cry out from the delicious agonizing torment.
Zi Lan groaned against her shoulder, his hard hot tantalizing body burned her flesh. Their breaths synchronized once again. He was as lost as she was. He buried his face on the side of her neck, taking in her scent, before the all consuming exquisite strokes began. He took her, never losing control. Her body began to fill with pulses and rhythms, it no longer seemed her own, he set the pace, he always had. She began to sob. To thrash. To whimper as strangled noises of desire that wouldn’t cease escaped her lips. But she didn’t care, she let herself be fully immersed in the pleasure of ecstasy as she moved with him. Her body arched upward to meet his slow purposeful thrusts became faster and faster.
Then it happened. Mercilessly, he took her higher, her hands gripping the pelt, her body twisting helplessly beneath his. When she thought she couldn’t take any more, the waves shook through her, suddenly, ruthlessly, unimaginably, making her lose the ability to breathe. She screamed as he drove into her with a last savage thrust, reaching his own release as her body jerked and convulsed beneath his.
Panting, exhaustion, and only sweat remained. His weight on top of her was welcoming but short lived. Zi Lan lifted himself off, grabbed their garments and covered them before he pulled her into his arms. His hand smoothed away her tangled wet hair, still mingled with their passion.
Nestling in each other’s arms, they watched the stars and the fireflies above...and soon, they both drifted into the oblivion of the night.
***
It was near dawn, they shared a stallion as they headed back to Ziming Palace. Wrapped in her black cloak, Yan Zhi sat sideways on the horse, settling her body against his chest. Zi Lan couldn’t help but feel lightened...free...as all burdens diminished. No matter how short lived their happiness might be - for he knew they would be facing more hardship once they returned.
“What is this place?” Zi Lan asked. They had passed through the Valley and in the distance, waves of fireflies began to disperse. A faint light hit the soft scattered clouds, bringing colors to the canvas sky of the morning dawn.
“Ying Huo Chong Gu (萤火虫谷, Valley of the Fireflies), hidden in the southern grassland of the Ghost Realm. When we were young, Er-Ge often brought me here. We would catch as many as we could and bring them back to the Palace. Whenever I was down, he would leave a jar of fireflies for me.”
“He must have loved you very much,” Zi Lan remembered Li Jing, though faintly: The Ghost Lord may have been a weak soul, but he had not been a bad man.
“He did love me, as did De-Ge and my father. They all spoiled me. Despite everything, we were a family.”
If he would not have been holding the reins, he would have held her in comfort. Yes, despite how horrid they had been, they were still her family. One cannot choose one’s kin, blood is blood. And with it came stories that defined one’s existence.
“Zi Lan, isn’t there something you need to ask me?” she said, breaking his thoughts.
His body immediately tensed. She knew...
“Your Senior already approached me, regarding the issue with the tribes. I spoke with General Hu, he will take care of the matter.”
Now they were back to business as usual. She never rested for long, it seemed. He sighed heavily before he spoke. “You didn’t have to do that, I would have searched for the evidence myself.”
“We have a valuable network here. Besides, this is connected to Cheng Yin our foe, and Li Ying and Die Feng, our friends. But it is also for a selfish reason of mine: I don’t want you to leave for intel. Don’t place yourself in danger anymore, please.” Her hands tightened over his arm.
“Yan Zhi…,” he began to argue, but her hand caught his chin, she forced him to look at her, her eyes narrowed.
“Did you think you could hide your intentions from me? As for now, I won’t force you to become Prince Consort, but you have to stop placing yourself as a target. Can you do that for me?”
“How did you…,” he frowned, unable to finish before she cut him off again.
“It was not hard to deduce, when I knew your weakness,” she answered matter of factly. “Do I have your word?” she demanded.
Zi Lan sighed in defeat and nodded reluctantly.
A moment later, he reached into his robe and pulled out the jasmine hairpin. “You forgot this.” He placed it in her hand. “I would prefer it if you didn’t use it to stab me again.”
“You were impertinent,” she glared at him.
“Was I?” he laughed, “I thought I was charming.”
“The absolute worst, audacious...rouge...brazen…,” he smothered her lips with his own. He halted the horse, freeing his arms to wrap them around her. She tensed in surprise at first, but soon relaxed under his touch. When he broke the kiss, he was breathing hard. Her glow was undeniable. Had she become even more beautiful since last night, he wondered. Was that even possible?
“Zi Lan…” impulsively he couldn’t stop himself from kissing her again. Like he couldn’t stop his hand from moving underneath her cloak, travelling over her chest, rising to her neck, as a shudder racked his powerful body. She gasped when his lips went to her exposed throat, grazing over the delicate pulse, as his fingers moved over her silken skin beneath her robe. Pushing the collar to the side, he dipped his head to her delicate chest and sucked on her bare pearl skin.
“What are you doing?” she gasped, breathing heavily as he licked over the red mark he had left on her porcelain skin.
“Showing how brazen I can be,” he answered, his mouth sliding further down her chest, but her robe was making it difficult.
“Qiao Er is waiting.” She tried to push at his head and shoulder, but weakly, as he noted. Encouraged by her feeble attempt, his other hand reached for the strap of her belt.
“Zi Lan!” she squirmed, her hand tightening over his. He lifted his head and stared back at her now scarlet face. Despite her calm, collected, and controlled appearance, she may seem cold at times. His Queen might never know, but her shyness was more captivating than any seduction known to man.
“She can wait,” he whispered softly, in rich hypnotic tone, as he resumed his attention to her flushed skin. He continued to lick her sensitive spot, as she writhed and shuddered, until her resisting hands fell away. They pulled him closer as gasps and moans escaped her lips. That was when he pulled away the strap, releasing the bind to her robe, so he could mark her...until the morning sun set upon them.
Chapter 74