blood rushed to her face. It was easier to feign sexual superiority when she’d been ignorant. She gathered the edges of her dress tight over her breasts and fought the ridiculous urge to hide beneath the blankets.
Li Tao’s smile faded as he watched her. ‘Lady Ling, you would not do anything…’ He hesitated before continuing, ‘Anything to harm yourself?’
Did he think that she would throw herself from the cliff because he had bedded her? She was inexperienced, but far from an innocent virgin fearing shame and ruin.
‘I have spent too much time fighting for my life,’ she assured. ‘You can put your guilt to rest.’
‘You should have told me.’
‘Would it have changed anything?’
He paused as he considered his answer. ‘I would have been more careful.’
His voice rumbled deep within his chest, reigniting the longing that hummed beneath her skin. How her body remembered him. The inexorable way he parted her to prepare for his entry and the way his gaze had fixed on to her as if he’d never let her go. Her face burned even hotter.
‘It doesn’t matter.’ She needed to get away from his bed and the memories that were too fresh in her mind. ‘We had an agreement.’
‘I remember,’ he said.
In the morning, he would take her home. She would be free, but free to do what? To hide from Gao alone and unprotected.
She stood and found herself blocked by the solid plane of his body. He moved close, tracing the line of her throat with an achingly tender touch, while she held herself perfectly still. This man was unfathomable, a hardened warrior who suddenly looked at her as if she were the most precious treasure in the empire. No one had ever looked at her like that.
‘Why now?’ His fingertips hovered feather-light at the corner of her mouth. ‘Why me?’
It was too hard to speak past the lump in her throat. Her survival instincts struggled to escape from the lure of him. ‘A fair trade,’ she forced out. ‘You wanted this body and I wanted my freedom.’
His pupils darkened. ‘You’ll play the whore now?’
She pulled back her shoulders, drawing on the spirit of Madame Ling. ‘In the end, seduction has little to do with the flesh.’
He took hold of her chin between his thumb and forefinger, his grip not quite forceful. ‘Stop this.’
She steeled herself for his kiss, prepared to defend herself against the sensual invasion. He was close enough for it. Their joining had been rushed and fuelled by mindless hunger. Not nearly enough to satisfy either of them. Behind the shield of her callous words, her heart raced and every part of her came alive. Her senses reached out to seek the shape of him and the dark scent of his skin. If he drew her into his arms, she would succumb to him as she had done by the gorge.
When he didn’t kiss her, the cold wash of loneliness swept over her once more. But with it came a sense of relief.
‘I wish to return to my chambers now.’
Shaking free of his hold, she started past him. He waited until she was at the door before he spoke.
‘It is still night time.’
She halted and turned. Irresistibly, her eyes lowered down his body. The hard outline of his arousal showed beneath the trousers.
Her throat went completely dry. ‘I suppose we do have an agreement.’
‘You know this is not a simple negotiation. It never was.’
The quiet edge in his voice sent a shiver through her. If it wasn’t negotiation, then what was it? She didn’t dare to think of it. Li Tao directed her to the bed, saying nothing as he lowered her on to the padding. Meanwhile his eyes spoke of possession. They never left her face until her back rested flat against the bed.
He left her and opened the door to call to someone outside. She lay docile, afraid what would happen if she allowed her desire to take over. After an agonising wait, Li Tao returned and set a basin on to the table. Steam rose over the edge as he lifted a damp cloth and wrung the water from it. She stared at his hands, captivated by the strength of his long fingers.
The sound of her own breathing filled her ears. He lowered one knee to the bed alongside her and parted her robe. The silk slipped away to leave her bare and vulnerable. Above them, the alcove of the bed arched like a cavern. The outline of his shoulders filled