arm, trailing over the sleek muscle of his shoulder. ‘All your weaknesses.’
‘I have no weaknesses.’
‘None?’
He squirmed as she explored his ribcage with a feather touch. Then she dug her fingers playfully into his side to make him jump. He jerked awake and surged over her, pinning her beneath his weight. Deep laughter filled her ears and she lifted her fingertips to the curve of his mouth.
He so rarely smiled.
Their bodies moulded together and she became keenly aware of the dangerous beauty of him: smooth, hard and strong. A perfectly tempered weapon. For a brief moment, she saw the longing in his eyes before they clouded with desire. The unexpected tenderness pierced deep into her heart.
Madame Ling had always warned her that these emotions were fabricated. She must never allow herself to believe the illusion. Never allow herself to fall in love. If she had lost her chastity in the pleasure den in Luoyang or in the Emperor’s court, then her courtesan sisters could have taught her how to shield herself.
Li Tao hardened with arousal. They had slept unclothed with this promise between them. A moan caught in her throat as he settled his nakedness against her thighs, seeking her warmth. His skin flushed hot against her. She curved her arms around his neck and her hips lifted towards him without thought. He pushed into her in one clean motion. A soft sigh of acquiescence escaped from her lips as her body accepted him. The arc of sensation plunged her once again into dark waters, into the unknown.
His black eyes fixed on to her face as he thrust into her. His gaze became distant as arousal and need took over. This was the only way the barriers between them were ever removed. Only in the joining of their bodies, nowhere else.
She willed herself to be unmoved. This was nothing but flesh upon flesh. A man taking his own pleasure. But Li Tao continued in a steady rhythm and her body opened up to him, pulling her unwilling heart on a thread with it. Each penetration implored a new surrender from her that she knew she shouldn’t give.
But her sex flooded and her heartbeat quickened despite her defences. Tao was still watching her, urging her to join him as the desire coursed between them, him into her and back again. Her breasts swelled, pressing against the hard plane of his chest. She forced herself to hold still, anchoring her hips down towards the bed.
His jaw clenched as he fought to force back the tide. Tension vibrated within his muscles as he held himself over her. It wasn’t long before his eyes clamped shut and he sank his head against her shoulder, his thrusts growing more forceful. She wanted to cling to him, her fingers digging into his hips to urge him on. Instead, she curled them into the feather mattress as his ragged breath fanned against her collarbone.
He shuddered, every muscle locked as his passion overflowed and his seed spilled into her. Then, in a final exhalation, he grew still. For several long moments, he allowed himself to lie there, cheek rested against the swell of her breast; his skin was damp with perspiration. That space of idleness had to be an indulgence for him. Dawn was past and morning was upon them.
Without a word, he raised himself from her and left the bed to tug on his trousers. She kept her eyes fixed on the alcove above, listening to the faint sounds of his movements.
He returned to her and when he spoke his voice held a faint trace of humour. ‘Perhaps I can please you tonight.’
His lips brushed against her forehead and she had to shut her eyes against him. She gathered the quilt around her, pulling the edge of it to her chin. His words reminded her too sharply of what they had between them. This was a physical liaison with an ending already foreseen. Why did her spirit insist on reaching out to him?
In the far corner of the room, she could hear the splash of wash water, the careful opening of the dresser door. He readied himself each morning without servants. Li Tao was a secretive, distant man even to those closest to him. This would never change.
She waited for a long time after the closing of the door before rising. She waited even longer, ensuring that he was gone from the mansion, before calling Auntie to her to prepare for the day.
His duties took him to the