by Taylor Lee
She stared at him, her face contorted with pain and distrust. Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Come here, Elena.”
Before she could stop him, Bai reached out and wrapped her in his arms, holding her in a tight embrace.
She tried to push away, but her pain swamped her. She began to cry uncontrollably. Deep, disconsolate sobs racked her body. He held her tight to him, his arms like steel bands surrounding her shaking body.
“Non, non. Ah, bebe. Don’t cry. Non, non, ma petite fille. Don’t fight me, Elena. You have had a terrible three days, oui, ma petite amie? Don’t cry. Let me hold you. Détendez-vous, bebe. Relax. Let me hold you.”
He began rubbing her back as he had on the way back from the waterfall, crooning comforting words in French, English, and Chinese. He ran his hands over her soft trembling body, holding her close to his chest. Little by little, she began to relax and stopped trying to pull away.
“Ah, oui. That is the way, cherie. Lean against me. Let me hold you. Triste fillette, what a dreadful evening. You are correct. Those women are wretched. I was proud of you tonight, cherie. So was your father and your grandfather. And you captured two more suitors out of the evening. Three to be precise. But then you already knew that Nianzu is in love with you.”
She tried to move back and looked up at him, questioning. “What…what do you mean? Suitors? What…what… are you saying?”
He dragged her back, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He breathed in her spicy exotic smell, then nuzzling his chin in her fiery hair, he spoke softly in her ear.
“Ah, coquette, do not pretend you do not know how those men were lusting after you. Can you blame them? You were beautiful tonight, Elena, enticing.”
When she tried to free herself, he said, “Non, non. Permettez-moi vous maintenez, cherie. Let me hold you.”
She struggled for a moment, then moved closer, resting her body against his. The wine at dinner and brandy in the library, combined with her fresh smell and that damned fragrance that seemed a natural part of her, played havoc with Bai’s resolution to put distance between them. He ran his hands over the soft silk of her robe. His fingers quickly learned what his cock already knew. She was naked beneath her nightgown. He knew he was playing with fire, but his body trumped his resolve. God, she was beautiful, tempting. Her body was lush, a treasure map of hills and valleys. He wanted to capture her, pull her closer, run his hands over her full firm breasts, the soft upturned tips, and the swell of her hips. Bury his fingers in the soft sweet mound he felt riding up against his thigh.
A rush of desire flooded him. His cock swelled hard, insistent. Without thinking, he separated her legs with his strong thigh, pressing up against her crotch. He heard her gasp, felt her body tremble in response. She hesitated, then reached up digging her fingers in his shirt, pulling him against her.
At her heated response, he groaned, a mix of need and regret. Unwanted rationality pricked his lust-ridden brain. With a soft groan, he struggled to pull away.
“Ah, cherie, this is not a good idea. Non, non. You are too soft, too lovely. Mon Dieu, but I am finding it difficult to resist you.”
He took a ragged breath, tight with arousal. With an effort, he moved her back, still holding her in his arms. Damn, he knew he was close to doing what he had promised himself he would not. Little by little, he freed himself, unwinding her from his arms. He owed it to Wan and Wyatt to protect her, keep her safe. They trusted him, believed in him. He was her protector.
He gently unwound her hands from his chest and slipped her hand in his.
“Here, petite fille, let me walk you back to your chambers. You need to sleep. This was a difficult evening. I fear the dinner party was too much, too soon. You need to rest.”
Elena was startled, surprised. She didn’t want to go back to her chambers. She wanted to stay here with him. She wanted him to hold her in his strong arms, make her feel safe, help her forget the awful evening. But it was more than that. When he pulled her up close to him, she loved the way he smelled -- like brandy, cigar smoke, and a strong male smell that made her stomach quiver. She felt the muscles on his chest, his strong arms, his thighs pressing against her. And, God help her, she wanted more. When he moved hard against her, she felt a wild rush of sensation in the pit of her stomach that moved lower and lower -- jolting her core with an exhilarating blast of heat. It made her legs shake, her breath rage.
But then he stopped and pushed her away. Why? Dear God, why? She didn’t understand. Was he done with her? Or was he teasing her? She stared at him, trying to understand what was happening.
He shook his head, turned and pulled her after him toward her chambers. Her legs were shaking. It was hard to catch her breath. Grabbing shallow gulps of air, she regained a semblance of composure.
She stopped. Summoning up her courage, she took a deep breath. In what she hoped would be an offhand, amused “Sarah-like” voice, instead came out jagged and breathless. “Is …is this when you undress me? One piece of clothing at a time? I believe you said you will enjoy every moment. And… and I will beg you not to stop.”
Bai looked surprised, then stepped back. He let go of her hand, reaching in his waistcoat pocket for his cigarette case. Ignoring her startled gaze, he withdrew an elaborate Russian samorodok case. Elena’s eyes widened, surprised to see a wolf’s head with gleaming topaz eyes embossed on the lid. Bai took out a cigarette, snapped open the end of the case and took out a match. Cupping the cigarette in his hands, he struck the match. The acrid flash revealed the frown creasing his brow. Taking a deep drag, he blew the smoke up in the air, creating a screen between them.
When the smoke cleared, he raked his gaze rudely over her body, zeroing in on her breasts, hips, thighs. A wicked grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as his insolent gaze came to rest on the darkened triangle between her legs.
Swallowing hard, Elena lifted her chin, willing her legs to stop shaking. Bai reached out, loosening the tie on her robe with his long slender fingers. When it fell open revealing her thin silky nightgown with the tiny straps, he took another drag off his cigarette. Sliding his fingers under one of the dainty straps, he tugged on it. Elena gasped, sucking in a harsh, raspy breath.
Bai shook his head with a teasing grin. “Ah, cherie, you are practically naked now. What fun would that be?”
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, Elena.”
With a soft smile, he turned and walked away, back through the garden.
~~
Chapter 12
Elena stared after him shocked. Her body was shaking so hard she thought she might fall, sink to her hands and knees, and have to crawl back to her chambers. Oh, God, what had she done? She managed to stumble to her door, forcing her hands to stop shaking long enough to unlock it and step inside.
She leaned against the door, her face hot, her breath raging. Oh, my God, what happened? She didn’t understand. What was he doing? The way he held her tight up against him. She thought he was going to kiss her. She trembled, remembering the feel of his body, his ‘hardness’ against her. Thinking about it, she felt that same hot tingling sensation flood over her breasts, her stomach, then lower, much lower, to her core.
But then he had stopped and pushed her away. Oh, God. He smiled at her, told her she needed to go to bed, as though she was a child who had stayed up past her bedtime.
With a blinding rush of shame, she thought about what she said, what she did. She asked him to undress her. Oh, God, how could she have? How could she have been that stupid? How could she think he meant what he said this afternoon? He was taunting her, making fun of her. And she was so ignorant she thought he meant it.
He looked at her as though he pitied her, was embarrassed for her. He reminded her that she was already naked. Oh, my God, that’s it. A horrible realization hit her. Oh, no, oh no. He must think she was in the garden waiting for him, dressed only in her robe and nightgown. Oh, my God. He is probably in his office with Nianzu
, telling him about it. Laughing with him. The next time he sees Sarah and Agatha – will he tell them about tonight? How she went to the garden practically naked hoping that he would come? Dear God, how could she be so stupid?
She finally dozed in a fitful sleep as dawn broke. She had paced, cried, screamed, and threw things for most of the night. When she woke, she knew one thing clearly. She hated Bai. She despised him, everything about him. His arrogance, his superiority, the way he taunted and made fun of her. His stupid five languages, his fake concern.
Everything! After last night, she understood what it meant to be in his control. He could do anything he wanted to her. He could hold her, say sweet words in French, pity her, laugh at her, act like he cared, taunt her, ultimately force her to obey him. And her father and grandfather were going to let him.
She had to do what he told her to do. Or at least pretend that she was obeying him. She had no choice. But she was in charge of her life. He wasn’t. She was as strong as he was. She was going to the university soon. She would never see him again. In the meantime, let him think he was her boss. Let him imagine she was some spoiled, ignorant child he could push around, tell her what she could do, what she couldn’t. But he would never control her, never.
~~~
Bai made a declaration to himself. Last night in the garden with Elena confirmed his decision. He knew he was inappropriate. He deeply regretted holding her, touching her the way he had. For two reasons. First, because it was wrong. He was her protector. Second, because it demonstrated how easy it was to lose control with her. He must remember she’s a child. But, goddamn, her body sure as hell wasn’t. Her body was all woman -- beautiful, tempting, luscious woman. Merde. The worst of all worlds. A spoiled willful child in a gorgeous woman’s body. Damn, he hated the look in her eyes when he left her last night. She was hurt, confused. He couldn’t blame her. Christ, he was confused.
Pacing his office, Bai vowed to live up to his commitment to Wyatt and Wan. He would get the little spitfire under control, keep her safe, and in the fall send her off to the university with a sigh of relief. For now, he would minimize the time he spent with her. He would assign Nianzu as her personal Sing Leon guard.
Nianzu was Bai’s right hand man, his constant companion. As Bai rose through the ranks of the Sing Leon, he brought Nianzu with him. Nianzu was like a twin to Bai, a kung fu master with handsome Chinese features. Like Bai, he was taller than most Chinese men, with broad powerful shoulders and an animal-like litheness. And, like Bai, he had a warrior’s keen instinct for danger. In most other ways he was Bai’s alter ego. Where Bai was hard, Nianzu was thoughtful. Where Bai commanded, Nianzu preferred to lead behind the scenes. Where Bai was arrogant, Nianzu was conciliatory. And while Bai was sophisticated and had lived a privileged youth, Nianzu grew up as a Poo Tow Choy, hatchet boy, in the hard streets of San Francisco’s Chinatown. He would have died there, but Wan plucked him out of that teeming cesspool when he was nine years old and made him Bai’s companion. Nianzu idolized Bai. He would kill his own mother, if he had one, if she threatened Bai.
Watching Elena with Nianzu last night, Bai saw how Elena used Nianzu as a protective shield against the amorous overtures from Greg and Peter. Nianzu was the perfect foil. Rather than have Elena ask his permission to leave the villa, Nianzu would be responsible for clearing her activities with Bai. Elena liked him. Bai trusted him. So did Wan and Wyatt.
Bai told Nianzu at breakfast that he wanted to meet with him. He sent word to Elena to join them. Bai looked up when they knocked on his door and told them to come in. He stood up when they entered, nodding to the chairs in front of his desk. Nianzu had a questioning look, not sure what the meeting was about. Elena looked away, not meeting his gaze. Her expression was defiant, hostile. Bai squelched the tug on his trousers, silently cursing his errant cock. Just the sight of her and his damn prick was jerking up to greet her, as though it hadn’t done enough damage last night. Goddamn, he had intended to right the ignominies of last night, not exacerbate them.
Elena looked pale, tired. Purplish smudges of fatigue pooled beneath her eyes. Bai thought again how foolish they had been to think that she could handle the dinner party only three days after the attack. But he knew that her pained hurt look had more to do with what happened in the garden than at the dinner. A stab of guilt wrenched his gut, making him more determined than ever to put as much distance as possible between himself and Elena.
“Please sit. Would you like a glass of water or orangina, Elena? No? A cigar, Nianzu?” He pushed a cigar across the desk to Nianzu and took one for himself.
~~~
Elena watched him clip the end of his cigar with an intricately carved ivory cutter, then light it with a matching lighter. He puffed on it several times until it drew, then blew the smoke up in the air. She remembered the way he lit his cigarette last night, how he had used it to put a barrier between them, how he’d smoked it as he boldly assessed her nearly naked body. She flushed thinking about his arrogant, probing eyes. Glancing up, she saw him watching her with a knowing smile.
Glaring at him, she snapped, “What do you want?”
Nianzu started, staring at her, his eyes wide with surprise at her rudeness. He looked to Bai with a questioning frown.
Bai held her gaze for a long moment, not answering. She stared at him angrily, then looked down at her hands, embarrassed that she had let him see her upset.
“I want to discuss how to protect you, keep you safe on the compound,” Bai said quietly, not taking his gaze off of her.
“From what?” Elena asked rudely, glaring at him.
“I beg your pardon?”
“What do you want to protect me from, Bai? Men? Animals? Small children? Dinner guests? Insects? Nosy maids? Things that go bump in the night?”
“Ah, I see that you are upset this morning, Elena. Let me be direct. I want to protect you from yourself. Once I have you in my care, all of those potential dangers –including things that go bump in the night -- will take care of themselves.”
She bit out the angry words. “As I have told you, I can take care of myself!”
“So you have. And as I have told you -- no, you can’t.”
He held up his hand when she reared up. “That’s enough, Elena. You may stop now. You have made your point.
“Nianzu, here is the issue. Wan and Wyatt gave me responsibility for Elena’s safety. I told Elena that she may not leave the villa without my permission, that she must have a Sing Leon guard with her at all times. Those are my rules. She agreed to obey them. We are agreed on that, are we not, Elena?”
She looked down at her hands for a long moment. Neither Nianzu nor Bai spoke. Finally, she nodded yes without looking up.
Bai raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He turned to address Nianzu.
“As you can see, there is a ‘small’ amount of friction between me and Elena. This is where you come in, Nianzu. I want you to be Elena’s personal guard, the Sing Leon who will accompany her any time she leaves the villa. You also will be responsible for confirming she has my permission to leave.”
Elena broke in angrily. “What does that mean? What are you saying? Now I have to get permission from two of you? I have to ask both of you if I want to go for a five minute ride on my horse? Oh, wait, that’s right. I don’t have a horse. You killed mine. So forget that. How about if I want to walk outside of the garden to the stream ten minutes away to pick wild flowers? Do I find Nianzu, get his permission, make sure he can go with me, and then wait around until you’re not too busy to decide if we will be permitted to leave?”
Bai’s voice was firm, controlled, his expression impassive. “No, Elena. That is not what I am saying. If you wish to leave the villa and Nianzu is able to go with you, he will decide if he needs to clear it with me. It will not be necessary for you to ask me. Nianzu will be your contact.
“Do you have questions, Nianzu?”
“No, Bai. If you and Wan and Wyatt trust me, then I am honored to
protect Elena.”
Elena was startled. She realized what Bai was doing. He didn’t want to have any contact with her. He saw her as a pesky, annoying child and was shunting responsibility for her off to Nianzu. At first, she was upset, then quickly saw the benefit of the arrangement. Nianzu was polite, deferential to her. And it didn’t hurt that he had a crush on her. He would be easier to deal with than Bai. But, then, who wouldn’t be?
“Elena, do you have any questions?”
“No, but if I do, I will ask them of Nianzu.”
Bai shook his head, a slight smile curving his lips.
“Ah, I can see your brain working now, Elena. Yes, Nianzu is a nicer person than I am, not nearly as arrogant. And, yes, he is more likely to consent to your whims. No doubt he will be more patient with your pouts and tantrums than I am. But, Elena, do know, just as I am Wan’s lieutenant, Nianzu is mine. As much as I am sure he likes you and will treat you kindly, his loyalty is to me. Any questions?”
She sniffed. Ignoring Bai, she turned to Nianzu with a blinding smile. “Bai has quite an imagination. No doubt because his head is so big, he has room for more imaginings than the rest of us lesser beings. You’ll be glad to know that I do not pout. I do not throw temper tantrums. And I do not have whims!”
Bai grinned at her impertinence, winking at Nianzu, as if he was humoring a misbehaving child.
Elena reared back, her eyes dark with anger.
Glancing from one to the other, Nianzu jumped to his feet. Like the peacemaker that he was, he nodded politely to Elena. He bowed respectfully to Bai. Then with a surreptitious wink, he confirmed he understood Bai’s request -- as well as the delicacy of the task.