by Taylor Lee
Wan continued, “Not only did Elena risk her life to save you, Bai. She conceived of a brilliant plan that neither Wyatt nor I thought of, a plan that required her brave participation to work. This is the woman you say is not up to your lifestyle?
“Look at me, Bai.”
Bai met his gaze. His expression was as fierce as Wan’s.
“How insulting of you. And how blind you are to compare Elena to Lei’s mother and your mother. Unlike those women, Elena is well aware of the dangers surrounding you. The only one who is more willing to accept those dangers than you are is Elena. Do you know why, Bai? Because she loves you. She loves you without qualification, without conditions.”
They sat glaring at one another, their anger vibrating between them.
Wan broke the molten silence. “You do her a great disservice, Bai. But more than that, you do yourself a great disservice. To turn away from the greatest love imaginable, from a glorious woman, is a tragedy.”
Bai flushed then looked away, refusing to answer. Wan sat for another moment, then ground out his cigar and walked to the door.
At the doorway he hesitated. “You pride yourself on taking risks no man I know would take, except Wyatt. But you are unwilling to risk Elena.”
He opened the door and said over his shoulder, “My heart aches for you, Bai.”
~~
Chapter 43
Wan wanted to tell Lei in person that he was Bai’s father and prepared to go with Wyatt and Elena to Cheyenne. By late afternoon, they left the compound, reaching San Francisco after dark. None of the three of them said good-by to Bai.
Elena did not speak during the long ride from Los Vistas. When they arrived at the hotel, she refused Wyatt’s and Wan’s invitation for dinner, indicating that she was tired and wanted to rest. She gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek and went to her room.
The next morning, seemingly oblivious to the sounds and smells of the bustling train station, Elena trailed behind her father, walking along the track to the private cars. She gazed straight ahead: her expression was grim, unseeing. Stopping at the Pullman car that matched their tickets, the porter took Wan and Wyatt’s luggage inside their car, but left Elena’s on the boardwalk.
Elena tapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse me, sir, but you need to bring my bag, as well.”
The porter looked at her in surprise. “You are Elena McManus, correct?”
Elena frowned and nodded yes.
“Your car is next door, madam.”
She turned to the adjacent car where he was pointing. Bai was standing in the doorway at the top of the stairs. He peered down at her and with a quizzical smile tipped his hat to her. Elena stared at him, shocked. A wave of anger washed away her surprise, replacing it with cold fury. She looked away, then shaking her head, started to mount the stairs to her father and grandfather’s car.
Wyatt caught her in his arms and backed her down the stairs. Holding her close, he lifted her chin and looked in her eyes -- not letting her look away.
“This is not the time to lose your courage, honey. Or to be blinded by your anger, darlin’. Remember what I told you about male pride, baby? Go to him, Elena. He needs you, sweetheart. He needs you so that he can be strong.”
Elena hesitated, frozen with indecision. Since yesterday, when Bai sent her away, she managed to bury her pain beneath a rigid shield of righteous anger. But the price was high. Incapacitating hurt coiled so close to the surface that just the scent of him, the whiff of sandalwood, the sweet smoky smell of his cigar made it difficult to keep her knees from buckling. Without her father’s firm grip, she would have collapsed to the boardwalk.
Wyatt leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Grasping her shoulders, he turned her toward Bai’s car. “Go darlin’. Go to your man.”
Elena hesitated, then regaining a tight hold on her anger and, without looking at Bai, she walked up the steps to his car, brushing by him without speaking.
As she strode by him, Bai caught her arm and held her firmly next to him. He bowed to Wyatt and Wan. In his curt, authoritative voice, he indicated to the porter where he should put Elena’s luggage. He handed him a folded bill and the porter’s eyes widened at his generosity.
Bai said quietly, “We do not wish to be disturbed. I will ring for you when we require your services.” The porter nodded in understanding and winked at Wyatt and Wan, who overheard Bai’s instructions.
With a dismissive toss of her head, Elena shook off his grip. With her chin firmly raised, she entered the car. She was surprised to see the usual rows of seats were missing. Instead, the car looked more like a large luxuriously appointed bedroom – with a small table and two dining chairs, two velvet covered arm chairs, and a very large bed.
Outside, the shouts of the engineer signaled the imminent departure of the train. There was a low rumble of engine parts engaging. With a loud whistle and a burst of steam, the wheels of the train hit the tracks with an increasingly rapid clickety-clack as the train pulled away from the station.
Bai closed the door and walked over to a glass-fronted cabinet. He took out an ornately carved decanter of brandy and held it up to her with a lazy smile. “Would you like a glass of brandy, cherie?”
Elena had not moved from the doorway, rather she pressed her back firmly against the metal door, her hands clenched in tight fists at her sides. Her face was pale. Two angry splotches stood out on her cheeks. She glared at him and shook her head, refusing the brandy. And him.
Bai took his time pouring himself a glass of brandy, swirling the amber liquid around the deep bowl of the glass. He sunk down in one of the armchairs, reaching for a cigar from the humidor on the intricately carved side table. With insolent slowness, he lit the cigar, then puffed on it while holding her gaze. He pointed the end of the cigar at a spot in front of him, a wicked half smile dancing across his lips.
“Cherie, come here.” He motioned to the place he indicated. When she didn’t respond, he jerked his head at the spot. “Now.”
She tossed her head, then took a couple of steps, stopping well before him.
Bai’s jaw tightened, but his smile stayed firmly in place. He murmured, “Uh uh. Not there, cherie. Here.” He pointed again. “Now.”
Elena’s cheeks flushed a hot rosy pink. She bit down on her bottom lip. With a dismissive nod, she stepped to the place he indicated.
Bai quirked a brow. “Why do you look surprised, petite fille? As I recall, I told you if you disobeyed me that I would put you on the train to Cheyenne.”
“But you didn’t say that you would come with me.” She spit out the words then pressed her lips in a firm line, her eyes swimming with angry tears.
Bai shook his head as though thoughtful, but his eyes twinkled. “I didn’t? Hmm, I must have forgotten to add that qualification. Besides, I need to talk with my sister and introduce myself to my nephews.”
“I see.”
He took a puff on his cigar and blew the smoke up into the air. He flicked an errant speck of tobacco from the corner of his mouth, then nodded at the dark gray skirt hugging her curvy hips.
“Elena, take off your skirt.”
Her eyes blazed. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin defiantly.
“No. I won’t.”
Bai leaned back in the chair and raised his brows at her refusal. His voice was soft, commanding.
“Ah, mais oui, you will. Now, Elena.”
She hesitated. Throwing him a mutinous glare, she unbuttoned her skirt, dropped it to the floor, and kicked it angrily at his feet.
He grinned. “Temper, temper.”
She flushed a deeper crimson.
“Now, bebe, take off your drawers.”
“No! I…I won’t.”
Bai put his cigar in the ashtray on the side table. His jaw tightened. “Elena, Come here.”
“Why?”
“So that I can take them off for you.”
Elena’s fury overcame her obvious determination not to respond. “Damnit, Bai,
what do you think you are doing?”
“Ah, cherie, you know what I am ‘doing.’ As we both recall, there was another component to our agreement. In addition to putting you on the train to Cheyenne, I also warned you that I would spank your ass. As you know, the only way I spank naughty little girls, is over my knee on their bare bottom....”
“Bai, stop. You can’t do this to me. I am angry with you. I…I hate you!”
“Ah, I can see that, cherie. Now as I said before, take off your drawers. Or, ma petite fille, I will rip them off.”
He reached out and grabbed her arm. He shook his head when she tried to break free of his relentless grasp.
“Please, cherie, do not think I am not strong enough to spank you, ma petite fille. I do have a slight problem with my left arm, but I will not allow my injury to stand in my way. A skilled healer bandaged me most expertly giving me almost full motion in my injured shoulder. And, ma fille coquine, if you choose to disobey me, I will tie you to the bed and spank you that way. Your choice, cherie.”
When she hesitated, he grinned. “That’s a good girl. Ma bonne petite fille. Over my knee. Now.”
Before she could escape, he dragged across his knee. With a quick twist, he ripped her drawers splitting them from her waist to her crotch baring her round pale globes. The sight of her delectable ass sent a rush of heat to his already aroused cock. With an appreciative groan, he muttered, “Oui, Mon Dieu, like that, ma petite.”
Before she could break free, he spanked her hard on one cheek. Smack! The loud whack reverberated around the room.
She lurched in surprise, shrieking, “Stop, Bai! Damnit, that hurts! I won’t let you do this, if you hurt me!”
He threw back his head and roared. “You are not ‘letting’ me do this, cherie. And, trust me, ma petite ami, it is going to hurt like hell!”
Ignoring her frantic attempts to free herself, he pressed his hand hard between her shoulder blades, then imprisoned her thrashing legs between his strong ankles. “Let me be clear, Elena. That first swat was for you going to the canyons in the middle of the night. This one is for not telling Wan and Wyatt where you were going. Smack!”
She shrieked and put her hands back to protect her bottom, but he shoved them aside.
“And this is for confronting Feng by yourself. Smack ! And this one is for taunting him. Smack!
“Bai, stop, damnit! You are hurting me!”
“These next three are for showing him your beautiful breasts. Smack! Smack! Smack! And the next four are for lifting your skirt and showing him your drawers and your sexy boots.” Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
Rubbing his hands over her rosy stinging cheeks, Bai’s eyes gleamed with lust. His hard prick bulged against her thighs. His voice was harsh with suppressed desire. “And this one, ma belle putain, this final one, is because one of the things that kept me alive while they beat me was envisioning spanking your beautiful ass bright red.”
He lifted her to her feet and stood her in front of him. He grinned at the dismay on her face, sensing her growing arousal from the flush on her cheeks, on her chest.
“All right, now, you may stand. I am finished for the moment.”
She wrenched out of his grip and jerked back, reaching behind to rub her bare bottom. Her face was flushed and angry tears threatened. But in addition to her anger, he saw her desire, her passion.
Her voice shook. “You hurt me, Bai.”
He raised an eyebrow, a predatory smile twitched his lips. Shifting on the chair to accommodate his burgeoning prick, he motioned to her with a nonchalant flick of his wrist. “So I did. Come here, cherie.”
He yanked her close to him and reached between her legs, breathing in the musky scent of her arousal. His voice was gruff, mocking. “Why are you wet, ma bonne putain? Mm hmm. I think you like being spanked. Oui, petite puta? You like having a rosy, hot ass, oui, ma fille mauvaise, my naughty girl? Ah that is a good thing, Elena, because that is going to happen often. Just as this is ma belle putain.”
He tumbled her to the floor. Kneeling over her, he wedged his strong thighs between her legs, pressing his throbbing cock against her crotch, ignoring her weak attempts to escape. Ripping off her chemise, he lay on top of her quivering body. Sucking in a ragged breath, he gazed in rapt excitement at her perfect breasts, naked before him. With a deep groan, he reached down and twisted one soft pink nipple and smiled when she shrieked. He leaned down and nipped at it and then bit down hard. When she cried out, he took the throbbing tip in his mouth, sucking on it until it swelled in his mouth. Mercilessly, he moved back and forth between her breasts twisting, nipping, and biting. Sucking on them as if his life depended on it.
“Mon Dieu, Elena. You are so fucking beautiful. I can never get enough of your breasts, your nipples. But for now, ma petite puta, turn over. Over. Oui, that is the way. Get up on your hands and knees, cherie. I want to take you from behind. I cannot let this glorious flaming ass go to waste.”
As she rolled to her stomach and then up on her hands and knees, he roughly twisted a large handful of her hair in his hand and jerked her head back, exposing the pale column of her throat. He licked the pulsing skin, eliciting a sharp passionate shriek as she trembled beneath him. With a mutual groan, he pressed her face against the carpeted floor, grasping her hips, pulling her ass up high.
“Ah oui, petite puta. Keep you beautiful ass high – like this -- in the air. Spread your legs, Elena. Wider, puta. Mais oui. Like that! Show me your pussy!”
A shuddering moan shook her fragile body. The sound alone drove a flash of heat to his pulsing cock. Grabbing her hand, he reached between her legs pressing her fingers against her swollen labia. “Here, bebe. Spread your lips. Oui, like that. Hold them open, petite ami. Open for me. Mon Dieu, Elena, you are drenched, soaking wet. Oui, ma petite?”
He plunged first one finger then another and, finally a third high inside of her. His thumb tapped an erotic drumbeat against her quivering clit. Savoring her excited cries, he dragged his fingers out of the moist succulent hole. He sucked on them, then held them to her lips. “Taste this, cherie. Smell this. Mon Dieu, petite puta, your taste, your scent. I live for them!”
Blood rushed to his cock. With a frantic twist he ripped open his trousers, shoving them to his knees, freeing his turgid prick. “Damn, Elena, I can’t wait, cherie. Non, non. I must have you, bebe. Now. All of you. Now!”
He gloried in her passionate groans, her dripping cunt, her ragged panting breaths. Spreading her legs further apart, he dragged her hips hard against his thighs, jerking her flaming ass higher. With a deep vibrating groan, he drove his cock in her glistening cunt. “Ah, Christ, bebe. You are so tight. So Goddamn fucking tight. I love you, Elena!”
His blazing need encompassed him, urgent, overwhelming. With a harsh growl, he cried out, “Now, bebe, now. Come now. Come with me, now.”
They had never come so hard or so long. Their powerful climax shattered them, assaulting them both with a rush of joy.
For many long moments, they lay together buried in each other’s arms. Whispering. Sobbing. Laughing. Lacing her fingers in his silky hair Elena clasped his head tight to her chest. Tears streamed down her face. “Promise me, Bai? Promise you will never stop loving me? Promise?”
“Non, non, Elena, I will never stop loving you. And I will never let you go. You belong to me. And I belong to you, cherie.
Snuggling her tight against him, he whispered hoarsely in her ear. “Mon dieu, Elena, the only way I kept my courage tied to that post was to recreate you in my mind. I pictured your lovely face, your beautiful body, the way you love me, the way I feel when I am with you.” With a harsh groan, he added, “And how empty I am when you are not beside me.”
He kissed the tears on her cheeks, then buried his face in her beautiful hair to hide his tears.
“But now, ma belle puta, we have twelve hours from here to Denver. I will make you come for me at least once every hour, if not twice. And, mon amour, maybe one more spanking
, oui?” He grinned in mock dismay. “Non? All right then, if you insist, two more.”
Much later they lay wrapped in each others arms. She traced her fingers over his firm jaw, his sensuous lips. Brushing the lock of thick black hair off his forehead, a thoughtful frown creased her brow. “Bai?”
“Yes, Elena.”
“Why did you come to me?”
Bai sighed, stroking her cheek.
“I asked you that Elena when you came to my chambers that glorious night. I remember you said because of Wyatt and Lei. It is much the same for me. Among other reasons, I am here because of your father and mine.”
Elena was surprised. She knew how angry her father and grandfather were with Bai.
He answered her unspoken question. “They shamed me, Elena. They shamed me for not having the courage to love you the way you deserve to be loved. For not honoring the brave strong woman who is more than able to share the life of the leader of the Sing Leon.”
“Bai, I know you worry about me. You are afraid for me. That something bad will happen to me. That you won’t be able to protect me. And, I…I have given you reason to be afraid. I am sorry I did.”
“Oui, Elena, that is true. But I must release my fear. I must stop seeing you as the terrified woman at the waterfall or the saloon.”
“Can you do that?”
“Oui. I have a new vision of my woman. When my fears torment me, attack my reason, I will see you as who you are. I will see the woman strong enough, brave enough, and smart enough to save me. You saved my life, Elena. In much the way that I saved yours. I will see you flaunting your beautiful saucy ass and bringing the leader of the Rongue Ri to his knees. Not only bringing him down, cherie, but beating him to death.”
Elena blushed. Dismay shadowed her face.
Bai held her close. “Non, non, Elena, don’t apologize for what you did. He deserved to die -- just the way you killed him. You stopped him, Elena. You opened the way for the cease fire we achieved. You helped me prevent a war.