Bride of the Moso Prince

by Lucy Yam

  Nobul heard the tune as soon as he came up. He followed her voice to the hot spring. There she is, he thought, soaking her alabaster body. He got to the source of the steams, closer and closer, unable to stop himself. Away from her for just a couple of hours and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He got quite worried that she might stumble from the stairs, even though he knew she could walk all right. He returned earlier than he had planned.

  She started when she saw him approaching and immediately sank lower into the water, as if the transparent water would shield the sight of her body from him.

  He grinned. “Don’t worry, I can’t see a thing.”

  She giggled at his mischievous lie. And then she was stunned by what he was doing next.

  He unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and swung it onto the pine needle matted ground. The sight of his bronze muscular chest made her heart race at once. And seeing his tight six-pack accentuated by a slim waist made her mouth dry. When he unzipped his pants and a minute later, stood in nothing but a white brief, she could hardly breathe. Oh, how sexy he looked! She tried to ignore the middle part of his body and focused on his legs and thighs, that were strong but not bulky. Yet promptly her eyes traveled up to his white brief and locked on that bump thrusting beneath it. He knew what she was looking at, of course, for his hands lingered a moment on the waist band while looking at her with a testing smile. She ought to avert her eyes when he pulled it down! But she didn’t. She couldn’t! She was paralyzed as if under a spell. And his body was too gorgeous to be ignored. When he was stark naked she was so weak that she had to grasp tightly onto the rock that she was sitting on with one hand, and another hand pressing her frantically jumping heart, fearing that it would fly out of her body at any moment.

  Nobul closed his eyes and heard his heart pounding madly. The image of her standing naked below the steaming water, with one hand between her breasts was stunningly beautiful, and erotic. He had seen her few nights before, lying naked in the tub, but it didn’t arouse him as much. Perhaps it was because she had been unconscious then. The body in front of him now was entirely different. It was simmering with vitality. He noticed the desire and curiosity in her eyes, and the pulsation of her breasts. He inhaled deeply before stepping into the water slowly, so his agitation wouldn’t betray him.

  The degree of the water rose instantaneously the moment he entered. It was soon scorching. Sharon felt suffocated when the statue like body stood next to her. Compelled by the urge to cool herself she straightened her back all of a sudden in order to rise above the water. But the abrupt movement brought pain and she groaned as her body swayed.

  “Are you ok?” Nobul quickly reached out to steady her.

  “I am.” She said, grabbing his arm.

  For a moment Nobul was speechless. The sight of her perfect, firm breasts glittering with dews right in front of him were simply too tantalizing.

  He groaned. Bending slowly he licked the dews, drop by drop, gently, piously, as if it was ambrosia from heaven.

  Sharon moaned and closed her eyes. The sound of her own heavy breathing was all she could hear for the next minute or two.

  His hand traveled along her body. He stroked her belly and her thighs. She parted her thighs so he could touch her burning point. The hot spring water was soft and aphrodisiac and it made his finger extra slippery, extra potent. As her breaths quickened, he rubbed faster and faster, until she let out a long and low moan that was the most primal animal sound and her eyes narrowed, smoldered with heat and desire, and ultimately brightened with satisfaction.

  Straddling carefully above her, he held her and kissed her. His penis was impatiently rubbing against her inner thigh…She trembled with pleasure, expecting. Then they both heard Urcher’s voice. “Nobul, where are you?”

  “Oh heavens.” He mumbled and shifted his position such that he was shielding her with his body.

  “I’m here. And don’t come closer!”

  “All right I won’t.” Urcher said after a moment’s pause, “Charlene is here to see her sister… She’s waiting for her in the yard. Take your time.”

  “Oh no.” Sharon quickly got out of the water, dried herself and put on her clothes, all the while feeling ashamed of herself. What was she doing!

  “That dress looks good on you, Sharon,” Charlene met her sister at the stairs.

  It was a simple sleeveless light blue satin dress with crossover V-neck and an empire waist. Sharon usually preferred fabrics with patterns, but this dress, although looked plain in first sight, was quite gorgeous when she put it on.

  “Well it would look good on you too.”

  “Yeah right,” Charlene took her sister’s arm as they went up the stairs. “I’ll look like an extra long bucket.”

  “You’re exaggerating.” Sharon laughed and rolled her eyes, “you’ll look sexy in it.”

  “How’s your leg?” Charlene changed the topic.

  Sharon felt embarrassed. She had found out about the accident after all.

  “I’m fine. Getting better. Yourself?”

  “Couldn’t be better. My dizziness is gone for good.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  “So you’re staying in Empress’ bedroom? Wow!” Charlene exclaimed as they went in and looked around at the interior, “what a luxury!”

  “Yeah.” Sharon nodded, “you should look at the view.”

  Charlene looked out at the window and gasped, “Awesome! Ten times better than the view we get in Shangari-la!”

  Sharon made her sister some tea and they sat at the balcony.

  “My god, Sharon. I wouldn’t want anything else if I could live here for the rest of my life!”

  “I agree,” Sharon nodded, “but then, that is a lot to ask for.”

  “Well,” Charlene gave her a significant look, “it shouldn’t be that impossible for you.”

  “What do you mean?” Sharon blushed.

  “Don’t pretend,” Charlene teased. “And don’t tell me nothing happened between you and Nobul. I don’t know how exactly you got a snake bite, but I know that you couldn’t get it unless you were in the water. And then, you wouldn’t normally go swimming without a swimsuit…”

  “It’s a horror to have an anthropologist for a sister.” Sharon shook her head while covering her face with her hands.

  “Confess!”

  “What’s there to confess?” Sharon protested, “you’ve

  guessed everything already.”

  “So there was indeed a little argument between you, and you attempted to leave him, nearly got drowned, and then rescued by him?”

  “Yes,” Sharon’s cheeks flamed.

  “How romantic!” Charlene giggled, “and then?”

  “What then? I’ve told you…everything.”

  “No you haven’t.” Charlene gave her a look as a mother looked at a lying child, “But I can guess the rest.”

  “You naughty child.” Sharon tickled her sister and made her scream.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying your vacation,” Charlene said after the both calmed down, “and I hope you can stay longer. Especially your leg is still healing.”

  “No, I have to leave. I want to go with you. Wait for me I’ll go packing.”

  “What’s the hurry?”

  “Well, I finished the project.”

  “Oh that’s easy. I can email it to Web Genius for you.”

  “But it’s time I should go back to LA.”

  “What? I don’t think it’s a good idea to limp your way to the airport. Besides, aren’t you going to help Nobul to set up the exhibition room?”

  “Says who?”

  “Uh…”

  “No, I’m not. I don’t know how to set up a museum…”

  “But you have the talent. I remember how you always set up the apartments.”

  “It’s different.”

  “No, it isn’t…tell me Sharon, why are you so eager to get away, are you afraid of Nobul?”

  “What gave you tha
t idea? Of course I’m not.” Sharon raised her chin.

  “Then why do you want to get away?”

  “I, just…”

  “You’re afraid that you’ll fall in love, aren’t you?”

  Sharon was silent.

  Charlene put her hand on her shoulder. “Sharon, please, stay for a few more days. Enjoy your adventure, for me.”

  Before sunset Charlene and Urcher took leave. Sharon and Nobul saw them to the dock. Sharon gave the flash drive to her sister so she would email the contents for her.

  As they were walking towards the path back to the house Nobul put his arm around Sharon’s shoulder.

  Sharon shunned from him. “I can walk by myself.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” Sharon assured him. In fact, it was difficult to walk upslope without straining her leg. But she needed to keep a distance between them. What had happened earlier in the hot spring shouldn’t happen again. She couldn’t believe she had let him to step into the water with her and take control of her like that, after what he had done to her! Didn’t she almost get drowned because of him?

  Unconsciously she walked faster, but not without limping a bit. A rock hidden under the pine needle paved road almost tripped her, but before she lost balance Nobul grabbed her.

  “What’s the hurry? Why are you running?” Nobul’s asked softly. He had been following her closely in spite of all her attempt to be away from him.

  “Well, it’s dinner time,” Embarrassed by her clumsiness, she laughed, “I’m getting hungry.”

  “Talking about dinner,” Nobul said, “I’m actually planning to go to the lake for some fish. Want to come along?”

  The suggestion was tempting and Sharon hesitated. “No, I uh, have some thing to… a book to read…”

  “Oh you can read it tonight, or tomorrow. What you need right now is a boat ride.” His voice came to a whisper as his arm at her waist tightened.

  The sensors in Sharon’s ear fired up and the next moment she was in Nobul’s arms again, being carried back to the solar boat to gather the fishing net that he had set in the morning.

  Lugu Lake was astonishingly beautiful in late afternoon. The sun was platinum and the water of the west shore shimmered with diamond specks. The rest of the lake turned to a darker hue of blue. Branches of willow trees on shore swayed languidly in the evening breeze, and flocks of birds flew home to their nests. Like the birds, villagers were also returning home from gathering fish or harvesting algae.

  Sharon stood silently by the rail, let the scenery absorb her entire being, and let the breeze caress her hair. She was glad that she had taken the advice of Charlene to stay here for a few more days.

  From the cabin Nobul stared at the water nymph on board. The setting sun cast a silver glow on her blue satin dress, which fluttered slightly in the wind, along with her long black hair. She looked as if she had just risen from the lake water below. It was hard for him to keep a distance from her, while the image of her standing naked in the hot spring was still fresh in mind, and he had to summon all his strength to not to remember the sensation of kissing her. It was there in the middle of his gut and it was threatening to explode at any time. If he went to her now, just the touch of her skin and a brush of her hair would fire him up. And he would want to have her right here on the boat.

  It took no more than ten minutes to get to the site where the fish net had been laid, but it was the longest ten minutes in his life. As soon as he spotted the bamboo mark underwater, he dashed out to the deck.

  “Feels like something big!” As he was pulling the net he shouted with excitement.

  A carp about two feet long jumped in the net, along with some tiny silver Ji.

  Sharon was impressed. They put the carp into a bucket and dumped the small fish back to the lake.

  “How would you like it cooked? Stew or fried?” Nobul asked when they were heading towards the shore.

  “Hum,” Sharon considered, “what about frying it first, then stew?”

  “Good idea. Ah, the problem is, there isn’t any vegetable left. I’ll ask Urcher to bring some tomorrow, but tonight, we’ll have to do without.”

  Sharon was going to agree but seeing the tuft of algae in the fishing bucket, she asked, “Why can’t we eat algae?”

  Nobul was amused by the idea. “Yeah. I wonder why we never eat algae. Usually we feed them to the livestock. It isn’t poisonous, I know that since my friends and I had tasted them when we were little…hum, you know what?” He put down the bucket, “Let’s go back to the lake to get some algae and stew them with the fish!”

  “Are you sure?” Sharon shouted, “what if you ruined the fish?”

  “Then you’ll have to eat everything.” Nobul said and dabbed a kiss on her cheek.

  Luckily, the algae carp stew was a success. The carp was tender and sweet and the gelatin substance from algae made the soup of the stew thick and savory. Besides, Nobul was an excellent cook. He had spent a considerable time in the kitchen. First cleaned the fish, then chopped it and coated the pieces with flour before deep-frying. Even after he had closed the lid of the stewing pot he went in and out of the kitchen to make sure that the fish wasn’t overcooked or the soup wasn’t dried out. Sharon, who had thought herself a pretty good cook, gave the dish two thumps up.

  “The second best fish dish I’ve ever had!” She said, after the two of them had finished the entire dish.

  “What? The second best? What was the best?” Nobul feigned an angry look.

  “The fried Ji fish that your mother made.” Sharon smiled and waited to hear what he had to say.

  “Well,” Nobul nodded with resignation, “what can I say?”

  Sharon laughed. She didn’t want him to be smug but didn’t want to hurt him either. “Actually, both are good and I can’t really compare them to each other.”

  Nobul grinned like a little boy who had received compliments that he deserved, “I like hearing that better. Guess what, for that, you deserve some dessert.”

  He went back to the kitchen and came back with two bowls in hand.

  It was boiled sweet rice wine with gluttonous rice pearls. It was a local dessert and her favorite when she was a child.

  “Oh! Nobul,” Sharon shook her head, “You’re spoiling me!”

  He sat down across the table to her. “I like spoiling you.” He said in a husky voice that made her heart rock.

  After he was done with the dishes, Nobul carried Sharon out of the yard and they sat on the edge of the hilltop to watch sunset. Nobul had spread a Tibetan rug over the mat of pine needles and brought her a yak skin throw against the evening chill. The setting sun had changed its color to bright red over the interval of their dinner. Its crown lingered on the top of the lion mountain, dying the water around it to a crimson red.

  “Beautiful!” Sharon sighed. It would be nice to spend the rest of her life here. She had thought that no vacation would be nice if it was over a week, and she had always been eager to go back to work after the unproductive Christmas holidays. Yet at that moment, sitting snuggly next to Nobul, she knew she wouldn’t be bored watching the scenery of Lugu Lake all day everyday… But clearly she couldn’t. Few more days here and she would be packing and leaving for LA, back to the mundane routine of her lonely life.

  “You’re so lucky to live here.” She said to Nobul, who was propping his head in an elbow, and gazing at the red crown of the setting sun.

  “I know.” He said languidly, “when people ask me in the cities where I’m from, I tell them I’m from paradise.”

  “Yeah. When I go back to LA I would tell people that I had visited paradise.” Sharon murmured, feeling glad and sad at the same time.

  There was a moment’s silence before she heard Nobul’s voice again. “Thinking about leaving already? You’ve just gotten here.”

  She turned to look at him. He had turned his gaze to her and his eyes smoldered in the dusky air.

  Not until that moment was she aware
that they were dangerously close to each other. So close that she could detect the masculine musk mingled in his smoky pine. The sound of his breath seemed to be a language without words. It was delivering something to her, not to her ears, but to her body. Her nerve-endings vibrated with every soft beat. Her eyes locked on his for a moment, then glided to his sensual lips, his throbbing throat, and the strip of brown skin below.

  Sharon shuddered. She didn’t remember any temptation like this for a long time. The male body next to her reminded her of milk chocolates that had been her only weakness. Until recently, male bodies had never been a lure for her. She had thought the only reason men leaving the top of their shirts open was for cooling purpose. But apparently there was more to it, men might be leaving the front of their shirts open for the same reason women did. That strip of bare skin glowed in semidarkness, exuding enigmatic codes to the sensors of her body.

  Her body ached for the contact with it, but her mind was debating. She knew that what was happening between them was no longer harmless flirting, but something serious. What had happened after the dance and in the hot spring were appetizers, unsatisfying and tantalizing, and she craved for a meal, a feast…and it looked like she could have it. But was it wise to have it since having it once would only make her yearn for more? And she would have to leave sooner or later…She tore her gaze from the male body, the only gorgeous male body she had known, and closed her eyes. As long as she kept her eyes closed and not to look at the source of the temptation, she would be fine, she decided. But what about the musky scent? It only got stronger as her vision was at rest. Her hearing also became more acute. She was detecting the urgency in the sound of his breathing. Even her skin seemed to become more sensitive. It was responding to the warm breath which seemed to become warmer and warmer… Her eyes wide opened as she felt a feathery touch on her cheek. Nobul’s beautiful face was right above hers, and his eyes were dark and clear like the night sky. Her heart pounded. Oh no, she thought, I have to get away from it.