by Fran Baker
Her discomfort must have transmitted itself to Kai because he dropped the matter. Anne listened to the echo of her own heartbeat and pretended to concentrate on the lush scenery as they neared the summit where Kai’s home was situated. An inexplicable force drew her attention to his somber profile and tears stung her eyes as she struggled to control her wildly fluctuating emotions. After Kai had parked the car in the driveway he turned and cast her a spellbinding gaze that sent exhilarating shivers through her nerves. Her heart was aching with a fervent need that conquered all her remaining resistance.
“Chen will put our packages away before he leaves for the weekend,” Kai murmured. He reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. His hand caressed the sensitive hollow of her throat and a virile energy radiated from his eyes. The sensual skill of his touch fanned the wildfire raging in her veins. “Come with me,” he encouraged huskily, drawing her gently across the leather upholstery and out the driver’s door. “It is far too early for dinner.”
The oyster shells that packed the driveway crunched beneath their feet as Anne followed him uncertainly. They skirted the imposing exterior of Kai’s house, then crossed the thick carpet of grass in the backyard.
“What’s that?” She looked at the redwood building that had been erected in the shade of a stand of banyan trees. “It’s new since my last visit, isn’t it?”
An amused glint danced in Kai’s eyes as he continued walking toward the structure.
“Well, I’ve been in your home, so I know it’s not a privy,” she mused. Anne talked out loud to herself, not the least bit perturbed by Kai’s lack of response as she hurried to keep pace with his long, rolling stride.
“It’s a hot tub,” she exclaimed triumphantly when they reached their destination. Anne’s laughter rang out crystal clear in the thin air. Inside the three walls visible from the driveway an immense round tub full of sparkling water was centered on a raised platform. The fourth side was open, affording a matchless view of the harbor far below. From this elevation the ocean looked like liquid sapphire spilling out of the mountains across the bay. A ferryboat aimed its arrowhead wake at the heart of Hong Kong’s commercial district, and barrel-chested stevedores unloaded hampers of vegetables imported from the mainland for sale in the central marketplace.
“Every time I’m with you I see something new and different that escaped me the time before,” she murmured faintly.
Kai stood behind her, fitting his hard, male shape to Anne’s softly rounded curves. He crossed his arms in front of her and she was a willing captive when he buried his face in the honeyed tangle of her windblown hair. Anne turned in his embrace and lost herself to the ecstasy in his eyes.
“Have I told you yet today what a beautiful woman you are?” Kai’s breath was warm as a tropical breeze as his mouth descended on her openly inviting lips.
Anne shook her head, her answer stifled in the heat of an all-consuming desire. When Kai’s hands slid under her madras cotton shirt and curved around her waist, Anne’s skin burned under the torrid mastery of his touch.
“The water should be warm,” he urged. Kai released her and reached into the tub, testing the temperature. His smile rippled like a quiet stream, creasing his handsome face. “Perfect.”
“Last one in is a rotten egg,” she chanted, her teasing remark lightening the tension. Under Kai’s raven scrutiny Anne hurriedly slipped out of her clothes and folded them into a neat pile. She stepped up onto the platform, then into the tub. She turned, romance in slow motion, and her rapturous gaze beckoned him to join her.
Kai stripped out of his clothes and his gilded nudity gleamed. He stepped into the tub and the water lapped at her bare thighs as they stood, locked in an embrace. In the fading amber of twilight their fusing shadows lengthened. The day was dying, but the promise of fulfillment ignited a living flame between them that mere water couldn’t quench.
Kai’s mouth aroused a tempestuous storm of feelings while his arms guided her against his swelling need. Anne’s hands glided over his water-slick skin and a dazzling shower of sexual sparks rained down as they immersed themselves in intimate union.
Anne felt the smooth ripple of his thigh muscles beneath her and the rapid stimulation of his breath on her wet skin. The sensitive peaks of her breasts brushed the naked wall of his chest while his mouth made a voyage of slow discovery and his hands explored her with tender care.
Kai supported her in the sinewy cradle of his arms and she twined her fingers in his thick black hair, holding him closer, closer. Their bodies moved in a rhythm as old as time, renewing primitive but ageless rites of passion that swept them away in tides of desire fulfilled. Waves of bliss whipped into a hurricane of ecstasy and Anne arched in total surrender as a fountain of pure joy welled up in her.
Awed by her ultimate abandon to the sensations he had aroused, Anne laid her head on Kai’s broad shoulder while their heartbeats slowed to a mutually satisfied pace. Sunset exploded in a rococo riot of colors, finally chased away by a slice of moon that crowned the swirling mists enveloping their aerial lovenest.
When she shivered in the slight mountain chill Kai wrapped her in a lush towel and carried her into the house. There they lay together, their arms wrapped around one another. Whispering endearments, they savored the unique harmony that continued to flow between them.
* * * *
From force of habit Anne awakened early the next morning. Her eyelids fluttered open and the first thing she saw was her totebag sitting in a corner of the bedroom. Kai’s arm rested possessively on her hip and the steady tide of his breathing assured her that he still slept.
Her tape recorder and note pad were visible over the top of the canvas bag, whetting Anne’s insatiable workaholic’s appetite. If only she had a typewriter handy! Maybe Kai had errands or work of his own to do today. If so, he could drop her off at her apartment or the office, then pick her up this evening. Fully awake now, Anne was anxious to begin structuring Friday’s research into Monday’s article.
She stretched her legs and suppressed an impatient sigh. Kai rolled over, releasing her from the intimate embrace. If she lay here fidgeting much longer she was bound to wake him, too. Anne peeked over her shoulder to be certain she hadn’t already disturbed him, then edged cautiously out of bed and tiptoed to the shower.
While she stood under the pulsating stream, Anne mentally reviewed her notes and toyed with the opening sentences of her article. She toweled herself dry, slipped into the lightweight robe she’d packed for the weekend, then, quietly, picked up her totebag and padded out to the kitchen.
Her inner clock was ticking at full speed. There wasn’t time to squeeze a glass of juice from the plump oranges artfully piled in the basket And coffee, she thought, took forever to brew when you watched the pot. Anne decided on a cup of hot tea. Her fingers drummed an edgy tune on the countertop while she waited for the kettle to boil.
The patio promised pleasant solitude. Anne spread her material on the wrought-iron umbrella table and worked to the rhythmic drone of honeybees pollinating the nearby garden.
“Do your days always begin this industriously?” Kai asked, bending his head to nuzzle the sensitive crook of her neck.
“Usually,” she answered. Absorbed in finishing a particularly difficult paragraph, Anne hunched her shoulder and tried to elude his sensual greeting. “Sorry if I woke you.” Her apology sounded like the afterthought it was.
“Your tea is cold,” Kai noticed in a casual voice. His mouth continued its teasing descent as he reached for her cup and saucer. “I’ll brew another pot.”
“Kai.” Anne whirled and looked at him. Their lips were only inches apart, but her mind was miles away. “Would you drop me by my apartment this morning so that I can type this?”
“No!” His angry refusal startled her.
“Why not?” she challenged. Anne searched his face, wary of the inevitable argument, but determined to win this round.
“Because today is Saturday,” h
e stated in that infuriatingly reasonable tone she’d come to know so well in recent weeks. His gaze narrowed, focusing on her indignant expression. “And we are going to relax—even if it means I must burn your tapes and strap your beautiful, efficient body into a lounge chair.”
“But I have a job to do,” she protested, indicating with a sweep of her hand that she wanted to finish what she’d started.
“So do I,” he countered amiably. “As I recall, you need an instructor in the art of Tai Chi Chuan.”
“Can’t that wait?” she fumed. Exasperated at having her cleverly designed schedule thrown off, Anne expelled a fretful sigh and turned away. Her bare foot tapped a restless cadence on the flagstone terrace. “I loathe wasting time.”
“There is no such thing as wasted time,” Kai refuted. He took her shoulders in a gentle, but adamant, grip and forced her to face him. “Every moment of your life is precious, Anne, whether you spend it productively or pleasurably. The secret is to enjoy those moments; the reward is the satisfaction you gain from doing something you value.”
“All right.” She conceded the point with a graceful nod, but a cunning light shone in her eyes. “In that case, I would derive immense enjoyment from spending a few precious hours at my typewriter with this valuable manuscript so my employer will reward my productive efforts.”
To her utter surprise Kai threw back his head and laughed uproariously. “If I had an employee with your sense of dedication I would enshrine her,” he said when his cascading mirth had trickled into a smile. “United News cannot begin to pay you what you are worth.”
“I’ll pass your comment along when it’s time for my annual salary review,” she quipped. Anne’s bantering tone didn’t deceive Kai.
“You radiate tension,” he chided. Kai knelt and cupped Anne’s delicately boned foot in the palm of his hands. His dark gaze held hers as he massaged her sensitive arch. “Footprints are a complete universe unto themselves,” he murmured.
Anne shuddered with longing and her eyes glistened pearl gray when his lean fingers traveled up the smooth curve of her calf, sliding past her knee to stroke her inner thigh.
“Your spirits must be as fit as your body in order to maintain your vital energies,” he noted in a husky voice. “Exercise circulates energy.” In one fluid motion Kai stood and lifted her with him. “The secret is to move your body continuously and harmoniously, as if you are dancing.”
A low moan escaped her throat as his hands glided over her ribcage, brushed the tender tips of her breasts, then slid along her arms. As Kai accompanied his tranquil message with his mesmerizing touch, Anne quivered with one delicious sensation after another.
“Rest your weight on one foot and use your waist as a pivot,” he coached. Kai clasped her hands in his and their bodies moved in an agile ballet as he guided her through the basic steps of the exercise.
Anne couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when her tension drained away. Somewhere between “taking a needle from the sea” and “the crane spreads its wings,” a peaceful harmony began to flow through her limbs. Serenity was more in the nature of an unconscious capitulation to Kai’s powers of sybaritic persuasion.
“Mmmmm. I like your definition of relaxation,” she admitted in a softly disturbed whisper. They stood, arms locked around one another. Desire was building to a fever pitch, reducing her earlier resistance to forgotten cinders. “And I can’t think of anyone I’d rather waste time with, either.”
Kai’s hands molded her supple hips to his hard length and his mouth opened over hers. Anne squelched that little voice scolding her from the back of her mind.
Did emotional satisfaction always diminish professional returns? Anne tipped her head back, reveling in the glorious demands that Kai’s hands and mouth were making on her body. Could she divide her loyalties between a heartless corporation and this sensitive man without neglecting one of them in the process?
“I want you, Anne.” Kai’s husky voice caressed her silken skin. His encircling arms crushed her closer.
Anne’s doubts were consumed in the wake of a fiery passion that raced with molten speed through her veins. She answered by arching against him, urgently in need of this full body contact. When he scooped her into his arms she knew her wild and wonderful expectations were as great as his. “Now,” she pleaded. “Now.”
* * * *
Sometime later, after their physical feast in the bedroom, Anne and Kai fixed brunch in his well-appointed kitchen. As he had done last night when they prepared an erotically delayed dinner, Kai did the actual cooking while Anne served as apprentice chef.
His culinary skills were truly amazing. Instead of simply chopping the food into randomly sized pieces as Anne normally did, he wielded his carving knife with the skill of a swordsman. His squeezing, sniffing and sampling were a delightful lesson in sensory appreciation.
“This is delicious!” Anne savored her first bite of the vegetable, rice and egg medley that he had stir-fried to crispy perfection.
“It’s a shame that you have never learned to enjoy the art of cooking,” he noted.
“Well,” she huffed somewhat defensively, “I'll have you know that I happen to toss the best salad and grill the juiciest steak this side of the Pacific Ocean.”
“Your finesse in other areas more than compensates,” he dryly assured her. Kai laughed then, obviously relishing Anne’s blossoming consternation, and his eyes twinkled mischievously. “Sometime soon we’ll spend a weekend introducing you to the true purpose of a kitchen.”
Visibly annoyed by the grain of truth in his teasing remarks, Anne set her fork down and laid her napkin aside. “Are you trying to reform me?” The faint challenge in her question wasn’t entirely a bluff. It frightened her to realize how quickly the tenor of their relationship could change when he disputed the boundaries she had mentally set.
“Of course not,” he said, neatly skirting an argument. “I’m merely trying to emphasize that your super-efficient approach to life has eliminated so many of the simpler pleasures.”
Anne felt a twinge of disappointment that she couldn’t take offense nor render a single refutation. He was right in her haste to cover late-breaking news, how many mornings had she hailed a taxi and missed the kaleidoscopic magic of a perfect spring day? In her mad dash to meet deadlines, how many meals had been skipped, how many smiles deferred, how many potential friendships destroyed by professional rivalry?
“You don’t understand.” Anne looked away, confusion, anger and pain alternately written across her face.
“I understand that you’re not a computer,” he continued implacably. “Beneath those tethered emotions and that programmed proficiency is a lonely woman who has lost her ability to trust.”
“No!” She lashed out in self-defense, even as she brushed away her tears. To agree would be to deny the value of those goals she had nurtured to near-attainment. “You don’t understand,” she accused in a choked voice. “I can’t even begin to count the number of extra hours I’ve worked because I’m a woman competing for advancement in a ‘man’s world.”’
Anne stood abruptly, seeking a release from Kai’s tenacious gaze. She walked toward the window and stared out in vacant distraction. “It hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t been fair,” she murmured. “But despite the obstacles I’ve managed to accomplish a great deal more than anyone, myself included, could ever have imagined.”
“Does it help you to know that I’m proud for you, that I admire your ethics and abilities?” Kai stepped up behind her and enfolded her in his arms.
Unable to trust her voice, Anne nodded. She leaned against him, absorbing his warmth and strength. Which of them, she wondered sadly, would deal the final blow, the one that would sever this precious but tenuous connection? Anne shook her head to chase away the thought. When she had regained control again and the mist of her unshed tears had lifted, she glanced down and saw for the first lime the long, thin box that Kai held in one hand.
“What’
s that?” Curiosity replaced distress and she craned her neck for a clearer view.
“If you want to know you’ll have to open it.” Kai transferred the package to her hands and loosened his embrace so that she could follow his instructions.
“Oh, Kai,” she gasped in breathless surprise. Anne lifted the string of exquisite black pearls out of the satin-lined box and dangled them from her fingers.
“They’re yours,” he pronounced. Kai bent his head and kissed her neck. “Do you like them?”
“They’re gorgeous,” she said with a disbelieving laugh. Anne sobered then as she laid his gift in the box and turned to face him. “But I can’t accept them.”
“Why not?” If Kai was wounded by her rejection he disguised it behind a handsomely stoic mask.
Anne hesitated at the crossroads of the truth. If she told him about her probable promotion to Athens she would risk everything they had finally achieved. On the other hand, if she didn’t tell him, the chances were excellent that they could sustain this level of intimacy until her future was certain. Besides, she quibbled with herself, the promotion hadn’t been confirmed as definite.
“I—I just can’t accept them,” she stammered as she closed the lid and returned the box. “Not yet, anyway.”
Though unaware of the details, Kai seemed to sense her dilemma, and he accepted the package without rancor. “I told you once before that you’re a woman worth waiting for,” he reminded her. “That still holds true.”
Anne cringed inside as she met his solemn gaze. Even a slight deception was a heavy burden. “Keep them for me, Kai,” she pleaded in a wavering voice. “Until I know for sure.”
Chapter 8
If Anne’s “hello,” followed in short order by an equally chipper “good-bye,” surprised UNA’s janitor Monday morning he did an admirable job of concealing it. Anne’s early start had served its dual purpose well. The jewel article was typed and ready for Dick’s blue-pencil perusal, freeing her to spend today at the resettlement center in Kowloon. More important, she noted with a sigh of relief as she stepped into the empty elevator, she had evaded the prying eyes and certain curiosity of her co-workers.