Tao of Love 3: Kiss of the Twin Werewolves

by Sedonia Guillone

Danny and Dave had booked a room for them as a gift. Danny had chosen the Haidan District for them to stay because it was close to where Jie would have to go to see Su Lin but also so that Meg might have a chance to see the Summer Palace with its views of Kunming Lake and Yu Quan Hill with the background of mountains in the distance.

  Meg reached up and caressed his chest over his T-shirt. “I certainly will.” She pressed a soft kiss into his shoulder then looked up, smiling. “I don’t think that trip could have been any longer, could it?”

  He cupped her cheek. “No. But you were wonderful.” He brushed his lips tenderly across hers then smoothed his hand down her back, loving the slide of silk against his hand.

  Meg arched her back underneath his palm and closed her eyes. “Mmm,” she murmured. “I was hoping we could take a shower before we do anything else.”

  Her words sent a thrill of heat straight into his groin. His dragon stirred and began its venture upward. It seemed he was never too tired for that. “Absolutely.”

  Meg was already working open the frog buttons of her blouse.

  Suddenly hungry to feel her breasts in his hands, Jie pushed Meg’s blouse off her shoulders. His gaze rested on the soft pale swells of flesh and hard dusky pink tips visible under the silky material of her bra. He reached out and brushed his fingertips down the inviting path of skin between her breasts. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

  Meg blinked. Every time he praised her like that, he saw her blend of surprise and gratitude. She didn’t see what an incredible, luscious woman she was. “Thank you,” she said softly. Her breathing deepened a bit under his touch.

  He traced the swell of her breast over her bra then reached out and worked open the tiny latch. Her full breasts sprang free of their restraint. The creamy, pink-tipped swells never failed to make his dragon breathe fire. The burgeoning hardness pushed against his jeans, hungry to sheath itself in Meg’s moist cave.

  He covered her breasts with both hands and squeezed them. Her erect nipples pushed deliciously into his palms and his mouth already watered to taste the light musky flavor of the rubbery soft tips.

  A sudden vision caused him to freeze. His breath caught. The strangest sensation came over him, as if he weren’t the one touching Meg. An image rose in his mind, pushing at his consciousness with incredible strength. A man, looking much like himself, as if he were a twin, caressed Meg’s breasts. The man’s hair reached to his shoulders, his chin and jaw covered with a beard and he gazed at Meg with longing and hunger that shook Jie to his core.

  Energy jolted through Jie’s hands and traveled up his arms. He released Meg as if she’d burned him.

  She started as if the jolt had gone through her too. Her green eyes were wide and shock replaced the heated desire that had been there a moment before. “Jie, what was that? What happened?”

  Jie blinked several times and raked his fingers through his hair. The strange energy still cascaded through his body as if a million tiny insects crawled on his skin. “I don’t know.”

  Meg leaned toward him, reached out gingerly and touched his arm. Her touch tingled weirdly and on reflex, he pulled away. The tingling still invaded his body. Strangely, the sensation was not unpleasant, merely unsettling because it was unlike anything he’d ever experienced in his life, almost stranger even than the change from man to beast.

  She frowned. “I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head, a swirl of emotions roiling inside him. “I’m all right.” Sudden concern for her struck him in the wake of his strange behavior. “You’re not hurt?”

  “No. Just concerned.”

  He swiped a hand over his face and sighed. “Just tired from the journey and distressed, I suppose.”

  Meg nodded, a relieved, yet sympathetic expression on her face. She rose from the bed. “I understand. Me too.” She slipped her blouse and bra off the rest of the way, pulled off her shoes and undid the button and zipper of her skirt. She stood naked in front of him. “Come on,” she said, enticing him with her soft curves and firm ripe swells of buttocks, hips, and thighs. “I’ll scrub your back.” She smiled at him and then turned, moving quietly toward the bathroom. Her nearly waist-length hair fell in soft waves down her back and over her shoulders.

  Jie stared at her until she disappeared into the bathroom. He shook his head, his body tingling. If her friend Danny hadn’t been so wildly in love with a man, Jie would never have believed he hadn’t made love to this luscious woman.

  He saw the light go on and heard the shower running in the next moment. The only thing as enticing as Meg’s naked body was Meg’s naked body dripping with water, her skin even softer than usual when the water slicked it down.

  That thought caused him to rise, shrug out of his T-shirt and yank off his jeans. As he went toward the bathroom, a memory of the man with long hair and beard rose in his mind. The image touched off that same surge of energy as before.

  Meg smiled up at him as he stepped into the shower and pressed his body lightly to hers. Of course, she looked delicious as ever, her water-darkened hair slicked down, water beading off her pale skin. It didn’t take two whole seconds for his cock to rise and harden against her soft mound of wet curls. He put his hands on her slick upper arms and tilted his head down, touched his lips to her damp neck.

  Bam! The image again. Energy coursed through Jie’s body. He stepped away, his back against the cold wet shower tiles.

  Meg frowned, her eyes wide. “Jie,” she murmured, just audible above the sound of the shower spray.

  He heaved a deep breath. The tingling energy pulsated through every nerve ending of his skin. He held up a hand, meant to reassure Meg. He didn’t want her to feel at fault. She wasn’t making this image appear. “I’m all right, Meg. It...happened again.” He didn’t want to say that it happened when he touched her. “I love you.”

  She tilted her head, still watching at him. Her eyes were soft. “Wo ai ni,” she said softly. She reached for a fluffy washcloth, lathered it with soap and began swiping it over his back, rubbing in luxurious circles.

  Jie rested his hands against the tiles and surrendered to her washing. The energy pulsed and tingled through his skin but the image of the man only rose when her bare hand touched him. His heart grew heavy again. Would he now be deprived of Meg’s loving touch, the one thing that brought him comfort amidst his troubles?

  “Jie.” Meg’s voice cut through his distress.

  He turned and looked at her, still pressing his hands to the wall. “Yes?”

  “Maybe you should rest...get a good night’s sleep before calling Su Lin.”

  He considered her suggestion a moment then, shook his head. If this strange image was rising in response to the trouble with Su Lin, which he suspected it was, it was best to get it over with. “No, Meg. I must call her tonight. After supper.”

  * * * * *

  Meg stepped out of the shower, working to push the worry away as she took a towel and handed another one to Jie. He wouldn’t speak of what exactly was happening to him, but, no doubt, it was somehow a response to being back in Beijing.

  In silence, she dried off and went back into the room to open the suitcase for a fresh change of clothing. Judging from how fancy this hotel was, the modern elegance of the lobby, she’d feel out of place if she didn’t wear one of her silk cheongsam dresses to dinner.

  She chose the dark green cheongsam, the one she’d worn to Danny’s graduation from MIT when he’d received his doctorate. She slipped into it, always loving the feel of the silk firmly hugging her curves. She also knew that Jie liked to look at her in this type of dress and after what had happened just before and during their shower, she was feeling insecure. They were both tired from more than a whole day of straight traveling and that Jie was probably responding to fatigue, but she couldn’t help wanting to attract his desire either.

  She brushed out her hair and worked it into a soft bun before slipping her feet into low-heeled pumps. Jie had remained in the bathroom, shavin
g, but when he came out and saw her, appreciation radiated in his dark gaze.

  Jie dressed in a pair of baggy trousers and a black linen shirt in the traditional style with frog buttons and a mandarin collar. He normally looked incredibly hot in a plain white T-shirt, always setting Meg’s heart to fluttering, but this style brought out how devastatingly masculine he was. The black material emphasized the flawless golden tone of his skin and the large softness of his almond-shaped eyes.

  She couldn’t help staring at him, at the glint of light off his raven-colored hair and the sensuous fullness of his lips. He was breathtaking and there was rarely a time she looked at him that she didn’t wonder how Su Lin could have given him up. Not that she wasn’t grateful...

  “Meg, you’re beautiful,” he said softly. He gazed at her, his dark eyes simmering and offered his arm.

  Her heart warmed. She hated the moments when she felt insecure. Jie warred constantly with his “inner werewolf,” as Dave had coined the phrase, and his conflict put her off-balance, gave her the feeling that if he didn’t “cure” himself, he wouldn’t stay with her. Jie never actually came out and said those words, but she was sensitive and because he was her mate, she understood his deepest thoughts and feelings.

  However, judging from the love and desire she saw shining in his eyes, his inner conflict was definitely not for lack of love for her. She smiled, feeling strangely shy as they stepped out into the hallway and Jie pulled their hotel door closed. “So are you.”

  In the lobby, she used the computer in the business center to e-mail Danny and let him and Dave know they’d arrived safely. She remembered to relay to him Jie’s thank-you message for the hotel and said she’d write more the next day. She re-joined Jie and they went to one of the hotel’s restaurants, Shang Palace, that served Cantonese cuisine.

  The meal of roast duck and incredibly fresh and crisp stir-frys was beautiful, as was the casually elegant atmosphere of the dining room. But she had difficulty enjoying the meal to its fullest, knowing that as soon as she and Jie went back upstairs, he’d be calling Su Lin. The deepest, most discomfiting feeling simmered in the pit of her stomach when she thought of it.

  Jie seemed to notice her discomfort, for halfway through the meal he frowned, gazing at her with concern. He reached over the table and put his hand over hers. “Meg, what is it? Please tell me your thoughts.”

  In spite of herself, she couldn’t help smiling. She loved the sweet way he expressed himself at times. In that way, he reminded her a great deal of her grandfather, whom she’d adored. Indeed, she sensed that her grandfather’s loving influence in her life had enabled her to recognize those qualities in Jie when she’d met him.

  Then it hit her. She understood the deeper reason why the prospect of Jie’s speaking to Su Lin unnerved her so terribly. “I...understand something,” she said softly.

  He squeezed her hand, his touch resting on her. “What is it?”

  She looked down at her plate, at the portion of uneaten roast duck. “I realized just now why I feel so disturbed about you speaking to Su Lin.”

  His thumb brushed against her skin. “It’s not jealousy?” He sounded genuinely puzzled.

  She shook her head. “No. I thought it was, at first. Not that jealousy doesn’t come up. It’s...even deeper than that.” She leveled her gaze at him. “It’s that I feel...protective of you.” She nodded, her words causing a sweep of resolve through her. She furrowed her brow. “I hate the thought of your having to speak to her when she’s so...hostile toward you. I just don’t understand it.”

  The chocolaty-brown depths of Jie’s eyes appeared to melt. He squeezed her hand again and bowed his head. “Meg, you honor me so much with your love.” When he looked back up at her, his eyes appeared misted over. “It means a great deal to me that you feel that way. However, in all fairness to Su Lin, I have to tell you that I’m a very different man with you in many ways than I was with her. You bring out the best in me.”

  Those last words caused a flush of pleasure. However, couched inside them, she sensed Jie’s customary self-criticism and she frowned. “I’m sure you were always a good man.”

  His gaze darkened for a brief moment. He squeezed her hand once more then released it and picked his chopsticks up again. He heaved a deep sigh, looking down at his plate. “With you I am more of a good man, I suppose. But you might not think so if you’d seen me before. I wasn’t as kind and gentle with her so much the way I am with you. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t abuse her. It’s not like that. But since you, I’ve...” He raised his gaze again to hers. “Softened.”

  Softened. Just the way he said it and the tenderness in his eyes almost caused to her to melt into a puddle in her seat; the beautiful sentiment was marred only by his stubborn refusal to see himself as she saw him. She pushed past the warm tingle he’d brought her and humphed softly, jutting out her chin the way she did when she was quietly defiant. Su Lin’s rejection of Jie had seemed only to confirm his low self-regard.

  Meg decided then and there she didn’t like that woman. Not one bit. “Still, Jie, there is such a thing as forgiveness. Knowing you, you’ve apologized a million times to her.”

  Jie gazed at her steadily and then took a sip of tea. He set the small cup down carefully before he spoke again. “Meg,” he said, “If more people were like you, the world would be a much sweeter and more peaceful place.”

  She looked down, feeling her cheeks tingle with heat. “Thank you.” She smiled. “I feel the same about you.” She knew he didn’t believe her. His self-doubt practically filled the space like a palpable force.

  * * * * *

  Back in the hotel room after dinner, Jie sat heavily on the edge of the bed and picked up the phone. He knew it was somewhat late to be calling Su Lin, but his ex-wife never went to sleep before two in the morning. Slowly, he dialed his old phone number, hoping that Su Lin had kept it.

  The phone clicked on the third ring. “Hello?” The female voice was familiar. Su Lin still had the frightened hard edge to her tone she’d always had.

  His stomach clenched. “Su Lin,” he said softly.

  He heard her breath catch and he squeezed the earpiece. “Don’t hang up, please. That wasn’t me you saw, I swear it.”

  A long, tense pause ensued during which he could hear Su Lin’s tight breathing. He was half-surprised that she didn’t hang up. But only half-surprised. Su Lin was a complex woman who’d always had a love-hate relationship with him. She’d hated him enough to divorce him, yet she’d loved him enough not to use his own political views against him when she could easily have had him arrested and sent to a gulag in Tibet.

  Beside him, he felt Meg tense. Of course, Meg, for whom Mandarin was a first language, understood everything they said.

  “Jie, are you calling me from jail?”

  His heart raced. “I’m calling you from my hotel room, Su Lin. I just flew in from the United States with my fiancée.”

  Tension crackled invisibly through the line. “That’s impossible,” she snapped. “You were in front of my apartment building the other morning. You tried to grab me.” Panic was rising in her voice.

  “Su Lin, I swear that wasn’t me. I give you my word.”

  “It was you,” she spat. “A woman knows a man she’s...been married to.”

  That last sentence sent a spiral of energy through his gut. “I swear to you it wasn’t me. I can prove it.”

  Another tense pause. “How?”

  “Meet me somewhere. I’ll bring my fiancée. You won’t be alone. Have Xun Ju come with you.”

  More tense silence. “All right. I’ll meet you in the lobby of your hotel. I can come at noon.”

  His gut fluttered. “Noon is perfect. We’re at the Shangri-La.”

  “I know where that is.”

  He heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Su Lin. You’ll see that I wasn’t the one who frightened you.”

  Su Lin was silent again.

  Jie reached for Meg’s hand
and squeezed it, both to reassure her and to comfort himself. “See you tomorrow at noon,” he said.

  “Good night.” Su Lin’s line clicked off.

  Slowly, he replaced the receiver and turned to Meg. Her wide gaze rested on his face, a swirl of emotions passing through the irises. He reached out and cupped her cheek. “Meg, thank you for being here with me.”

  She moved closer to him and embraced him, her face pressed into the curve of his neck. Moved by her sweetness, he pulled her close and squeezed her gently.

  Their embrace lasted several long, sweet moments before he pulled away and looked at her again.

  “Jie, are you all right?” Meg’s voice was soft yet tight with concern.

  He nodded slowly. “Yes.” He leaned in and kissed her softly. He longed to curl up in bed with her in his arms and sleep, but restlessness quivered in his limbs and heart and he knew he wouldn’t sleep for a minute. “I’m anxious, though.”

  “Yes, me too.” She sighed and pushed a wisp of her hair behind one ear. “I’m tired from the trip, but I’m not tired, at the same time. There’s too much happening to sleep. You know?”

  He exhaled. “I know.” He pushed up from the bed, paced to the window and stared out onto the well-lit gardens of the hotel. Behind him, he heard Meg rise too. She came to stand beside him and he put his arm across her shoulders. “I don’t think I can sleep at all,” he murmured.

  She sighed. “Me neither.”

  His heart fluttered as he realized what he really wanted to do. “Meg, are you up to going out again?”

  Her gaze lifted to his, her eyes wide. “I think so. Where?”

  He released another deep breath and turned back to the window. “To the police station, the one closest to Su Lin’s apartment building. I want to see this twin of mine.”

  They changed into more comfortable clothes and headed back out.

  * * * * *

  “Someone’s here to see you.” The guard’s voice cut through his stupor. The last of his qi had nearly drained and he could barely raise his head from the thin pillow.

  He blinked against the clanging of the key in the prison door.