He put on a clean shirt and jeans and toweled his hair. As he did so, thoughts of the other lang ren entered his mind. A tug of anticipation pulled in his gut. How would he know his opponent when he saw him? In the three years since he’d been bitten, the lang ren who’d bitten him was the only one he’d encountered and only that one time. The creature had sunk its fangs into him and then disappeared into the dark prairie, perhaps to wander and lose itself in the mountains of Tibet.
With that one thought, his many other concerns and questions surfaced. If the lang ren attacked him in beast form, how could he defend himself and Megan against the creature? He knew from personal experience that the beast’s physical strength and ability was superior to the human’s. He also would have to wait until his next moon to change and to experience that strength. He could not simply undergo the transformation at will.
He now cursed himself silently for having run away from what he was. Rather, for having tried to run away. It was impossible to escape from oneself, and he’d lied horribly to himself to have even tried. If he’d faced his curse when it first happened, if he’d learned all he could about his new condition, then perhaps he’d be prepared now to face the other lang ren.
He hung his towel neatly on a hook on the bathroom door, making sure he left the bathroom tidy. In the other room he could hear Megan moving about, opening cabinets, working at the stove. He emerged from the bedroom and stood in the hall, listening to her. Every so often she said something to her cat. He smiled each time the cat mewed in response as if she understood the words.
“Be nice to Jie now, Mei,” he heard Megan say in Chinese. “He’s very kind and I know he’ll be nice to you. He’s come a long way and we need to make him feel at home.”
Her words warmed him, moving through him like a gentle wind. In spite of all his questions and doubts, he was certain of one thing. Megan certainly was his mate.
Deep inside, however, he was sure of one other thing. And that was that even though he hated what he’d become, rejected the beast inside him, he was probably going to have to unleash it, embrace it and allow it to be wild and free. There was no other way he was going to be able to protect Megan from the other lang ren who was coming for her.
He took a deep breath and braced himself. He was not yet free to release his passions with Megan and vent the heated tension coiling in every part of his body. It was going to take all the discipline he possessed to be in her presence, alone with her here, not to try and mate with her.
Thankfully, he found that once they were together, eating the wonderful meal she’d prepared for him, his mind was fully engaged in their conversation, taking some of his attention off his demanding body. He told her about Li and his childhood in the mountains of what was actually Tibet, but which China claimed as its own territory. He told her about how Li had trained him and helped him master tai chi and then about his medical training in Beijing. He didn’t mention Su Lin and Megan didn’t ask him about his past relationships, so he decided to wait before delving into that painful subject.
In turn, Megan told him about her childhood and about growing up here in this neighborhood with her Grandfather. She recounted the beginnings of her friendship with Danny Wong and how he’d nicknamed her the Karate Kid, after a movie that had come out when they were younger, because her grandfather waited for her every day on the sidewalk in front of school to walk her home.
Jie found Megan intelligent, funny and engaging and made him laugh quite a bit, something Jie hadn’t done in years. She also revealed to him her passion for martial arts films and especially for those of Bruce Lee.
After dinner he helped her with the dishes, in spite of her protests, and afterward they sat in the living room and talked some more. He was careful not to sit too close to her on the sofa. However, he could see that she was tired, and his own exhaustion finally caught up with him. “I should let you go to sleep, Megan.”
She yawned and covered her mouth, looking sheepish. “I suppose so.” She sat up and looked at him. “Thankfully, I don’t open until ten on Saturday mornings, so we can sleep later.” He could see from her expression that she, too, was reluctant to end the evening. There was something else in her eyes, however. He felt it flow into him and realized it was fear. She was afraid he would disappear during the night. He wanted nothing more than to ease her fear. “Maybe you will let me make breakfast for you,” he said. He saw his words sink in and knew by the way her face lit up that his feeling about her fear had been correct.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” Her voice was soft and shy.
“I really want to.”
“You do?”
He nodded. His heart thudded again at the sweet smile that curved her lips. She looked quickly away and then again at him. “Jie?”
“Yes?”
“I’m really glad that you’re here. It’s been lonely since Grandfather died. That probably doesn’t sound right, does it? I don’t mean it’s just nice to have another person here. It’s nice to have you here. You’re so kind, the way you helped me and Auntie Yee today.”
“Thank you. I’m glad I’m here too, Megan.” A pang of guilt gripped him. He wondered if she’d feel that way when she knew the truth about him. He prayed she would.
“I’m sorry Grandfather didn’t get to meet you.”
He nodded. “So am I.” The fact that he would have to tell Li that his old friend had passed away pained him.
However, the more immediate concern was the woman in front of him. The sexual tension that had relaxed a bit during the evening now reared up again. He stood up, more abruptly than he meant to, for fear that he would pounce on her as the beast inside him wished him to do. She was so sweet and so kind, he didn’t want to do anything that would risk frightening or hurting her. And yet, he feared, once he revealed the truth to her about what he was, frightening her was the one thing he would do. “Thank you again, for everything.”
She smiled, her eyes emanating a blend of sadness and what he sensed was desire. “You’re very welcome.” She rose from the sofa and looked at him again. “See you in the morning.”
He nodded. “Yes. Good night.” He watched her turn and walk down the hallway, disappearing into her bedroom.
He sighed, his body tense and coiled with desire. Slowly he made his way to his room. The door to the bathroom was closed and he heard the shower running. A wedge of light from under the bathroom door shone into his room. He pulled off his t-shirt and changed into a pair of pajama bottoms, one of the few items of clothing he’d brought with him, and lay down on the bed, his hands laced together behind his head.
Unfortunately, knowing that she was a few feet away, naked, he couldn’t stop imagining what she would look like, her hair loose down her back, flowing over that smooth soft skin. He imagined rivulets of water streaming over her breasts, beading off the tips of her nipples and down her buttocks.
A raging erection sprang immediately, almost painful in its force. Jie rose from the bed and used the small space in the bedroom to run through his tai chi, distracting himself, with only partial success, until the water in the shower turned off and the light in the bathroom went out.
Megan’s room was quiet. The water from the shower temporarily doused her scent, enabling him to lie back down and, eventually, fall into a restless sleep.
The sound of a loud cry woke him. He sat bolt upright listening.
“Lao ye! Lao ye! No, don’t go!”
His blood ran cold. It was Megan. She was having a nightmare. He knew only too well the force of such dreams. He’d had plenty of them for years after his parents had been killed.
Without another thought, he threw back the covers and headed for her bedroom.
Chapter Seven
Megan flailed her arms in the darkness. Her mind was half-aware that she’d been dreaming again, that Grandfather was a vision of her grieving heart and not flesh and blood.
However, this time, her hands landed on something solid. Something wa
rm. Someone was here with her.
“It’s all right, Megan. It’s all right.” The male voice was soothing and kind.
Someone was reaching for her. Arms that were strong and gentle closed around her, pulling her into an embrace.
Jie.
“You’re not alone,” he said softly. “Lean on me.”
His gentle invitation and the feel of his hand slipping into her hair, cradling the back of her head washed through her. She clutched him and fell forward, curling up in his arms. Before she could stop herself, she began to sob, wetting the bare skin of his shoulder.
“I miss him so much!” she cried between guttural sobs. Grief for every time she awoke from her dream and remembered that Lao ye was gone, tore through her in wrenching gusts. Jie’s arms around her and his warm strong body against hers seemed to absorb everything that poured from her, allowing more to pour out.
Jie continued to hold her, even as her sobbing exhausted itself, his hand caressing her back. “I understand, Megan,” he said softly, against her hair.
She squeezed him in her arms. He made her feel so safe, like nothing could harm her. Her palms lay flat on the planes of muscle in his back. Now that she had cleansed some of her grief, she was suddenly, vividly aware that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Her awareness expanded to include the fact that the only thing separating their bodies was her flimsy cotton tank. Her breasts rested against his chest and every breath she took caused a bit of friction against her nipples, which tightened and tingled.
Her breathing grew heavier and the tingling sensation in her breasts spread downward, traveling along an invisible cord in her belly that ended between her thighs. The clean scent of his skin, a mixture of soap and man, suffused her senses, and the same wild urge she’d experienced earlier that day to press her lips to his neck seized her. She suppressed it, afraid that such a bold action would frighten him away.
He slipped his arms from around her and sat slowly back. The movement created a terrible sense of space between them.
Megan was afraid he would get up and leave, but several seconds passed and he didn’t move. In the shadowy darkness, she noticed that his bare chest rose and fell in a ragged pattern. Though she could see the outline of his face, the high cheekbones and strong jaw, the flat bridge of his nose, she couldn’t see into his eyes.
“Are you all right, Megan?” Concern weighed down his gentle voice, although she did not miss the slight huskiness that now infused it. He reached for a tissue from the box on her nightstand and handed it to her.
She nodded, accepting the tissue, wishing he still held her in his arms, but afraid to ask him to hold her again. “I’m better, thank you.” She wiped her cheeks and blew her nose. “I dream of Lao ye every night. It’s like I’ve completely forgotten he’s gone, and when I reach for him, he disappears.” Fresh tears slipped out onto her cheeks. “That moment always hurts so much.”
He nodded. “I know.”
She sniffled and wiped her nose again, feeling suddenly sheepish. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
“I’m not.”
His words intensified her sensual awareness of how he had felt in her arms. She wondered if he had experienced the same thing or if he had simply been comforting her. Either way, to awaken from one of her dreams and find him pulling her into his arms to soothe her had been the sweetest thing to happen to her in so long. Since Grandfather died she’d felt mostly sad, even with the solace of Danny’s friendship. She didn’t want Jie to leave and go back to his room, but wasn’t sure if she should tell him how she felt.
“I don’t want to keep you up if you’re tired,” she said softly.
She sensed his hesitation, as if words hovered on his lips, but he didn’t speak. The sound of his breathing, steady but ragged, filled the silence. To her surprise, he reached for her hand, squeezing it between both of his. One of his fingertips brushed back and forth on her skin the way he had done in the store, a warm, feather-light touch that caused her entire body to hum pleasantly.
She looked at him, unable to see his expression in the darkness, in spite of the silvery moonlight stealing between the blinds, outlining his muscular shoulders and the powerful V shape of his torso. “Is something wrong, Jie? Did I do something wrong?”
To her relief, he shook his head. “No. You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s been so long since I’ve spoken with someone ... with a woman ... the words don’t come easily.”
Her breath caught softly. She didn’t expect the stab of jealousy that sliced into her at the mention of the word woman. She realized she didn’t know anything about him except that he was a doctor and had traveled from China looking for Grandfather. Strange that she instinctively trusted him deep inside, although now she wanted very much to know who the woman was. Hopefully someone of the distant past. “You can say anything to me.”
“I have so much to tell you, but I ... don’t want to frighten you.”
Her heart began to race. What in the world could he possibly have to tell her? “I don’t feel frightened,” she said in a near-whisper. “I feel safe with you, actually. Very safe.”
He bowed his head. “I’m honored you feel that way.” He looked back up and leaned slightly in to her. “Because I’m ... falling in love with you.”
Falling in love with you.
She let out a small gasp. The statement, made in a warm yet matter-of-fact way, hung in the air. Those were the last words she’d expected him to say. Her heart fluttered, the sensation growing stronger as the words sank more deeply into her consciousness. She remembered watching him sip his tea that morning and how taken she’d been with his gentle mannerisms that so offset his rugged, muscular physique and appearance. Something in her had wished ... no ... ached ... for him to be taken with her too.
“Jie,” she said softly, “it’s mutual.” The confession slipped from her, borne on the rising tide of elation inside her. She fell silent, suddenly awkward. Jie seemed so reserved. He was from the Old World, so to speak. Maybe a woman speaking boldly would turn him away. “I hope that doesn’t bother you.”
To her surprise, he chuckled softly. He raised her hand to his cheek, pressing it to his skin. “Why would that bother me?”
The feel of his cheek under her hand caused her breath to hitch. The warmth traveled in a tingling ball of heat down her arm and into the rest of her body. Her already tightening nipples tingled even more and her breathing deepened. She wanted him to kiss her so badly, the desire made her ache. “Because ... I don’t know. I was afraid I’d make you go away.”
Jie closed his eyes and pressed her hand more snugly to his cheek. If only she knew. Knew that he’d traveled to the other side of the earth in search of her. She believed it was Chen he’d sought. She was wrong. If she knew, she wouldn’t be so worried, perhaps, about such a thing.
He was collecting himself, gathering his control so that when he kissed her, he wouldn’t lose his mind and ravage her, desperate to satisfy the gnawing hunger that her mere scent roused in him. Her hair was still slightly damp from her shower earlier and the silky feel of it and clean scent filled him. He knew that his erection tented the silky material of his pants and was grateful for the darkness that covered it, lest she think that all he wanted from her was to sink his dragon into her cinnabar cave and be done with her.
Besides, she also wouldn’t worry if she knew of his own terror of repulsing her with the truth. He was a lang ren, a wild creature, something he saw as base and vile. He couldn’t imagine her accepting that part of him, no matter how sweet and kind she was. He could only hope that the same stars that had pronounced her as his mate would also predict her unconditional surrender to him.
He lifted her hand from his cheek and dared to press his lips into the soft flesh of her palm. He heard her small intake of breath at the contact of her hand with his lips. The increasingly ragged sound of her breath filled the air around them. Her female scent pervaded the air as well, conveying to him the effect he was having on her. Her own lo
nging and need carried on the sound of her breath and in the gush of pheromones from her skin.
He parted his lips slightly and brushed the tip of his tongue on her skin. The taste of it was salty-sweet. He moved closer to her wrist, touching the tip of his tongue to the tiny pulse.
She let out the tiniest of moans.
The sound ripped through him, reverberating along every nerve ending in his skin.
“Jie,” she whispered.
Her skin was softer than any other skin he’d experienced. And the scent of it was more potent than an entire field of wildflowers. Thought and reason began to melt swiftly away, and he moved his kisses up her arm, his lips slightly parted so he could taste every inch. He reached the inner crease of her elbow and stopped, brushing his lips in a heated motion over the baby-soft skin there.
Her breathing had gone quite ragged and crashed in his ears, while her musky scent, the raw scent of her sex, permeated the air. He continued up her arm, feeling her upper body fall gently backward against the pillows. He moved with her, nibbling tenderly on the supple skin of her inner arm, tracing the firmness of her bicep with his seeking lips.
He felt her hand curl gently into his hair, smoothing over the back of his head, cupping the column of his neck.
That was it. He couldn’t hold back any longer. He pressed his lips onto her bare shoulder, lingering there for several moments, his hands resting on her forearms. He leaned forward, slipping his arms around her, his hands splayed on her back. Only a very thin material separated his hands from her skin. Her full breasts, the nipples hardened, formed small peaks against the soft material.
She returned his embrace. The hand that had rested on his neck, now slid lower, pressing into his back.
The embrace brought her close, close enough that her breath pulsed warmly on his lips. He hesitated for one moment, gathering his control again. In spite of his raging need, he wanted to pleasure her, bring her body to the height of enjoyment before he took for himself.
TOL2 Kiss of the Werewolf Page 5
