“With your back to my front. I cannot take your virginity from there. You know the basics. You know it is not possible.”
She frowned, trying to see what he suggested. She supposed it looked sturdy enough. “But there is not room for me to…” She bit her lip, unwilling to finish her sentence.
He arched his brows as her words trailed away. “Angel, I must know what you are thinking. I cannot teach you without knowing what you do not understand.”
She grimaced, seeing his logic but hating to voice the words. Nevertheless, she forced them out. “I will not be able to kiss you. How will I stroke your dragon—”
He smiled, his teeth glittering in the moonlight. “You will not touch my dragon except with your back. I will not release myseed tonight. But you, you must feel everything. You will give up your chi to me. If you want to catch an emperor, that is.”
His words rang with challenge, but she didn’t understand it. Of course she wanted to catch the emperor. Hadn’t she said so? And how was her chi involved? He made no sense.
“Come now,” he said. “Where is the Ling Xin who was bold enough to squeeze me so perfectly?”
“I am right here,” she snapped. “But this is—”
“Dangerous? Every part of this play is.”
She knew that. To rest there between his thighs, to allow him to surround her like that…
It shamed her to think how much she wanted that. How desperately she tingled at the thought. But…
“I will be vulnerable,” she finally said. “To whatever you want to do. I do not know you well enough for that.”
He nodded as if that made sense, but he had a logical response. “You will be no more vulnerable than I was last night. Besides, you can protect yourself well enough. I will show you how.”
He maneuvered around her, shifting on the wall to climb into the branches. And as he moved, she smelled his scent, heard his breath, and even felt the ripple of his muscles as he adjusted around her.
She shifted away quickly. She had to, or she’d have fallen off the stone wall. But the more time he took maneuvering, the more she allowed herself to “accidentally” feel him, “inadvertently” push against him, and of course, “ignorantly” linger close.
She was a fool. She knew it. She felt the lure of him every second she was in his presence. She felt the burn of desire and knew her judgement was suspect. But she could not stop herself. She wanted to experience what he was offering.
“See?” he said as he finally settled. “If you slam your head back against my chest, I will fall back. This is safe for some things, but not if you object.” He glanced down into his courtyard. “It will be a bad fall for me if you fight.”
She saw what he meant. His legs were braced, one on a branch, one hanging over the side. If she was between his thighs, a hard shove backwards could push him over. Indeed, a well-placed elbow might even do it.
“You are safe,” he said.
Not exactly. She quickly saw why he was suggesting this position. If she sat between his thighs, he would be able to touch all of her. His hands could move freely over her body. And she would not be able to do anything but lean back and experience whatever he wanted her to feel.
“Where will I set my hands?”
“Wherever you like. But perhaps hold on here.” He rustled a nearby branch, one that was sturdy enough to steady her. It might even be strong enough for her to swing into her garden if he did something she didn’t like.
Oh, how tempted she was!
They looked at one another as she struggled with indecision. He didn’t force her. Indeed, he said nothing. He simply sat with his arms spread, waiting for her to decide.
“What will you do?” she finally asked.
“I will kiss your neck,” he said. “And I will stroke your breasts.”
At his words, she felt her skin prickle as if he were already doing as he said.
“And then…” His voice trailed away.
“What?”
“I will raise your skirt and use my fingers, pretending it is my dragon.”