“I could kill them for what they did to you!”

She smiled. “At least I got to see you again. Where have you been?”

His expression sobered. “Did you mean what you said, Ji Yue? Did you mean it?”

She frowned. “What?”

“That you…” He had to clear his throat. “That you love me?”

She laughed. “Of course I did, silly. I do not let just anyone carry me across the Forbidden City. Come closer.” Then she reached up and pulled him down onto the pallet with her, maneuvering back into his arms. “I like it here.” She closed her eyes to appreciate his scent while his thumb stroked lightly across her cheek.

“We have some time before the doctor arrives. Do you want to sleep?”

“I want to watch the dawn with you,” she said, her eyes still closed.

He didn’t respond for a long time. He was quiet while she listened to the rapid beat of his heart.

“What would you give up, Ji Yue? What would you give to be with me like this always?”

“Everything,” she said, burrowing her fingers under his shirt. She wanted to touch his naked chest.

“Would you leave the Forbidden City? Would you give up being empress?”

“We could live in a house near Canton. Our sons would play in the garden while we watch the ships come and go.” She smiled at the lovely dream. “I would bear you many strong sons.”

He lifted her chin and took her mouth in a fierce kiss. It was bold and powerful. The way his tongue swept through her sent tingles down her spine. And when he lifted his head, she smiled again.

“You would kiss me just like that every day.”

“Every day and every night,” he swore. His eyes looked fierce, his expression possessive. She liked the way he looked at her.

“Touch me, Sun Bo Tao. Touch me everywhere.”

He hesitated, his hand stilling against her cheek. “You are not yourself, Ji Yue. They gave you opium.”

She wanted to grab his face, she wanted to kiss him deeply. Instead, she brought his hand to her mouth. She held it to her lips and stroked her tongue across his palm.

“Ji Yue-”

Then she sucked one of his fingers deep into her mouth and heard him groan. She pulled his hand away and slid it down her body, forcing him to stroke her breast, her belly and her hip. And then she spread her legs as much as possible in her tight skirt and pressed his hand to her inner thigh. “I know my heart, Bo Tao.” How she loved saying his name. “I love you. I want to be yours.”

He kissed her then. She let her head fall back from his shoulder into the cradle of his arm. She let him thrust his tongue into her mouth while her breath quickened and her body trembled. And when his lips went from her mouth to her cheek then down her neck, she knew where he was going. She knew what he would do and she smiled.

“Yes, oh, yes.”

He unbuttoned her blouse and pushed the sides away. He feasted on her breasts while lights danced behind her eyes and filtered into her blood. His beard brushed against her skin, and the lights trembled beneath her skin. He sucked on her nipple and her whole body shimmered.

She ran her hands through his hair, but it was held tight by his queue. Rising up onto her knees, she faced him, her legs spread wide. Then she reached around to unbind his hair. She wanted it undone, and yet she loved the silky feel of the long braid in her hand.

He turned his head, then tugged off the cord that bound his braid. “I will cut this from my head for you.”

She laughed in delight at the ridiculous thought. The long braid was every man’s sign of devotion to the Manchu emperor. It was mandated by law. Only the monks were allowed to shave their heads, and even they were held in suspicion because of it. She burrowed her fingers into his hair, spreading it wide as she went. “I like your hair.”

He touched hers equally reverently. “I like yours, too.”

She giggled. “Kiss me again.”

He did. He plundered her mouth. Over and over he thrust his tongue into her, and the feel of it sent her wild with hunger. Her skirt was restricting her legs, so she lifted it up. She wanted his hands on her there, needed his mouth to do what they had done before in his office.

She reached for his member and found it quickly and easily. She stroked his thick, full length and knew that this was right. This was what a man felt like. He groaned in hunger at her caress and she thrilled at the dark vibration that traveled from his body into hers.

“Never has a woman done this to me,” he said against her neck. His breath was hot as he shifted his hips. Her arms were between them, and she held his wet tip, rolling the moisture around and around with her thumb. But her other arm was free, and she let it flow around his hips and trim buttocks. What muscles he had! She squeezed playfully, laughing when his flesh barely moved.

He was looking at her, his expression fierce. She smiled at him, feeling her love swell for this serious, serious man. “I love how you feel,” she said. Then she sobered. “I love how you look at me. No one has ever looked at me like that.” How she wanted him. How she wanted to feel what other women felt, to just once have him where she most wanted.

“I want to marry you, Ji Yue. I want you to choose me.”

“I do. I choose you.” She rose up to kiss him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and plundered him as he had her. They were belly to belly, but she felt him between her legs. She knew where his organ was and…she sat. It wasn’t a conscious decision so much as a need that compelled her. One moment she was above him, using her arms to support her weight as she kissed him deeply, completely and as fully as she knew how. The next moment she simply let her legs go weak. She dropped down, and he filled her in one beautiful, expansive, amazing moment.

He gasped, his eyes shooting wide. But the sound was just as quickly followed by a moan of both hunger and fear. “Ji Yue-”

She didn’t want him to speak. She didn’t want him to ruin this most wonderful moment. So she silenced him with another kiss, another exploratory, teasing, fabulous kiss. And as she did, she rose up on her knees just enough to feel him slide nearly out. She gave him a wicked, teasing smile and slid back down.

She saw him swallow and felt his arms tremble. “I love you,” he said fiercely. “You are mine.” The next time she rose up, he helped her. And then as she came back down, he matched her movement with a thrust.

He was inside her, thick and large. His face had gone rapturous and she thought how beautiful he looked. Then they began to move together. She controlled the ebb and flow of their movements. Though he helped, she decided what she wanted. When to lift, when to lower, how fast, how slow. And she found more joy in making his eyes flutter, causing him to groan or gasp, than she did in the feel of him hot and hard inside her.

Until she wanted more. Smooth slide. Hard pressure. He filled her again and her back arched in pleasure. But it was not enough.

He withdrew again, and this time she squeezed because he seemed to like it. Her hands tightened on his shoulders, and her knees gripped his hips. He thrust harder into her, and she laughed because it felt so right. She’d tilted her pelvis down to meet his movement, to feel the slam exactly where it was best. And when he rolled his hips against her, her breath caught on a gasp.

Their eyes locked together. She’d had no idea that this was possible. This wonderful tension-she’d felt it before. This build to ecstasy-she’d experienced it with him before. But the way their eyes locked, the total oneness with him-that was new. That was incredible.

They breathed together. They gasped together. And they built that quivering tension with perfect unity. He thrust and she soared. He withdrew and she shivered. Higher and higher. Until they touched…

Heaven!