“To move like a shadow.”
“You are already nimble on your feet. As evidenced by your flawless dancing.”
She gave him a mischievous smile. “As your shifu of dance, I must compliment you on being a quick study. I was not surprised, however. I knew you would be my favorite partner.”
He raised her hand, brushing his lips across the back. The caress quickened her blood, her nipples tightening beneath her bodice.
His gaze was penetrating. “Only in dancing?”
She breathed, “In everything.”
The next instant, she was in his arms, their mouths melded in a fiery kiss. She tasted his need and let him taste hers. The dancing and days apart fueled their passion, turning their embrace frantic. They stumbled into one of the secluded nooks, mouths fused, starved for each other. He backed her into a wall, the glass cool against her bare shoulders.
“How did you manage to get away unnoticed?” he murmured.
“The Angels are distracting my parents.” Winding her arms around his neck, she peppered his jaw with kisses, inhaling his clean musk. Relishing the luxury of being close to him. “It seems like ages since we have been together like this.”
“I know. I’ve missed you like the devil.”
He took her mouth again. This kiss was long, thorough, drugging. The pressure of his lips and firm plunges of his tongue spun her senses. Her knees wobbled, but he leaned into her, a bulging wall of muscle trapping her against the glass, and the kiss burst into flame. Heat washed over her skin, her nipples chafing against her bodice, her pussy damp and fluttering. She gripped his shoulders, squirming and wanting him with every fiber of her being.
Suddenly, he broke the kiss, whispering, “Footsteps.”
She froze, hearing the smack of soles against the tiled floor of the conservatory. Voices followed, and she couldn’t hear what they were saying over her banging heart.
If we’re discovered, the scandal will ruin everything. Papa’s bill and my family’s reputation. It will all be my fault.
Only when the footsteps retreated did she breathe again.
“That was too close,” she said shakily.
“I know.” Wei’s gaze was unreadable. “We cannot continue sneaking around like this.”
His words elicited a different kind of panic.
“What do you mean?” she blurted. “Are you tired of waiting for me? Am I not worth the trouble—”
“You are worth everything.” Wei’s steadfast reply calmed her racing pulse. “You are a rare jewel, Glory, and men could not keep their eyes off you tonight…Winslow especially.” A pause. “I wanted to tear him limb from limb for touching you during the dance.”
The growl that entered Wei’s voice, as well as his admission, surprised her.
She furrowed her brow. “You were jealous?”
The emotion seemed so at odds with her self-controlled shifu.
“You are mine, Glory.” His fierce expression told her he meant it. “Yet in the eyes of the world, I have no claim on you. I am tired of the secrecy that turns our love into something sordid. I want to walk through life with you, side by side, our heads held high.”
“I want that too,” she said tremulously.
He reached into his pocket, taking out a silk pouch and handing it to her. With trembling fingers, she removed the object inside. Her breath clogged as she beheld the delicate jade bracelet. In the moonlight, it seemed to glow from the inside, a halo of swirling translucence.
“This is for me?” she whispered. “It is so beautiful.”
“The bracelet belonged to my mama, her favorite piece of jewelry. It was given to her by her mother-in-law on her wedding day, and she intended to give it to my future wife.”
Glory’s breath lodged in her throat.
“I want you to have it. To take it as a symbol of our engagement. A token of my promise to you and yours to me.” Wei’s eyes were intent, lines of concentration pulled between his brows. “I know we agreed to keep our relationship a secret until after your father’s campaign, but I want us to set a date when I can speak to him. I need to know how much longer I must wait.”
