She glanced sideways at him, trying to appear calm. “Just a little,” she admitted. “It’ll make it hard to get back up on the wall again.”
Before she had a chance to think, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Stay quiet.” Then he swept her legs out from under her and held her braced against his chest.
She gasped, then looked deeply into his eyes. They seemed to reflect the moonlight, dark and mystical. Except for that mocking curve to his lips.
Was he laughing at her?
Yes, of course he was.
He took quick, silent steps to a wooden bench set nearby and set her down carefully. The whole thing lasted a few seconds, but every moment was burned into her mind. He was naked from the waist up, so she had settled against his chest. She’d felt his muscles press against her body, she’d smelled his scent, and she’d been surrounded by his heat. And all the while, her blood had thrummed in her ears…and pooled low in her belly.
Sweet heaven, this was wrong! She was destined for the Forbidden City! And yet, she couldn’t stop herself from holding his scent in her lungs. She let her hand linger on his arm as he gently pulled back. Her cheeks were burning, but her eyes traced the expanse of his chest as he slowly crouched down in front of her. Her gaze travelled up his corded neck to the hard jut of his jaw, until she finally met him eye to eye.
She couldn’t believe she was staring this long at a nearly naked man, and yet she couldn’t help herself. She supposed she should avert her eyes, but again, she couldn’t. And now, all she could do was sit there, still, staring at him while she wished for something she couldn’t name.
“Where does it hurt?” he asked.
“What?”
“Your feet. Or is the pain higher?” He gently touched her right ankle.
Shivers went down her spine at his throaty words.
“Not there,” she said as she gently pulled her right foot back. It was her left toes that ached. “It’s my other foot,” she said, but when he reached out to touch her, she stopped him. “Wait.” She shook her head. “It’s nothing.” Then she looked back up at the wall. “I need to get home.”
His gaze softened. “We have been speaking for nearly a week now. Surely you can wait a moment longer here. To see if your foot recovers.”
She looked around, seeing Master Gao’s garden from a new angle. “I have never been outside of my home before. Not alone.”
“You’re not alone. I’m here.”
And that made it worse. And yet, she was loathe to leave.
“How did you learn to do that? To fight like that?”
He smiled. “It is something the monks do. It helps me relax sometimes so I can sleep.”
“Which monks?” China had a huge variety of temples.
“Shaolin monks from the southern temple in Henan.”
“You are a monk?” She couldn’t believe it. Monks had bald heads and did not take the imperial exam.
He chuckled as he shook his head. “All us boys would peek over the walls. We wanted to see, just like you did. And we practiced, even though we were not taught.”
She smiled. “You are too good to be untutored.”
He grinned, his teeth shining white in the moonlight. “Some of us were taught. Not officially, but some of us managed to barter for lessons.”
“Some of us, meaning you?”
“And a few of my friends.” His face took on a distant look. “We were young, and the monk was kind. We were boys runningaround with too much energy. He gave us lessons. We gave him food from our kitchens.”
There was information in his tale. He and his friends had kitchens, which meant they were wealthy enough to have extra food. They were boys running around without work, which meant they were supposed to be studying. So it made sense that he’d be Master Gao’s newest student.
“And so you are here now, burning off energy when you should be studying.”
“And you were watching me when a chaste girl should be abed.”
