Bride of the Moso Prince (26 page)

             
In spite of Sharon’s protests, after lunch Nobul carried her back to the bedroom and ordered her to nap. Sharon tried, but napping was never her habit. She got up after ten minutes and was going to work on her project when she saw the suitcase. Remembering that she was still wearing Nobul’s T-shirt and pants, she opened the suitcase, hoping to find some casual clothes to put on. But all she saw were dresses that she had sent to Charlene. “Silly girl,” she mumbled, “you think your sister’s on a date? If only you know what really happened…” She stopped, how was she going to explain the incident to Charlene? That she and Nobul had a
mis
understanding and she jumped into the water to run away? It would sound preposterous and suspicious. Charlene would think that there was something going on between the two of them. It would be misleading…She had to
think of
a different story.

             
Picking a dress to wear had always been challenging, especially without anyone’s help. That was why in recent years she had developed a habit of wearing jeans. But she used to like wearing dresses. She had spent a fortune on these dresses years ago, when she was still in her early twenties, still expecting piously for some miracle romance.  She laughed at her naive younger self as she was fumbling in the suitcase. She tried on a silky black one that was too formal, a lacy burgundy that was too sexy, and a couple others. Then her hand lingered on a sleeveless teal cotton dress with patterns of amoeba. It had a mocked Mandarin collar and a V slit that opened to the middle front. The skirt was A-line and knee length. It was simple in style but extremely feminine. She slipped it and checked herself in the mirror. Not flaunting, nor conservative, the dress was simply becoming. Before closing the suitcase she found her bottle of jasmine perfume and smiled. That was what she really needed. Although she had been bathed, she still fancied that she smelt like a fish. She sprayed generously on her hair and her neck. Feeling refresh, she sank into the couch and turned on her laptop computer.

             
When she heard stomping on the stairs her heart pounded. Nobul appeared momentarily at the door. He halted at the door and was sunned by the beautiful woman he saw. It took him awhile to come up with something to say.

             
“You don’t obey doctor’s orders, do you?”

             
“Not when he isn’t a real doctor.” She looked up from the screen.

             
He came to her, and stroked her hair. “You look like Goodness herself…and you smell better!”

             
His rasping voice elicited turbulence under her skin. She forced a smile. “I thought I looked like the Empress.”

             
He laughed. “Now let me carry you downstairs. You’re too pretty a sight to be kept from me.”

             
“In that case,” Sharon requested quickly, “take me to the hot spring. Urcher said it had healing power.”

             
“Sure, you want to bathe?” His eyes flickered.

             
That was indeed what she had in mind. But suddenly she felt shy in admitting it. “Um, I’m only going to soak my legs.”

             
“OK.”

             
Nobul carried her to the hot spring. He held her to sit on a rock and soak her legs.  The water felt so good that she wished she could immerse her whole body in it.

             
“Maybe I should just bathe.” she said, “would you mind leaving me alone for a while?”

             
Nobul’s eyes twinkled at the suggestion. “No, I wouldn’t be able to resist bathing with you.”

             
Sharon trembled at the thought of that. “You had to get away first, of course.”

             
“I can’t do that.” He said huskily.

             
But a moment later he did turn away. “I’ll wait. Let me know when you’re ready. But don’t stay too long, you might get a chill.”

             
When he was out of sight Sharon took off her dress and slid into the water carefully. It felt so good. The trees formed a natural canopy…

             
She almost fell asleep when she heard Nobul’s voice. “Are you ready?”

             
“Just a moment longer.” She answered.

             
Nobul was pacing restlessly behind the pine trees. Every once in a while he heard the gentle splashing of water and it stirred him. The steam that seeped through the pines carried her intoxicating fragrance. He closed his eyes and remembered how beautiful her body was, even when it was cold and unresponsive. He imagined that in that hot spring water, her skin would be pink with heat, she would be soft and warm. He could almost feel it. Damn it, what was he doing here? He should jump in the water and feel her! He unbuttoned his shirt and then stopped…but no, he would only hurt her… she had that injury because of him…He decided to wait, wait until his sanity abandoned him.

             
“I’m ready.” He almost leapt towards the water when he heard her.

             
She was sitting gracefully on the rock in her green-blue dress, surrounded by steams rising above the water, like a water nymph.  Her hands pressed lightly onto the rock to straighten her back, and her legs dangled girlishly above water. The skins of her cheeks, her neck and her arms were glowing with vitality, just as he had imagined. Her hair was put up and twisted into a bun and her smile so feminine and sexy that he wanted her right there. It was her clumsy gesture when she put her hand in his as she was trying to stand up that reminded him of her injury and he controlled himself. He sighed, took her in his arms and headed towards the house.

Chapter 10

             
Sharon was being carried around by
Nobul
for the next two days as well and she had learned to enjoy it so much that even though she could limp a short distance without pain, she would demand the service from her valet. She let Nobul carry her up and down the stairs over trivial tasks, such as looking for her hair band.  She also enjoyed seeing the desire in his eyes when she wrapped her arms around his neck for a more comfortable position. When he put her down into her chair or into the bed, he would lean over in attempt to kiss her, but she would giggle and turn away. She wouldn’t risk for more even though she secretly craved for his lips. Thankfully, aside from harmless flirting, there was nothing more. Nobul was very much a gentleman. She knew he wanted her but he also didn’t want to hurt her and wouldn’t force her. Yet God only knew how much self-control it took to wrestle with her wanton self! Nobul slept in the couch, few feet away from her bed. For two nights she had lai
n
awaken listing to his breaths and longed for him. If he had come to her she probably wouldn’t resist…

             
Aside from these moments’ turbulence Sharon did her best to take advantage of the peaceful environment and work diligently. By the noon of the third day of her stay Sharon not only finished her project but also written out a program to double-secure the sign-in procedure for Pacific Bank’s website. She couldn’t believe her productivity. She felt that she had finished her work almost too easily, without any rewriting, and without having to bang her head against the wall as she often did in her office. After she had closed her notebook computer, Sharon stood up from the couch, stretched and gazed out of the bedroom window. The lake was a gorgeous blue satin embroidered with gold. Wouldn’t it be nice to have such a view for her office for the rest of her life?

             
Nobul had left in the morning to oversee the production in the woodcarving factory and wouldn’t’ return until dinner. He had made extra portions for breakfast so she could have the remaining for lunch. That was very thoughtful of him, she thought while eating the sausages and potatoes. Having nothing to do after lunch, she decided to go take a bath in the hot spring.

             
Feeling relaxed, Sharon inhaled deeply the moisture blended with the flavor of mineral and pine and closed her eyes. This was a life fit for gods and she wished she could live here forever…But she couldn’t. She sighed. In fact she had to leave soon. The longer she stayed the longer she wanted to stay. Her feelings for Nobul had become uncontrollable. She couldn’t deny that she enjoyed flirting with him, but her self-control wouldn’t last long, facing such a dangerously attractive male. The way he looked at her always made her forget herself… She would leave in a day or two. Tomorrow she should ask Nobul or Urcher to take her back to Shangri-la. The thought that she would leave this paradise soon saddened her. Like Charlene, she had come to love this place. But unlike Charlene she didn’t have the luxury to stay here for a year. She let out a heavy sigh and brooded. And then her optimistic nature took over and she considered herself lucky to have the chance to be here at all and to live in the Empress’ island, sleep in the same bed that the Empress herself had, even for a few nights. She smiled at the heavenly surroundings and decided to enjoy the precious moment. Unknowingly she began to hum the tune that she had learned from the dance the other night.

             
Nobul heard the tune as soon as he came up. He followed her voice to the hot spring. There she is, he thought, soaking her alabaster body. He got to the source of the steams, closer and closer, unable to stop himself. Away from her for just a couple of hours and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He got quite worried that she might stumble from the stairs, even though he knew she could walk all right. He returned earlier than he had planned.

             
She started when she saw him approaching and immediately sank lower into the water, as if the transparent water would shield the sight of her body from him.

             
He grinned. “Don’t worry, I can’t see a thing.”

             
She giggled at his mischievous lie. And then she was stunned by what he was doing next.

             
He unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and swung it onto the pine needle matted ground. The sight of his bronze muscular chest made her heart race at once. And seeing his tight six-pack accentuated by a slim waist made her mouth dry. When he unzipped his pants and a minute later, stood in nothing but a white brief, she could hardly breathe. Oh, how sexy he looked! She tried to ignore the middle part of his body and focused on his legs and thighs, that were strong but not bulky. Yet promptly her eyes traveled up to his white brief and locked on that bump thrusting beneath it. He knew what she was looking at, of course, for his hands lingered a moment on the waist band while looking at her with a testing smile. She ought to avert her eyes when he pulled it down! But she didn’t. She couldn’t! She was paralyzed as if under a spell. And his body was too gorgeous to be ignored. When he was stark naked she was so weak that she had to grasp tightly onto the rock that she was sitting on with one hand, and another hand pressing her frantically jumping heart, fearing that it would fly out of her body at any moment.

             
Nobul closed his eyes and heard his heart pounding madly. The image of her standing naked below the steaming water, with one hand between her breasts was stunningly beautiful, and erotic. He had seen her few nights before, lying naked in the tub, but it didn’t arouse him as much. Perhaps it was because she had been unconscious then. The body in front of him now was entirely different. It was simmering with vitality. He noticed the desire and curiosity in her eyes, and the pulsation of her breasts. He inhaled deeply before stepping into the water slowly, so his agitation wouldn’t betray him.

             
The degree of the water rose instantaneously the moment he entered. It was soon scorching. Sharon felt suffocated when the statue like body stood next to her. Compelled by the urge to cool herself she straightened her back all of a sudden in order to rise above the water. But the abrupt movement brought pain and she groaned as her body swayed.

             
“Are you ok?” Nobul quickly reached out to steady her.

             
“I am.” She said, grabbing his arm.

             
For a moment Nobul was speechless. The sight of her perfect, firm breasts glittering with dews right in front of him were simply too tantalizing.

             
He groaned. Bending slowly he licked the dews, drop by drop, gently, piously, as if it was ambrosia from heaven.

             
Sharon moaned and closed her eyes. The sound of her own heavy breathing was all she could hear for the next minute or two.

             
His hand traveled along her body. He stroked her belly and her thighs. She parted her thighs so he could touch her burning point. The hot spring water was soft and aphrodisiac and it made his finger extra slippery, extra potent. As her breaths quickened, he rubbed faster and faster, until she let out a long and low moan that was the most primal animal sound and her eyes narrowed, smoldered with heat and desire, and ultimately brightened with satisfaction.

             
Straddling carefully above her, he held her and kissed her. His penis was impatiently rubbing against her inner thigh…She trembled with pleasure, expecting. Then they both heard Urcher’s voice. “Nobul, where are you?”