Bride of the Moso Prince (40 page)

             
“Thank you,” He put down the pictures at last, and held her close, “You could’ve mailed them rather than delivered them in person.”

             
“I,” she trembled in his arms, “I didn’t want them to get lost.”

             
“Very good reason.” He said in his husky voice and looked into her eyes intently.

             
She watched his lips as they descended on hers slowly, anticipating the softness and the heat that she had remembered.

             
She struggled out of his arms.
“Shouldn’t you be in the wedding?”

             
“Oh, so you know,” he was surprised by the question. “I was about to go. Urcher took my boat earlier and he was supposed to come
back to
pick me up.”

             
“I took the boat.”

             
“I know. I saw you coming up.” He paused and asked softly, “How do you like its new name?”

             
The tone of his voice and the smile in his eyes made her weak. She trembled and whispered, “I like it very much, but…”

             
He didn’t let her finish her sentence, but pulled her towards him and dived into her mouth before she had time to think. She groaned. His tongue felt good. And how she had missed it! Let it be the last kiss between us. She thought and let her tongue roam madly in his mouth, sear
ch
ing greedily for the taste that she had missed so much. Their heart beats echoed each other through layers of fabrics.

             
“I’ve missed you!” Nobul whispered at her ear and pinned her against the wall.

             
“So did I.” Sharon held him tightly as he kissed her earlobes and her neck. It felt as if she had not left, as if she had been holding him like this since...a week ago.  And she would never want to let go of him, ever…But
when his tongue moved down to her neck
she broke down.

             
“How could you?” she cried.

             
“What’s wrong?” He looked surprised and worried.

             
“You’re going to marry Namu and yet you’re making me feel…” She couldn’t continue but buried her head in his broad chest and cried.

             
Nobul grinned. He had felt that her expression was somewhat strange the moment he saw her. But he had thought that it was because she was being nostalgic.

             
“There,” he lifted her face and kissed her tears. “I’m not marrying Namu.”

             
“What?” she paused, “you can’t change your
mind just like that. A marriage
is a serious thing.”

             
“I know.” He said, still smiling, “that’s why I’m still waiting for the right person to marry me.”

             
Sharon trembled at that hint and shook her head in disbelief. “But you’re her cousin. The driver told me Namu was marrying her cousin.”

             
“Yes. But Namu has more than one cousin.”

             
“She’s marrying…Urcher?”

             
“No! She’s marrying Derji, whose grandmother was
Naruma
’s sister.”

             
“Oh!” Sharon couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “but she liked you…”

             
“Well I made it clear to her that I wouldn’t marry her. So she decided to marry Derji to fulfill
Naruma
’s wish. Derji has been after her for many years. He is a nice lad. A
few
years younger than Namu, perhaps will make a better lover than I can.”

             
“I’m afraid I’ll disagree.” Sharon said and reached up to kiss him.

             
“So what’s the real purpose of you coming back?” He pulled himself away from that sizzling mouth of hers, and asked.

             
“To be your curator.”

             
“No kidding?”

             
“No. I’ve put a closure to my life in LA. I’ve brought two huge suitcases with me. I plan to live here for a long time.”

             
“What made you so sure that I’d hire you?”

             
“You proposed it.”

             
“I could’ve changed my mind.”

             
“You aren’t entitled to it. Changing mind is women’s privilege.”

             
“I don’t know about that. I can change my mind if I want to.”

             
“You aren’t capable of that.”

             
“I’ll show you what I am capable of.” He swept her off her feet and carried her out of the exhibition room.

             
***************

R
ays of the setting sun filled the Empress’ bedroom. There was an orange tinge on the canopy, and a glow on Nobul’s arm that was cradling Sharon. She bit lightly into it and made him groan. “Ouch! What’s that for?”

“To see whether I’m dreaming.”

“Yes you’re,” Nobul gave her a quick nibble on the lip, “you’ve dreamed of the whole love-making scene, only that it was to a real person.”

Sharon giggled, “Actually, it was to wake you up. It’s

getting late and we have to
go to Namu’s wedding.”

“I know,” Nobul mu
rmured at her ear, “but I don’t

want to move away from you.”

“Come on, we’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Sharon sat up and tried to pull him up too.

But he pulled her back on top of him and whispered to her ears, “There is something I must tell you first.”

             
The tenderness of his voice melted her again. “What is it?”

“I love you, Snow.”

             
“I know.” She nodded and said with tears in her eyes, “And I love you too, Prince.”

             
“You do?” Overjoyed, he asked her quickly, “So you’re willing to be the new empress of the island?”

             
Sharon hesitated for a moment and said, “No.” After enjoying the surprise and disappointment on Nobul’s face for a moment, she added, “your grandmother should be the only Moso Empress in history. But I’m willing to be the Princess.”

             
He grinned and claimed her lips in a burning kiss.

  
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