Bride of the Moso Prince (16 page)

They
were back
to the center of the lake
before long.
Sharon glanced at the gorgeous man in front of her and her heart turned to a restless rabbit. What she had learned about him in the last hours was almost overwhelming. He wasn’t just a good looking, sexy mountain millionaire, he was endowed with artistic talents and ethnic pride. In the cabin, Nobul’s lifted his chin. His eyes met hers and she blushed.

             
Nobul had set the boat to a moderate speed and came sitting next to her on the bench. Slipping his arm in the space between her shoulder and the back of the bench.

What gave him the permission to do that? She was irritated at first but she didn’t want to move. It was quite comfortable sitting that way, with his arm supporting her neck. Not that those tough muscles made a good cushion, not at all, but, but the closeness of him…the scent of him…It muddled her mind, it confused her. Unknowingly she leant her head against his shoulder, and as soon as she did that, he tightened his grasped, stroked her hair and stamped a kiss on her head. Ah, the way he did it! Sharon thought resentfully, so possessive, as if he was fiddling with a piece of wood carving and
stamping a signature on it. The
only reason that she was allowing all these, she said to herself, was that she was still jet-lagging.

             
Nobul smiled at the reluctantly compliant creature next to him. He had sensed her stiffness when he touched her, and he had wondered whether he should be more reserved. On one hand, he didn’t
want
her to think
of
him as a playboy. But on the other hand, he didn’t have much time. She might stay for a few days and he couldn’t afford to wait. Besides, he could hardly resist touching her. She was simply too beautiful to be just to look at and her hair, oh, that silky hair that brushed his arms so innocently and yet so alluringly… He would rather risk her being mad at him, then letting such a chance slip!

Stroking her hair, he leant closer to her and inhaled her jasmine scent.

             
“You smell good. Is that your perfume?” He murmured.

             
“No it’s just my lotion.” Sharon whispered in a trembling voice.

             
His cell phone rang again.

             
“Yes, Zhaxi-Nobul here. Hi, Peter, how are you?”

             
Peter Zheng was an investor from HongKong and a potential client, who was building a hotel in the neighboring tourist city Lijiang.

             
“Listen, Nobul,” Peter said on the other end of the line, “I’m in Lijiang right now. Can we meet over the next two days to discuss the plan of the hotel? Your assistant told us that you were in the middle of a project, but since I’m here now… ”

             
“I am not only in the middle of a project but also entertaining some important guests. But my brother is just as competent. He will be glad to meet with you.”

             
“Actually, my partner Mr. Guo from Sidney wants to see you since it is your name that attracts him.  Your brother is great, but he isn’t world renown as you’re, is he?”

             
“In that case,” Nobul relented, “let me think about it.”

             
“Let me know within the next two hours. We’re here for only two days. And we have lots of candidates to be considered. We would like to come up with a selection by the end of the day.”

             
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” Nobul’s jaw hardened, he didn’t like the tone of Zheng.
             
“And let me remind you that we are the experts in the field. Zhaxi enterprise is responsible for the making of virtually all the ethnic hotels in the nation, and there is a good reason for that. But if you and your partner want to provide a training ground for some rookies, go ahead.”

             
When he hung up, Sharon was looking at him with wonder. What arrogance! She had never seen anyone dealing business this way. Her father had taught her that the customers were kings and he had more or less bowed to their tenants. She herself had at least made sure she wouldn’t offend her clients with strong words, however unreasonable they were. If she were Peter, she would pick another contractor right away…wouldn’t she?

             
“Are you all right? You looked shocked.” Nobul asked
attentively
. His business attitude had vanished without a trace.

             
“Ah, nothing.” She tore her
glance from that handsome face.

             
If only he was rid of his conceited self, then he would be an ideal mate. Mate? She gasped at the thought. What was she thinking?

In the afternoon a tourist bus pulled into the courtyard as Sharon was chatting with Charlene on the balcony. “Damn, there they are.
No
peace tonight.” Charlene mumbled.

In an instant Sharon heard the screams of children and shouts of adults as the door of the bus opened and people poured out, along with suitcases and backpacks. A young woman in a gauzy top and tight jeans spoke through a speakerphone. “Everyone, please line up here and wait for your room keys.”

About the same time a man in a bright orange Manchurian gown and a wide brim hat appeared on a motorcycle. It was none other than Nobul. Even from the third floor he looked breath-taking and Sharon couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“Look how handsome he is in that Moso costume.” Charlene blinked at her sister.

“He looks like a clown.” She said grudgingly, which was a lie. He looked magnificent as a king, a chief, or a lord of some sort.

“Ah, Prince!” the tourist guide greeted him loudly, “Looking handsomer each time I see you.”

“So are you, Princess.”

They hug as the guide said, “Oh how I missed you!”

Sharon was not pleased to see that. “What a flirt.” She murmured, but couldn’t move her eyes away from him.

“All the travel guides are like that.” Charlene answered.

“I don’t mean her.”

“Oh,” Charlene studied the expression of her sister and smiled, “he’s doing it for the business.”

Sharon wasn’t convinced. At the same time Nobul had detected their presence. He looked up and flashed a smile at them. Sharon’s legs felt weak. That smile had easily killed her confidence. She escaped into her room.

To avoid the tourists, Sharon and Charlene had dinner in Charlene’s room. Ji fish, Moso bacon, etc. Even with the door closed they could still hear the clamor from the courtyard. Namu and another helping hand were singing in the dining room.

“There will be a bonfire dance tonight.
The Moso will perform their traditional dance and the tourists can dance the modern ballroom dance.
” Charlene informed her.

“How nice.
Can we go
?”

“Of course. I always go.”

“You do? Do you go interview or dance?”

“At first I went for interviews.
Then I learned how to dance and liked it. I’m as good as the locals now. And when I’m dancing in a costume, I can pass for a Moso!” Charlene said smugly.

Sharon raised her eyebrows. “Really? Then I must go see you.”

“No problem. You’ll be surprised!”

But Sharon suddenly stopped smiling.  “No you can’t go.”

“Why not?”

“What if you got dizzy when you danced?”

Charlene
was disappointed
, “OK I promise I won’t move my head.”

Sharon stifled a laugh, “You’ll look like a
puppet.”

“Sharon please!” Charlene protested, “Stop worrying. Even if I got dizzy, it would last for just a second. Besides, if I fainted in the arms of a handsome guy, it would be awfully romantic.”

Sharon shook her head. “If you fainted at someone’s feet it would be a disaster. Anyway, you can’t go. I won’t go either. I’ll stay with you.”

“
No way!” Charlene cried, “I won’t go, b
ut you definitely
must
go, Sharon.”

Sharon shook her head. “Dance is not my thing.”

“It doesn’t have to be. It’ll be fun… come on, Sis, at least go take a look.”

Sharon yielded to her sister’s persuasion. She knew that Charlene wanted her to enjoy her stay here.

“I’ll be dancing in my jeans though.” She said with her last hope to change her fate.

“No you won’t. You will be wearing a Moso costume. Sadama would lend you one. She has plenty.”

Sharon took the tray of bowls and plates down to the kitchen and washed them slowly. She could hear the voice of Nobul speaking next door. She strained her ears to make sense of the words. She had been separated from him for only a few hours since the boat ride but already she
missed him
. Silly! She chided herself and put the plate into the dish sterilizing machine. When she turned to leave a shadow came and filled the door frame temporarily. Nobul ducked his head slightly and entered the kitchen. He was magnificent in that orange Mongolian gown. The man is gorgeous. Sharon couldn’t help but let the fact convince her. And how many faces did this man have? First a cowboy, then a millionaire artist, and now a…mountain prince.

“Why aren’t you entertaining the guests, Prince?” Sharon managed to tease him.

He caught her wrist, “stop calling me that!”

“Sure, Prince!” While attempting to break free of her wrist, she looked up at him and was dazed by his glo
wing cheeks and his beaming eyes
.
For a moment she gazed at him without a moment, aware of her quicken breathing.

He pulled her to him and put his lips on hers.
Nearly melting,
Sharon could
still
feel shadows moving across the courtyard. No, not here, not now! She clamped her lips and struggled. He gave up on her lips but moved to her earlobe, sucking it with his lips first and then nipping it as gently as he could. She moaned finally and gave up struggling as he whispered to her,

“You see, my teeth are good at nibbling.”

Sharon parted her lips and waited hungrily for his that was slowly advancing, taking a detour from her cheek, her neck, and her chin. When finally they came back to her lips they heard the giggle of a child.

Sharon jerked away from Nobul. Binma was standing by the door.

“Uncle,” the child said, “mother told me to get you. Guest makes trouble.”

They went quickly to the dining room. Standing next to the tour guide in flimsy top, Sadama and Namu were speaking to a man
who
was sitting by the hearth on the cot, drying his shoes above the fire.

“Please put down the shoes, it’s a taboo!” Sadama pleaded.

“I won’t. The taboo doesn’t make sense to me,” the man’s cheeks flushed, apparently he was drunk.

The tour guide explained quickly, “It’s disrespectful to
their
ancestors.”

“What?
Their
ancestors live in the hearth?” The man laughed as he stared into the fire, “I don’t see no ancestor here.”

His wife sitting next to him pleaded, “Please,
Rong
, put down the shoes. It’s their custom!”

“It’s superstition,
and only ignorant person will be believe something like that.
I refuse to obey it!” To make his point, the man swung his shoes above the fire.

Sharon was infuriated by the insolent
act
. She went up to him and said, “You’re the one that is ignorant. And you don’t deserve to be sitting here
at the
gues
t
seat
.”

The man with his head
tilted
to one side,
squinted
at Sharon from head to toe
, and said, “Who the hell are you?
And why is it your business?
Save your energy
to walk marry
.
”

Sharon was shocked to hear that. She wa
s
about to throw her fist at the man
when she felt the hand of Nobul on her arm
.

“Put down the shoes!” His voice was solemn and threatening.

“What?” The man looked amused, “Is this the way to speak to your customer? You’ve got a lot to learn. P-Prince!”

Nobul stood in front of the man. “I repeat: put down the shoes and get off the cot.”

“No I won’t. What are you going to do about it?” The man said contemptuously.

With a speed of lightening, Nobul snatched
one shoe from the men’s hand
and dashed out of the room.

“Hey!
Come back!
” The man shouted and jumped to the floor.
Holding the remaining shoe, he stood
barefoot
,
didn’t know what to do. Then he shouted at his wife, “Why are you sitting? Go get my shoe!”