Bride of the Moso Prince (23 page)

             
Against her expectation, the Prince didn’t say a single word to her on their way back. In fact he stayed as far from her as possible. Whether he was steering or not, he stayed in the cabin with his back towards her, without even a glance at her.  Sharon felt uncomfortable as the boat got into the center of the lake. She would prefer that he shout at her rather than torturing her with unbearable silence.

             
Nobul grasped the steering wheel tightly even though steering wasn’t necessary at all. He did that only because he did not want to put his hands on his passenger’s snowy neck and throttle her. Oh, how she had provoked him with her coquettish behavior towards that insolent beast with yellow hair! He knew she had done it deliberately. He knew she was out of character. But he couldn’t help but let himself fall under her manipulation.  This is insane. He muttered under the sound of the motor. He had never let a woman taking control over his head and body like this. The force this woman held against him was powerful. Just the thought of her sitting few feet behind and possibly observing him with her alluring almond eyes sent a jet of heat down his spine. With the irresistible desire of crushing her under him on this thin surface, he ground his teeth and forced himself not to look at her.

             
Sharon was prepared to play dumb show with him towards the end but when the boat moored into the shore of Empress Island she cried, “What are you doing? You’re supposed to take me to Shangri-la.”

             
“I changed my plan. We’re going to spend the night here.”

             
“What do you mean?
You
changed
your
plan…?”

             
“Yes. I’ve got something to figure out.” He stopped the engine and went to her.

             
“Well, you can figure it out yourself. I’m getting out of here.” She reached for the key in his hand, “Give me that. I can operate the boat.”

             
He swung his hand back first and then put the key into his pocket. “I’m not used to taking orders. Besides,” He lifted her chin with his fingers
and let her hat fall
. “You’re the matter that I want to figure out.”

             
“I don’t…” Her voice was muffled as his lips, hot and hard, pressed onto hers, bruising, sucking, probing.

             
Sharon resisted. She wiggled and squirmed, but only stirred herself more in the movement. When his hand reached the flesh of her back she moaned and her lips parted.

It was a long and consuming kiss, burning with the fuel accumulated ever since the night of the dance, composed of longing and spiced with jealousy. By the time he let go of her, she felt dizzy and was gasping for air.

             
Nobul leapt onto
a
rock on shore and reached out his hand. His smile was triumphant.

             
Sharon resented that smile. “I’m not going.”

             
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her off the boat, “Yes you’re.” 

             
She struggled, “I’m not staying here.”

             
“Why not?” he said with a sardonic smile, “Are you afraid of me?”

             
“Afraid of you? Why should I?” She lifted her chin and faced him. Meeting his deep brown eyes stirred her instantly, but she inhaled deeply to calm her agitation.

             
“Afraid that you’ll lose control of yourself,” he bent and whispered to her ear, “like you did the other night.”

             
Her breasts swelled in the memories that his hot breath had awoken.

             
“I won’t let you seduce me again.” She said as calmly as she could while breathing heavily.

             
“Oh really?” He stroked the taut point
through the thin linen, “I will show you that a Moso can make love, even though he might not understand the concept of love.”

             
She shivered in his deliberate strokes. His usual smoky scent had an extra flavor, an intense maleness that was melting her fast.

             
She wanted desperately to break free but her body wouldn’t listen. And her mouth was the only part of her that would follow her mind. “If you don’t believe in love, then you can’t call it ‘making love.’”

             
He looked wounded, but soon relaxed the knot between his dense brows, and said scornfully, “all right, call it coupling then. Show me you don’t like it.”

             
His hands moved slowly from her nape to her throat, making her lips dry. Involuntarily her tongue ran over to wet her lips. When she was aware of that improper gesture it was already too late. He had claimed her lips and was ransacking every sensor of her mouth with that devastating tongue of his. When she opened her eyes in a daze, his lips curved with cruel satisfaction as he watched her. Reaching up from under her dress, he stroke her buttock first, then her back, and going higher, he cupped her breast. Trembling with desire, she sighed and closed her eyes as he teased her nipple and made it harden. There was no use to deny the physical attraction she felt for him. She met his eyes in despair.

Nobul’s hand froze. He was hurt when he saw the pain written on her face. Withdrawing his hand from her body, he pushed her away. “Perhaps you prefer making love with someone who speaks of love in theory only.” He said coldly.

Humiliated, and burned with desire, she clenched her teeth and said, “Yes. I prefer a sophisticated man.”

He gave her a cold and hard look before he turned and went up the path to the hill top.

Sharon clenched her fists as the big man disappeared into the woods. He did it to her again, aroused her and abandoned her, and she had allowed him to do it to her!

             
What was she going to do? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she couldn’t stand a minute longer with this intolerable man, who would be a scorching iron in one moment and a cold steel the next, who would stamp on her pride and wound her feeling
s
as if they were horse dung. Perhaps some boats would come by and she could hitch a ride. She looked around and saw no boat on the lake. Of course, it was approaching the end of the day and the villagers had finished work and gone home.

             
Sharon walked along the shore and got to the other side of the hill for a broader view on the lake. The sun had set completely but she could still detect the mountain where the hotel stood by. She could swim back to Shangri-La! She thought suddenly. It was a wild idea but at that moment it seemed like her only choice and she considered it seriously. She was a good swimmer and she knew her way. But she didn’t have her swimsuit. She could just swim in her tank-top and panty. Both are black and the tank-top was stretch-fit. And in this time no one would see her anyway. There wasn’t any other guest in the hotel so she could just sneak into her room once she got out of the lake…Oh, but what if someone had checked in during the day? She thought about the choice of going back to the motorboat and wait for Nobul. No! She wouldn’t go back there. She wouldn’t want to see that cruel man again in her life! She had spent the last
few
days thinking about him, wanting him, and the only thing he did was to deride her! Was she nothing but an object to satisfy his ego? And just what gave him the right to treat her like that? The fact that she had lost her head momentarily didn’t mean that she was his captive! Enraged by her own thoughts, she stood up, took off the dress and hid it behind the bush. Then she walked into the water.

             
The warmth of the water had dissipated with the vanishing sun. She shivered as soon as she plunged in but she was so anxious to get away that she had no time to hesitate. Instead she swam as fast as she could to generate heat. Not until the moment she got into the openness of the lake she stopped shivering and all of a sudden the remembrance of Nobul rushed back into her mind. The words he had said to her rang in her ears, in the midst of the splashing water: I know how to make love, though I don’t believe in love! She moved her limps frantically as if to force out the sensation that he had planted in her skin earlier.

             
Soon dusk turned into night and there was nothing but blackness around her. She could no longer discern any of her surroundings. The outline of the distant mountains and the shape of the islands were all devoured by night. Then she was aware of some faintly twinkling lights but they seemed so far away. Only then she had a second thought – why was she doing this? She was acting on impulse, like an immature child. What made her think that she could swim back to the hotel? The last time she had swum in the ocean was in college. And she had never swum at night. What if something happened to her? How would Charlene feel? And what about Nobul? He would feel sorry, wouldn’t he? Ah, was it why she was doing it? To mak
e him feel sorry? The thought
made her angry and she hated herself for it. Why couldn’t she shrug off his sarcastic remarks? Why was she so affected by his words?

             
She felt a dense cluster of algae under her and guessed that water had gotten shallower. Then she hit a rock and got to a shore. It might be one of the uninhabited islands. As she got closer something stung her leg and she screamed with pain. She climbed up and sat on a rock. Something warm and sticky was oozing out in a tiny stream. It was blood. What the hell was that? She thought in despair. Snake?  About then she heard the faint rumbling of motors coming from behind her. Realizing that it might be Nobul looking for her she jumped up
with
joy – but felt back instantly. She wouldn’t let him see her like this. She wouldn’t give him a chance to deride her. No, she would rather spend a night here than letting him take her back into that island like a helpless kitten. She went behind a bush and waited for the boat to pass. It did a moment later and she clenched her fists in order not to shout. 

             
When the sound of motor went farther she suddenly got an idea: she should follow the boat for he was likely going towards the hotel. She plunged into the water again and swam towards the light of the boat. The pain on her leg was excruciating at first but she ignored it. The boat wasn’t going too fast so she was able to follow it while keeping a safe distance. She was relaxing and celebrating her clever idea when her feet were caught by some kind of fish net. She cursed as she went underwater to disentangle herself. When she finally freed herself of that she had lost sight of the boat.

             
“Damn!” she cursed loudly, even though no one would hear her.

             
Now what? Again she hated Nobul. For he was responsible for her foolish act. He had led her on and abandoned her, again.

             
It was now blackness completely. Of all nights, tonight should be starless, moonless! She cursed and had a moment’s despair. But soon she dispelled her negative feelings, turned on her back to relax. She wasn’t about to become a water nymph, she told herself. And she was sure that the water spirit, whatever it was, wouldn’t dare to bother someone who could swim so well.

             
She floated on her back most of the time, doing some strokes only when her body got chilled or she got tempted to doze off. The pain on her leg was unbearable at one point and she passed out. In a trance she heard the sound of the motor again. It came closer and closer to her but it was far again. She wanted to shout but was too tired.

             
There was a long confusion that followed. She heard the sound of motor again and a man shouting her name. Snow… Sharon… his voice was comforting… Then she was in a cradled of warm water and her body was limp… She wasn’t floating anymore but something firm was holding her. The material against her body was smooth and sensual. And there was a scent, a familiar smoky pine around her, got stronger each time with the rhythmic breathing of a man. And then she blacked out.

             
Nobul placed the wet body on the deck. Thank Goddess she was alive although unconscious. Her pulse was weak and her breathing was fading away. He slapped her face hard in order to arouse her. But she wouldn’t stir. He took off his shirt and wrapped her in it. He held her tightly in his arm, warming her with his body temperature. Then he set the speed of the boat to maximum. He jumped onto the shore carrying her as soon as the boat moored.

             
While running to the house he called Urcher, who was searching for Sharon in another boat, and told him that he had found her.

             
Panting, he kicked opened the bedroom door, and carried her all the way to the bathroom. Holding her, he turned on the hot water faucet. Before the tub was half-filled he put her in and watched the color of her skin slowly turned from a pale blue to white and pink. When her pulse had returned to normal he thought quickly how he would remove those wet rags clinging to her tightly. He got a pair of scissors and came back. Slipping his hand under the wet fabric to protect her skin, he carefully ran the scissors through. As soon as the last threat broke, the fabric fell to the sides, revealing her small but firm breasts. The sight of them made him hard. His hands froze above the pink crests before he moved on to peel away the ripped tank top. What was the point to touch her, when she wouldn’t feel it?