Trancing the Tiger (Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 1) Page 4

  The helmet slipped from her fingers to his. The slightest brush of contact between them made him bite back a groan.

  A knowing sparkle glinted in her eyes. Oh, yeah. She hadn’t missed his hard-on earlier and likely deemed she possessed an edge of power over him.

  Foolish little Rabbit. Didn’t she know?

  No one toyed with Tiger.

  ***

  Sheng cast Lucy a panty-wetting smirk while his gaze caressed every inch of her body as though he owned it. His dark eyes held the wicked promise of retribution.

  Her nipples tightened against her camisole, and his focus flicked back to them. The corner of his mouth curved wider with masculine shrewdness.

  She balled her hands into fists, trying to squeeze away her arousal. The heat of his smooth, sculpted abs seared her fingertips. It had proven too much of a temptation not to brush her fingers under the hem of his shirt, to flirt with this tantalizing man.

  Her wild attraction to him was a normal, natural reaction to almost being… What? What would have happened to her if she’d remained in the Gardens?

  The cool, salty ocean breeze hazed around them. Using the briny air like smelling salts, she seized a small clearing of sanity and peeled off her attraction.

  Why had he brought her to the harbor? Through the dim amber lighting, she made out the dozens of docked sailboats, a handful of warehouses, and the shadowy forms of other people.

  A low hum vibrated the ground beneath her feet, and she pivoted to focus on the approaching dark van. The vehicle stopped in front of them, and out hopped Sheng’s friends.

  “Hey, Lucy.” Mei waved and retreated to the rear of the van. Sheng joined her. After a few moments of shuffling, they all reappeared, carrying wooden crates that rattled while the group hiked to the edge of the pier.

  “Go on. Grab one.” Sheng winked and jerked his head at the van.

  “One what?” Lucy planted her hands on her hips. They were sorely mistaken if they assumed she’d help them with their drug-trafficking business.

  Mei set her crate down in front of Lucy, crouched, and cracked open the lid.

  Lucy peered inside. Vials. Drugs didn’t come in vials, did they? “What are they?”

  “Vaccines for the Red Death.” Mei smirked. “Engineered it myself.”

  Holy hell. Lucy gaped at the tiny bottles of hope. Had she mistaken everything about these people? “What are you? WHO? Government?” Even though Mei appeared young, perhaps they worked for a top-secret laboratory.

  “Nope. You think any government organization would let us do this?”

  “Ah, do what?”

  “Smuggle the vaccine. We use the ancient Silk Road trade routes. This batch is headed to India, for those who can’t afford it. Governments are so picky about who they give the vaccine to.” Her nose scrunched. “Some even auction it off.”

  “Bastards.” One of the other men scoffed as he hoisted four crates with his massive arms.

  “Look. There’s the boat.” Mei pointed into the distance.

  As Lucy squinted, she detected the outline of an incoming ship.

  Mei resealed the crate and carried it to the edge of the dock. The others continued unloading the van in a steady rhythm.

  Lucy stepped to the van and shifted one of the crates into her arms. The knot in her chest eased as she lifted the box and followed the others. It was such a small thing, to transport a crate of vaccine vials, but this act gave her an enormous sense of purpose.

  She could make a difference. She hadn’t been brought here for nothing.

  After they’d loaded the crates onto the ship, Sheng waved her over to hop on his motorcycle, and they rode back to her uncle’s condominium.

  Once they arrived, she slid off the back of his bike. Despite what they’d done together tonight, Sheng was just as dangerous as he’d been this afternoon. Maybe more so.

  She’d never been one for the bad boy type. Why start now?

  Lifting a shoulder in dismissal, she marched up the steps and through the sliding glass doors that opened for her.

  “Not so fast.” His muscular arm shot out to snag her hand. “Don’t tell your uncle about any of this, yeah?”

  His intense black stare pegged her. She opened her mouth to protest, but the sincerity in his eyes made her swallow her arguments. The truth was, she didn’t know her uncle any better than she knew Sheng. In fact, she’d learned more about her sexy neighbor than her father’s brother.

  Sad, really.

  Mom. Dad.

  The richness of Sheng’s slight British accent reminded her of her mother and gave weight to her impulse to trust him.

  Trust your instincts, Luce. They’re never wrong.

  Her father’s words filled her, strengthening her resolve. Images of her parents cascaded through her mind and she sniffed back a tear.

  “Hey.” Sheng curled one finger beneath her chin and tilted her face to his. “What’s wrong?”

  His whole stance softened. She frowned at this bizarre man who morphed from badass smuggler to concerned…what? Bodyguard? Friend? Was he her friend?

  Hardly. She shrugged out of his grasp, heading for the elevators.

  She’d never had a friend whose body she envisioned licking every inch of before they had wild, wicked sex. Not even with Adam, the guy she’d almost lost her virginity to in university. Thank goodness she’d extricated herself from her wanton libido in time to realize she didn’t really want to have sex with Adam. The jerk had been far more interested in his pleasure than hers.

  Ever since, no one had tempted her. When the Red Death struck, any contact with a stranger meant signing a death warrant.

  She was too old to be holding the virginity card. The flirtation of intimacy with this seductive stranger drove her to the edge of temptation.

  She shook herself as she stepped onto the elevator. Not tonight.

  Sheng joined her inside, but he didn’t crowd her, at least not with his body. Instead, she burned beneath his intense scrutiny while the elevator ascended. When they reached their floor, would he head to his apartment? Or would he finally open up? After helping him smuggle the vaccine tonight, her questions had piled on top of each other.

  The door dinged open, and she treaded toward her apartment, every inch of her aware of the man trailing behind her. Her chest tightened as she fumbled through her purse for the keycard. It slipped from her shaking fingers, but he caught the plastic card before it fluttered to the floor.

  Damned fast reflexes.

  “Let me.” He did that enveloping thing again, commandeering her personal space, even claiming the air she breathed.

  With a nudge, her door drifted open. She stood framed in the doorway, blocking him. “Do you work for my uncle?”

  “Not exactly.” He winked. “You going to invite me in? I’m thirsty.”

  Damn him. Reason warred with her libido. If Sheng sought to harm her, he could have done so any time tonight. Besides, security cameras were positioned on them. If Sheng was dangerous, her uncle’s guards would come to save her, right?

  Overriding her concerns, every instinct she possessed screamed Sheng was her ally not her enemy. Evil people didn’t distribute vaccines to the poor. Despite his tough exterior, her gut declared Sheng was a good person.

  She slipped inside, letting him stalk right in after her, and didn’t comment as he locked the door behind him. The tips of her ears tingled while she tensed for his next move.

  The fridge in the kitchen cracked open. A slit of light fractured the tiled floor.

  Relief eased out of her. He leaned against the counter, a bottle of water pressed to his lips as he drank. Nice of him to make himself at home.

  After a long gulp, he shut the fridge door with his foot and tilted the bottle at her. His mouth quirked. “You’re filthy. Go get cleaned up.”

  Her fingers shot to her hair, and her hand came back bearing dirt, leaves, and moss. She cringed. Soil was caked beneath her fingernails, smeared and plastered acr
oss her face and body. This whole time, she’d expected him to seduce her, while she stank like the copse she’d hidden in.

  Mortified, she spun and darted for the bathroom.

  Sheng prowled the length of the apartment, his gaze drawn to the bathroom door. He’d contemplated following Lucy, but she hadn’t extended the invitation.

  Not with her sweet lips; not with her luscious body.

  “Off limits,” he grated the words, trying to make them stick. What the hell was wrong with him? He hadn’t anticipated the bloody Rabbit joining his Kongsi, but now that Lucy was here, he refused to hand her over to Snake.

  He’d only lost one to that asshole—Boar.

  The defeat continued to burn through him, firing his urgency for a victory that much more. Pacing the tiled floors didn’t soothe his restless beast. If he stayed here much longer, Tiger might not remain contained.

  Especially not with the temptation of Lucy’s scent coaxing the beast to the edge of its cage.

  He cast one last glance at the bathroom door. The shower continued to hum, drowning out the pattering of her heartbeat. She’d be safe.

  As he approached the apartment door to unlock it, the bathroom latch clicked open. Lucy stepped out, wet hair clinging to her flushed cheeks. The silk pajamas she’d donned did nothing to cover her curves. The fabric molded to her damp skin, pulling taut in all the right places.

  Tiger pounced forward. The floral scent of her shampoo and soap didn’t mask her seductive fragrance. Sheng clenched his fists to prevent Tiger’s claws from springing out.

  Damn. She was hot.

  One arm crossed over her chest, she dangled Mei’s jacket in her hand. “I’d like you to leave.”

  Making demands, are you? The corner of his mouth lifted. She tried to look dominant, but she could never suppress what she was.

  Prey.

  And, hell, wasn’t he the predator?

  He stalked forward until he rested mere inches from her. To her credit, she didn’t balk, although she eyed his body with obvious hunger.

  “I was about to.” He snatched Mei’s jacket. “It’s late. You should sleep.”

  The thin slashes of her dark-brown brows drew together. “I’m not a child. I don’t need to be told when it’s my bedtime.”

  He leaned forward and brushed a damp lock behind her ear. Her skin shivered beneath his fingertips. “Are you going to make me put you to bed?”

  He shouldn’t say things like that. Shouldn’t let Tiger out to play.

  Her pink lips parted and he grinned. Had she picked up on the double meaning in his words? Good. He bared his teeth in satisfaction. The upper hand belonged to him.

  “Good night, Lucy.” His lips feathered her neck as he purred into her ear. Damn, she smelled good. His hand clamped down on her hip, fingertips grazing the plush cushion of her ass. Before he stepped over a line he couldn’t uncross, he extracted himself from temptation. He removed a calling card from his back pocket and handed it to her. “If you ever need me.”

  She plucked the card from him as though careful to ensure her fingers didn’t graze his. Her brow arched in question. “It’s blank.”

  He flashed her a smile. “If that’s what you think, I have more to teach you than I thought.”

  He left her to ponder his words. His card wasn’t blank, but he couldn’t make someone see a truth they didn’t want to. He’d hoped his efforts tonight would help earn her trust…for when he asked for the bigger leaps of faith.

  If Lucy found herself in denial about the writing on his card, it’d be a hell of a long ride getting her to accept her Rabbit.

  And his Tiger.

  ***

  Lucy poured a cup of coffee, stirring in milk and sugar. Although the alarm beside her bed had gone off at seven, she’d slapped the snooze button a few times. The clock now read eleven. She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a yawn, then chugged her coffee. The cold shower she’d just taken hadn’t woke her up. Hopefully, the double shot of espresso in her latte would.

  Even though she’d read the best way to combat jet lag was to adapt as quickly as possible to the new time zone, she’d never experienced this heaviness in her limbs. Add in the bizarre events of yesterday, and her body simply called it quits.

  Lucy plopped onto a chair at the table facing the terrace, Sheng’s business card twisted in her fingers. She’d stared at it for an hour last night before falling asleep.

  This morning, she’d stuck the card under a light bulb in case he’d written in lemon juice. Alas, no, the card was still blank.

  Tapping the edge on the table, she stared into the maze of jungle. Was he outside, meditating like before? Part of her considered venturing onto the terrace to check, but she’d promised her uncle she’d join him for lunch today. He’d be coming down soon to meet her.

  Before arriving in Malaysia, she’d planned on inquiring about a position at his school—new job, new life, new world.

  Her shoulders hunched and she slumped forward, face buried in her arms. That was what her dad wanted for her, right? The whole reason behind her coming here? Or so she’d believed, until she’d dug further into his correspondence with her uncle. Most of it made no sense. They’d argued about something they’d called the dragon, which she interpreted as a code word for a business project.

  Worse were the warnings in her uncle’s earlier letters. He’d claimed something bad was going to happen and her father should relocate his family to Malaysia.

  How in the hell had her uncle known the Red Death would overturn the world five years later? A hunch, or maybe a fortune teller’s prediction that had unfortunately been proven true?

  Her life in California was over. She had a new one, here. If nothing else, at least she was with family.

  Her gaze flicked to the fifty-inch flat screen television, but she didn’t have the guts to switch it on. The last time she’d watched television, she’d gaped in horror at the escalating death tolls. Whenever she closed her eyes, her mind still burned with the picture of a world map. Like a weather satellite image indicating a hurricane, the colored sections displayed the spread of the virus. North America, South America, then across to Europe, and down to Africa. The authorities had estimated the Red Death wiped out as much as a third of the population in each major city it hit.

  She didn’t want to imagine what the news today would show. Instead, she tilted her head toward the kitchen window where the buzz of traffic indicated a city continuing to thrive, untouched by the Red Death. Life droned on as normal as ever.

  Did she pursue normalcy, too?

  After last night, she wasn’t so sure teaching would fulfill the compulsion for purpose eating away at her.

  Smuggling vaccines had.

  A knock at her door invaded her musings. She hopped out of her seat and padded to greet her visitor.

  “Shūshu.” She smiled as she swung the door open.

  “Lucy. I trust you slept well? Do you have everything you require?”

  “Oh, yes. Thank you.” She dipped her head, her gaze darting to Sheng’s door. Was he home? Was he listening?

  “Are you ready, sayang?”

  She forced a smile at her uncle’s continued use of the term of endearment. “I’ll grab my purse.” After snatching it up, she accepted her uncle’s arm and strolled with him to the elevators.

  They took a private car to an elegant restaurant serving Nonya cuisine—a blend of Chinese and traditional Malay. During the ride, she noted the driver was not Sheng.

  Which left bodyguard or stalker.

  Once inside, the waiter led them to a table in the back. Appraising the elegant dark hardwood and silk décor, she brushed her fingers through her hair and smoothed down the pink lace dress she wore, grateful she’d dressed accordingly and thankful her uncle had stuffed her closet full of designer clothes.

  He ordered for them. After the waitress deposited their food in the middle of the table for sharing, Lucy bent forward, allowing the savory steam to waft
over her. Aromatic curry spices complemented the herbal tones, making her mouth water. It’d been a long time since she’d eaten anything ethnic. The rations she’d subsisted on for the past year had been bland, tasteless portions meant more for survival than enjoyment.

  She smiled at her uncle and spoke the customary words for him, as her elder, to eat first. “Shūshu, chī fàn.”

  “Ah, so your father taught you our traditions.” The corners of his eyes crinkled in approval as he piled food onto his plate.

  “Some.” She shrugged, not wanting to delve into how westernized her dad had really been.

  After adding some rice and chicken curry to her plate, she searched for an appropriate topic of conversation. It was too soon to jump into asking for a job, and bringing up her dad made her chest ache. They ate in silence for a few minutes before her mouth settled on a topic without first consulting her brain.

  “Ah, I met my neighbor.” Sheng’s warning about divulging the events of last night to her uncle rang through her mind. She tensed as she studied him for any hint of a reaction.

  Xiaodan cleared his throat, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “Li Sheng is a good man, but I suggest you stay away from him, sayang.”

  She dropped her spoon onto her plate. Why would her uncle tell her to steer clear of a good man? She opened her mouth to ask, but his brows shot up as he focused on something behind her.

  Or rather…someone.

  Her body fired in awareness. She didn’t need to turn to detect whose steps prowled toward her.

  “Nĭ hăo, Xiānshēng Yeoh.” Without waiting for a response to his formal greeting or for her uncle to invite him, Sheng slipped into the chair beside hers.

  His pale-blue dress shirt hung open at the neck and the sleeves were rolled to his elbows, revealing those sculpted muscles she’d ogled yesterday. The soft color contrasted with his bronzed skin, and the longest pieces of his jet-black hair curled around his collar.

  “Nĭ hăo, Lucy.”

  He didn’t glance at her and he didn’t have to. Her entire body responded to his murmured greeting as though he’d claimed her in a passionate embrace.