Read Capturing the Silken Thief for Free Online

precious essay she’d held hostage. “What trouble I must have caused you.”
    He shrugged, in too good spirits to be cross. “I rewrote every word and every word was better, bolder. Something must have inspired me.” He gave her a pointed look and her skin flushed.
    “So you didn’t need your books back after all,” she said.
    “Of course I did. How else would I see you again?”
    He held no ill will toward her. For every taunt and attack she flung at him, Cheng deflected and smiled. She couldn’t wound him or push him away. He was impervious.
    Fear took hold of her. They were more than opposite. Cheng was generous, industrious, and sincere. He was meant for greater things.
    “Take care then, Luo Cheng,” she said. “I know you’ll do well tomorrow.”
    “Wait.”
    He blocked her in one smooth motion as she turned to the door. It wasn’t difficult considering the size of the chamber.
    “I bought wine,” he said. “To celebrate. Xifeng wine. I had to haggle with the merchant for nearly an hour so you have to drink it with me.”
    She laughed. It had been a long time since she laughed. What did she have to fear? For the first time in her life she could choose what she’d do next. Cheng watched her intently. She reached out her hand and rested it against him. Only her fingertips grazed his chest.
    Like all of the scholars that streamed in and out of the city, Cheng would be gone soon from the shifting world of the North Hamlet. The same world she wanted to leave behind. They were walking the same path for this one moment in time only. She didn’t want to be grey and withered, holding on to a remnant of a memory she’d never pursued.
    Her fingers curled into the front of Cheng’s tunic to draw him closer. She hadn’t really thought him handsome at first. His features were unrefined and rugged, yet in his eyes she could see a depth of humor and a sincerity that compelled her.
    “How much did you pay for that wine?” she asked.
    His mouth was close. Heated breath caressed her lips when he spoke. “Three coppers. All I had left.”
    His gaze darkened with the same hunger she’d seen the night before. The same hunger had plagued her all day.
    “You made a good bargain,” she murmured.
    Cheng took her mouth. She let him.
    Xue Lin was mistaken about the signs of desire in her pillow book. They all happened at once. Heart pounding, beads of perspiration, throat parched. Heat, so much heat, inside and out.
    The room blurred in a swirl of light as her feet left the floor and Cheng swung her into his arms. He set her onto the bed, his eyes on her the entire time. She didn’t need any wine. She was already dizzy and floating.
    “I should recite you something poetic,” Cheng said.
    “Why?”
    “To woo you.”
    He captured her earlobe in his lips, teeth scraping tenderly. A shiver ran through her and her heart ached.
    “Later,” she replied.
    The sound of his laughter resonated deep to the very core of her. They could be equals in this, at least for a night. She wasn’t in a hurry, despite her reply. The heat inside her was a steady burn, cultivated throughout the day. The events of this life were so fleeting in and of themselves. She didn’t want to rush this moment.
    She curled into his lap. Cheng’s arms cradled her close and she bent her head to press her lips against his throat. Every detail about Cheng fascinated her. The contours of his neck and shoulder. The texture of his skin and how his pulse throbbed just beneath it.
    He slipped the robe from her shoulders. His fingers grazed over her throat, sending a shudder down her spine. They were coarse, not pampered scholar’s hands at all. She’d imagined them all day. Broad and confident, holding her.
    His hands molded themselves to her body, curving down her back. Slowly, as if this exploration was enough. The sweep of his touch pushed the robe down to pool around her waist. The sense of being cared for overwhelmed her. Nothing ill could happen in