A Lover's Wish (7 page)

“Allow me,” his voice was low, husky and sexy.

She yanked her hand away as though burnt and tried to smile. “Thank you.”

E

verything had been a rush. To get to the airport was one flurry of events as well as getting checked in. He hated doing anything last minute, but it wasn’t like he had a choice. His mind went to his parents and he began worrying again. Through the rush he had forgotten what was happening—just going through the motions then. But as soon as things calmed down and Kianna was safely in her seatbelt, his mind gave up on

him and began running a mile a minute.

There were so many possibilities of what was happening to his father. He cursed their stubbornness at not leaving Xingping when he had asked. If they had, they would have been at the hospital already. He had tried calling his friend, but the phone was always busy each time he called. After a while, he gave up and focused on getting to his parents as quickly as he could. Knowing his father, the man wouldn’t have wanted to leave his home anyway.

Dao’s body was stiff, sitting against the leather seat in the private plane. He rested his elbow against the window and propped his chin up with his arm. The plane taxied down the runway and lifted into the air. He never liked flying, but when the plane lifted off from Pearson International Airport, Dao didn’t get that strange, queasy feeling he normally got. At that moment, he just felt numb and cold. He couldn’t feel anything else. That scared him because he wanted to feel something, anything at all.

When the plane levelled off and the seatbelt sign pinged off, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eyes and he looked around. Kianna—he had been a horrible host to her. It was strange for she had been so quiet in the grand chaos of his mind that he had forgotten she was there. He was literally kidnapping her from her home, taking her across the world and he hadn’t even explained to her what was happening. To make matters worse, he had just sat there like a zombie while she was probably bored or hurting and confused.

The ride over in the limo she had tried to get him to eat, but Dao wasn’t really hungry. She had then given him a protein shake from the limo’s fridge right after threatening to hook him up to an IV if he didn’t eat something. Feeling horrible, he had taken it and drank a couple of swallows

before handing it back. The smile she had given him then caused him to take the can back and drain it. Just to see her smile. She had just shifted in her seat and that had caught his attention.

If he had any doubts about hiring her before, they were gone when he saw the way she spoke to his flight attendants. She had stepped up to the plate and ordered that he have something light for lunch since she wasn’t sure when the last time was that he had eaten. Kelly, the stewardess agreed. As he sat there watching her read, a smile graced his eyes and he inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry,” he spoke.

Her head snapped up from the book she was reading.

“I should tell you what is happening and where we’re going.”

“That would be nice.” She nodded and closed the book. “I did not want to add more stress to what you were going through.”

“How do you know it is stressful?”

“You all but kidnapped me.” She smirked. Dao nodded. “I deserved that.”

“But seriously.” Kianna smiled. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“The phone call I got earlier was from my parents. Well my mother at least. She never calls me. I always call her because it’s really expensive for her to call me and I don’t want her spending too much money because of a phone call. In order

for her to call, she has to travel on the Li River and I don’t like her doing that alone. She told me that my father had an accident and they don’t think he has much time.”

“I’m sorry—”

“Thank you. So we’re heading to Yangshuo. I know it’s a little bit out of your life, but I would really appreciate you with me so that I can still do a little business while I’m there.” He arched his brow for the look she was giving him was starting to scare him. Moving close to her, he knelt before her. She was shaking slightly, but her gaze didn’t leave his face. Dao was scared. “Kianna!” He took her hands. Her fingertips were freezing. Lifting her fingers to his lips, he blew against them before burying her smaller hands inside his. “Kianna? Speak to me.”

“Yangshuo…”

He was stunned because the way she said it was the exact same way a person from Yangshuo would pronounce it. The emphasis was on the right letters and he wondered how she knew to do that. She couldn’t have gotten it by him saying the word once. “Yes.”

“Your parents live in Yangshuo—Xingping?” “Yes, to be exact.”

“Your parents live in Xingping.”

“Kianna, you said that already. What’s wrong? I can let you go back to Toronto once we get to Hong Kong if you’d like.”

“No.” She shook her head and looked down into his eyes. “I saved for years to go to China. Then there was a family emergency and I gave the money to help. I never thought I’d be able to save up enough to go because it’s so expensive to travel.”

“Well now you are going.” He smiled. “I’m sorry that it’s under such dire circumstances, but you will get a chance to see some things while there.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “But we are going to China to make sure your parents are well—not for me to go on vacation.”

Dao watched her. There was a strength in her voice and eyes that caused his heart to throb sweetly within his chest. He was still holding her hands. When she bowed her head and looked at where he held her, he let her go and moved back to his seat. But his gaze never left her, even after she went back to her book. Tilting his head, he glanced at the cover and blushed before turning to look out the window. She was reading one of those romance novels that his mother would read when he was younger. Even today, he would get them specially translated into Cantonese and

shipped to her. They would make her sound so happy.

At that moment, Dao wondered what kind of men Kianna dated. Did she like them to touch her tenderly or roughly? Was she a romantic person? Turning his head, he looked at her and for that moment, his depression was gone. His gaze caressed her face—with the full lips, sad brown eyes, proud nose. While his gaze travelled down her neck, over full breasts and lower, his mind came to one conclusion—any man she dated was lucky.

He said nothing. Dao took his pleasure from watching her read. From time to time, she would gasp and flip the page quickly. Other times, she would smile or giggle softly.

“Our flight is fourteen hours, roughly,” he spoke.

She looked up.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt you, but would you like to talk? My brain is going too fast and I need to hear someone’s voice.”

She smiled and closed her book. She stuck it beside her in the seat and crossed her legs.

Dao bit back a moan. Nothing she did was overtly sexual, but just that alone—their simplicity turned him on more than he even thought was possibly.

“What would you like to talk about?”

“I don’t know. Tell me a little about yourself.” “There isn’t much to tell. I’m an only child now,

both parents are gone. My brother was killed in a car accident when I was seventeen.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, really,” she replied. “It happened over ten years ago.”

“What do you like to do?”

“Nothing lately. I haven’t had the urge to do much of anything. But before, I loved the theatre, reading, trying to learn different languages— geeky things like that.” She chuckled. “I told you there wasn’t much.”

Dao nodded. “Thanks for the warning.” A smile was on his lips. “This may be none of my business and if it is, please tell me and I will respect your answer. Are you seeing anyone?” He watched as she looked away from him and reached for her book again. He assumed she didn’t want to talk about it so he nodded and looked back out the window. He had crossed the line, but for some reason he wanted her to look at him and answer to the negative. The thought of her being with another man angered him. He chuckled to himself before getting up and turning to leave the main area.

“Mr. Zhi?”

“It’s Dao—please.”

“Dao—no I’m not seeing anyone.”

The relieved smile that swam over him shocked Dao. It was a good thing he wasn’t looking at her when she spoke for she would have seen it.

“Where are you going?”

“I was going to leave you to your book,” Dao replied. Wiping the smile from his face, he turned around to look at her. “I thought that was what you wanted. Did I think wrong?”

“Yes,” her voice was soft and she stood. She walked toward him.

Dao could not move away. He thought maybe she wanted to walk around him, but his feet wouldn’t move. Still, he stood in her path, but she didn’t try to get around him. Instead, she braced a palm against his chest, pushed up onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips gently against his. He growled and reached for her hair. He tangled his fingers in it, then pulled her lips roughly against his. When her lips spread for his tongue, he readily drank from her heat, sliding his tongue against hers and growling his satisfaction. He bit against her lower lip and pulled before sucking the pain away. He took her lips again, this time he conquered her, tasting, kneading, moulding their mouths together. When she finally pulled back, Dao was out of his mind with arousal, but let his hands fall away from her. “What—what was that for?” he questioned, pulling her lips back to his

again. She tasted so good, his mouth watered. He was drunk with her scent.

Kianna Sanderson had just done something completely out of her league. Kissing someone by just taking what she wanted was never something she would normally do, especially with her boss. But Dao’s lips were calling to her and she couldn’t resist. Inhaling deeply, she pulled way from him and stumbled into her seat again.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her body was still pulsating sweetly from the kiss. It was a short kiss, but it was the most wonderful kiss she’d ever experienced. It was so wrong, but it had caused her heart to hammer in her chest. All she had to do was behave herself and not maul her boss because she thought he was so sexy. Burying her face in her hands, Kianna inhaled deeply.

“Kianna?”

His voice was soft, husky. She didn’t look at him. How could she look him in the eyes after what she had just done? She felt his hands on her, trying to pull her hands away, but she fought him back. He was stronger, however, and her hands fell away.

“What are you sorry about, Kianna?” his voice showed genuine concern. “We’re two consenting

adults. We shared a kiss—one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Why are you sorry?”

Kianna couldn’t speak. The words that she wanted to put forth died in her throat. He had said he enjoyed her kiss and she knew then he was toying with her. He had to have been. How could he—Dao Zhi—have wanted a kiss from her? She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Talk to me.”

“It didn’t happen,” Kianna spoke strongly. “It never happened.”

“Kianna I don’t—”

“There’s nothing for you to understand!” Kianna interrupted too harshly. “It never happened.”

“Alright,” Dao stood from where he had been kneeling before her. “The fact that we both just went out of control and had you not pulled back when you did, I would have gone too far—it never happened. If that is what you want.”

“It is.”

“Very well then…”

Kianna felt sick to her stomach. She hung her head in shame and when she looked up to explain to him what had happened, Dao was gone. This situation was out of control because she didn’t want to get involved with another man. She has no idea what men are good for her and knew that Dao’s family would not accept her. How could

they? She’s black, slightly overweight and had a temper. She loved to do for herself, on her own sometimes and in Asian cultures, it was all about the family. If you wanted to buy a car, it was a family decision. Kianna couldn’t live with that. She had her own rules to live, her own life and she couldn’t let some man and his family take that away. “Ugh,” she got out.

“Ms. Sanderson,” the stewardess called.

Kianna looked up and was surprised to see that the food cart was out. She smiled, not feeling really hungry, but they had made her the food and it would be sad to waste it. She thought back to what her mother would have said should she have all that food thrown out.

“You know, Kiki,” her mother would have said softly. “There are millions of children in the world who would give their right hands for that food. Don’t waste it.”

Kianna pressed her lips into a thin line and moaned. “Thank you,” she whispered with a nod as she was served. At that point, Dao came back and sat down. The stewardess served him a light snack at first and after he was finished that, she came back with heavier food. Kianna even went as far as having a half of a glass of wine. She was wound up tighter than a taut rubber band. The wine didn’t help so she frowned, cleaned up her own plates, then snuggled beneath a blanket and

stared out the window. It was extremely dark outside now. It surprised her that she was up higher and should be seeing stars, but there were none.

Pulling out her book, she snuggled into the soft seat and began reading again. But she couldn’t concentrate. She kept on reading the same line over and over. All she could think of was Dao’s hard body that was pressed into hers. She had wrapped her curves around him. The kiss told her that he wasn’t weak—not by a long shot. He had taken control and given her such pleasure. He had dug his fingers into her hair and moaned when her tongue passed over his. No man had ever seemed to get quite as much enjoyment out of kissing her than Dao had. He had seemed almost dazed when the kiss ended. Sighing, she slammed the book shut.

“You alright?” Dao’s voice came through her haze.

“Fine,” she answered a little too sharply, but didn’t apologize. Kianna hit the button on the side of her seat, sending the back down into a recline position and pulled her blanket over her head.