Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 117167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“Nothing. Why would you think anything is behind my back?” As he spoke, aware that his act of innocence and nonchalance wasn’t believable, Rei retreated, moving toward the main hall. He was close to the front door, but Yichen would have him in the time it took for him to open it. The hall was a better option if he was going to escape.
“Where are you going, my prince? You know there’s no escaping me. I can run just as fast as you.”
“Run?” A breathless laugh broke from his throat as he took another step that was answered by a step from Yichen. “Why would I need to run? I’m not running.”
“Rei…” There was a warning in that low, dark drawl of his name.
A yelp slipped out and Rei was running. He didn’t even remember making the actual decision to run. His feet started moving on their own, carrying him down the long corridors and wildly weaving between people who shouted in surprise. While he couldn’t hear Yichen’s soundless footsteps, he could feel his mate right behind him as he pursued. He wasn’t even sure where he was going. Giggling excitement and mild panic scattered what little thought was happening in his brain.
Another shout escaped him as a powerful hand grabbed his biceps and pulled him to the left. Rei stumbled into the room, his cackles ringing out. The door slammed shut behind him and a heartbeat later, he was tackled to the ground. Yichen’s arms wrapped around him to cushion his fall. A hint of incense and peach blossoms drifted past his nose. A good sign that his Yiyi had just come from praying in the ancestral hall to his shifu.
When they stopped rolling, Yichen buried his face into Rei’s neck, nibbling the tender flesh with human teeth rather than his fangs. Even though they’d agreed to put a pause on the biting, this was still enough to send a chill through his body.
“What are you hiding, my prince?” Yichen growled, lifting his face to press the tip of his nose just behind his ear. Fuck, now he was half-hard and giggling like a lunatic. He didn’t know what room they were in, but it probably wasn’t one where they could safely continue this conversation without clothes. Maybe it was time to surrender. If he was lucky, they could locate the room they shared so they could pursue this interesting discussion without clothes.
“Winter dropped something off for me,” Rei admitted the second he could catch his breath.
Yichen loosened his hold on Rei, and they rolled onto their sides to face each other. The vampire’s face was flushed, his long black hair spread about him and crowding close to his sharp eyes as they focused on Rei as if he were the only thing in all the world that mattered. “What did he drop off? Has he heard anything about the fae army or the queen?”
Rei deflated in his arms. This was now blown out of proportion, and he was feeling silly for his earlier giddiness. “Look, maybe we should drop this. It was something small and personal. Completely unimportant.”
“No, don’t do that.” While supporting himself on his right forearm, Yichen reached out and wrapped an arm around Rei’s waist, pulling him in tight. He rested his forehead on his cheek and resumed nuzzling him. “I’m sorry. You were happy, and I didn’t mean to ruin that. I really want to know. If it makes you happy, whatever Winter gave you is the most important thing in the world to me.”
That.
That right there was why he had no defense against Wu Yichen. The man melted him inside and out.
The burn of feeling silly didn’t leave him as he lifted one hand between them and opened it enough so that Yichen could see the brand-new, though ultimately fake, Connecticut driver’s license Winter had created for him.
“Like I said, not a big deal. He wanted to deliver this to make sure I was happy with it. My social security card and passport should be ready in another week,” Rei babbled as Yichen took the license from his hand and scrutinized it in the low light from a lamp that was on in a far corner of the room. “He thought making it appear like I was an American citizen would smooth the course for me while we’re here. Chen mentioned that you have a contact in China who could arrange papers for me there.”
Okay, he needed to stop talking. He wasn’t even sure Yichen was listening to him. His lover’s eyes didn’t stray one bit from the small piece of plastic.
“It’s real,” Yichen said in a breathless whisper.
Rei let out an awkward chuckle. “I’ll admit that Winter is good, but this is a complete fake. You know that.”
Yichen dropped the card between them and cupped Rei’s cheek, pulling him in for a hard, demanding kiss that shoved aside his feelings of confusion and earlier awkwardness. His eyes fell shut as he lost himself to that long, slow kiss, happily handing himself over to Yichen for safe keeping.