The royal guest room was bathed in the golden glow of morning sun, its rays filtering through heavy silk curtains to dance across the ornate four-poster bed.
The air carried a faint scent of jasmine from the gardens below, mingling with the lingering heat of their earlier confrontation.
Shen Haoran, his body still humming with the thrill of their charged bargain, didn't waste a moment.
He captured Ning Xueli's mouth again, his lips crashing against hers with renewed hunger, tongue plunging deep to claim every inch of her warmth.
Xueli whimpered into the kiss, the sound muffled and desperate as her back pressed against the cool sheets.
Her hands fisted the fabric of his robes, torn between shoving him off and clutching him tighter.
The sunlight warmed her skin where her dress had slipped, exposing the swell of her large breasts, but it was Haoran's touch that set her aflame.
