"Stay," I whispered in his ear.
I don't know what he heard in my voice, but Zhenlan's eyes stayed on mine for several seconds after I answered.
He didn't ask again or make me explain what I meant. His hands tightened around my waist before he pulled me back against him and kissed me hard enough that the tree pressed into his shoulders.
The last bit of control he had rebuilt disappeared almost immediately.
His mouth opened over mine while one hand slid higher beneath my tank top. The other stayed firm against my hip, holding me where he wanted me as I shifted closer across his lap. Heat moved through me every time his fingers spread over my skin.
The wind changed around us.
It wasn't strong enough to hurt anything, but the leaves above our heads began moving faster. The swing rocked behind us, and the flowers surrounding the clearing bent away before slowly lifting again.
I smiled against his mouth.
Zhenlan felt it and pulled back just enough to look at me.
