He pounced like a jungle cat, pinning her neatly beneath him. One hand slid down the curve of her waist and he dipped a finger into her moist center. “Little liar,” his breath was hot on her neck.

His wandering lips curved into a smile at her sharply indrawn breath. Whatever witty comeback she’d planned was lost as his finger mimicked the rhythm his tongue had brought her to climax with earlier. He poised himself above her, staring down into her desire glazed eyes and said, “There won’t be other men,” and he entered her in a swift thrust. His words barely registered as his thrusts elicited wave after wave of pleasure in her. She rocked against him, letting her sounds of her climax echo through the room.

Hardly recovered, she felt herself tighten as he withdrew, teased her with his hard tip, and held her eyes as he plunged deep within her again. He knew just when to take them forward and when to pause long enough for the intensity to heighten. She knew just when to do the same. He shuddered against her as the both came and collapsed into each other’s arms.

Spent, they lay with their legs entwined, their breathing slowing in union for a blissful eternity. Too soon, Dominic pulled a sheet up over them, rolled onto his side, and propped himself on one elbow so he could study her face. His eyes were dark with emotion. “I don’t want to hurt you, Abby.”

Which was probably his way of saying she shouldn’t read too much importance into what he said in the heat of passion. She wasn’t ready to have that talk again yet. She ran a finger lightly over his bottom lip and answered simply, “Then don’t.”

He opened his mouth to say something she was certain she didn’t want to hear and she reacted instinctively. With a hand on his chest, she rolled him playfully onto his back and began to kiss him. There would be plenty of time to talk tomorrow. Plenty of time tomorrow for the fairytale to come to an end as they each said the words that were better withheld tonight.

Unlike Cinderella, Abby had till dawn to enjoy the rest of her fantasy. Whatever Dominic was going to say was quickly forgotten as her kisses trailed down his chest and continued lower.

Chapter Fourteen

Dominic was gone by the time Abby woke up in the morning.

Crap.

She rushed to shower and change. She picked up the phone several times to call Dominic, only to replace it without dialing his number. There was no way to know which stage of the negotiations he was in or if he could even take a call and she wasn’t willing to risk being the reason he lost this contract.

I should have told him last night.

If not before the great sex that she would tuck away in her memories as the best of her lifetime, at least she should have told him before they’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms. By not doing so, she’d put herself in overwhelming situation of having to decide for herself how to handle Zhang.

Dave, one of Scott’s security team, asked her if she was ok.

OK? No, not ok. But I can’t turn to you, either.

Abby said, “Just hungry.”

Zhang had said that whatever she was going to show Abby would help Dominic, but there was no way to know if her claim was true. What if it was all simply a ploy to manipulate the negotiations as Dominic had warned that someone might try?

Abby chewed her lower lip while her inner debate raged on. Normally she trusted her instincts about people and her gut told her that she could trust Zhang. Coming to a final decision, Abby swung her small purse onto her shoulder and told Dave that she wanted to have breakfast in the main dining area for a change. She didn’t wait for him to finish radioing the rest of his team with the news; she opened the suite’s outer door and took advantage of her head start.

She made it to the lobby before Scott and his men became suspicious, rushing toward her when Zhang’s driver approached and introduced himself. He escorted her through the hotel lobby and out the front door even as Scott and his men closed in around them. Scott grabbed her by her arm outside of the limo, his agitation evident in his uneven breathing. "This is a bad idea.”

"You're the one who said that Zhang was well known and not dangerous." Abby reminded him. No matter what he said she was now determined to see for herself how she might help Dominic.

He motioned for his men to surround her. "Yes, to have tea with at our hotel. Not this. I don't feel good about this."

What a change one day could make. Yesterday, before she’d heard these men discuss their deception, she would have heeded his advice without question. Now he was nothing more than an obstacle between her and the truth. She tugged at her imprisoned arm. "I'm going. Call Dominic if you want, but unless you're prepared to participate in a very public international brawl, I'd suggest you let me go."

"I thought you were more sensible than this, Abby." He said in reproach, not yet releasing her.

“First impressions are often wrong,” she said, wishing she could toss back at him that she knew all about his questionable loyalty, but she was smart enough to keep that bit of information to herself. Instead, she yanked her arm out of his grasp and slid into the open door of Zhang’s limo, leaving him to scramble to gather his team to accompany them.

After a short scuffle between the two separate security entourages, some sort of temporary truce was called and the billionaire's limo pulled into traffic, safely sandwiched between several SUVs of mixed loyalty.

Zhang looked every bit a business woman in her crisp, dark pants suit. Her shiny black hair swung down to partially cover her face as she placed some papers into a soft sided briefcase near her feet. Unceremoniously, she removed her glasses and tucked them neatly into the side pocket of her bag, never taking her eyes off Abby as she scooted onto the seat across from her.

The click of the limo door shutting hung heavy in the quiet interior. The vehicle pulled smoothly away from the entrance of the Aman Hotel with no destination announced. Abby had worn tan slacks and a conservative light blue blouse in an effort to be comfortable yet appropriately dressed for wherever they were headed.

"Where are you taking me?" Abby asked and cringed at the fear evident in her voice.

"Consider it a field trip," Zhang said, amused by her own joke, but Abby didn't join in her humor. Zhang regarded her with some impatience. "Stop looking so terrified. You're in no danger. You'll be back at your hotel long before Dominic finishes up his meetings for the day."

Abby took a calming breath. Panicking now wasn’t going to help anyone. This wasn’t about her; it was about Dominic. If Zhang had wanted to hurt her, she wouldn’t have allowed Scott and his men to tag along. Even under Jake’s questionable instructions, Abby doubted they’d let anything happen to her on this outing. They’d still have to answer to Dominic if she failed to return. Somehow that thought didn’t bring Abby much comfort. "You can't blame me for being scared."

Zhang nodded her head slowly in agreement and looked out the window. Her manicured fingernails tapped lightly on the hard surface of a small, built in table. "Actually, your fear confirms your intelligence and your presence is still an amazement."

Abby clasped and unclasped her hands before she caught herself doing it and forced herself into stillness. "You said you had something to show me. Something that was important."

"How did you get so brave, little school teacher?" Zhang asked looking across at her again.

Abby answered without skipping a beat. “Teaching in an inner city school is not for the easily intimidated.” Putting the day into that perspective, Abby began to relax. Sure, she was in a foreign country being driven off to who knew where with a woman she wasn’t sure she could trust, but her life had been just as much at risk the last time she’d broken up a fight between two angry teenagers only to discover that one of them had been carrying a knife. Somehow working with troubled teens had always seemed worth the risk. Some things simply were. Like today.

“Then why do you do it?” Zhang asked as if the answer to this held the answer to many other questions.

“Because what I do is important. Because if I don't reach those children, there is a good chance that no one else will.”

Zhang looked both surprised and pleased with Abby’s answer. “Then you will understand what I am going to show you.”

They left the tourist area behind. Central Beijing was an interesting mixture of tall glass buildings and patches of trees. Its modern structures bustled with people like New York City, but the streets were wider and the crowd’s attire conformed more than it shocked.

Zhang’s tour took Abby through the University of Beijing area. Zhang explained each scene they came across. The limo paused near a group of Chinese women sitting outside on the grass of the campus. “There are over one hundred colleges and universities in Beijing,” Zhang said. “Many of the young in the city, both men and women, are furthering their education and now have futures that are filled with endless possibilities. Education is the key to independence for women especially.”

Abby admitted her prior misconception. “I had no idea how modern Beijing was. I’m so used to the tourist posters.”

Zhang didn’t look at all surprised. She waved a dismissive hand at Abby’s distant homeland. “Many Americans picture China that way. Yes, we are committed to our culture and traditions, but we also have a new appreciation for modernization. Unfortunately, like your country, we are changing so quickly that not all of our decisions are wise ones. For example, Beijing now struggles with the same sand storms that once afflicted your western states. Outside of the cities, many still rely solely on agriculture for survival. This has caused an erosion of our top soils. Something must change, but for those who rely on farming and raising animals, the old ways are their only means of survival. Real change will only come if we make a commitment to educating and employing more of them.”

The limo headed out of the city. The wide paved roads narrowed into dirt roads that wound through the mountains. “How far are we going?” Abby asked.

Zhang shrugged. “A little over an hour outside of the city. There is someone I’d like you to meet. She owns the only store in Saun Li.”

They passed a small farmhouse, a simple white rectangular structure with a red tiled roof. Its only distinctive farm feature was the assortment of small animals scattered across its lawn and the rocky hill beside it. A donkey grazed, loose, in the sparse vegetation on the other side of the road.

Had the drive been for any other reason, Abby would have asked to have the car pull over. In the distance she could see a man sitting on a rock watching a small flock of sheep. His dark blue shirt and tan pants were not what she imagined a rural shepherd would wear.

Zhang noted her interest and said, “His name is Xin Yui. He splits his time between his work in the city and his parents’ farm. Some rural families are allowed more than one child, but he bears the full responsibility of his parents. If he is lucky, his city job will allow him to afford to move his parents into the city with him, although I doubt they will go willingly. Their family has been on that land for many generations.”

With some disappointment, Abby watched the small farm disappear from view. “You sound like you know him.”