Trancing the Tiger (Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 1) (13 page)

He slammed his mouth shut. She nodded in approval, as though whatever she’d observed in Lucy was unbreachable.

“You’ve been wrong before,
Mistress
.”

Her eyes flared in warning. “I’m not wrong about this. Lucy is special, more than even you can fathom.”

He clenched his jaw. Lucy
was
special and he’d sensed that before anyone else. He didn’t need some fortune teller ordering him around. “Forgive me if I have less than utter faith in your divinations.” A dry tone seeped into his voice.

“She is pure for a reason. Do. Not. Touch. Her.”

Crap. The Matchmaker knew Lucy was a virgin. He shuddered as the extent of her powers slithered across his skin. She surmised things no one else could. Her revelation shouldn’t have surprised him.

“Test her, train her. Nothing more or I’ll castrate you myself.” She flashed him a smile bearing a tad too much eagerness. Yeah, he bet she just waited for him to really screw up, to tear him down a notch.

Her hand shot to his balls, cupping them. “And I’d do it with so much pleasure.”

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he hissed at the daggers of her nails digging into his sensitive flesh. “Like what you got there,
Mistress
?” He clucked his tongue. “Always trying to get your hands on my balls.”

Her plan backfiring, she released her threatening grip, but smirked. “Do your job, Li. Or I’ll do mine.”

Yeah, screw that. He squeezed his thighs together, his bollocks cringing at the delight in her voice. She’d love to whip him into line. He masked the unease shooting through his body at her threat, unwilling to give her the pleasure of sensing his distress. “Ah, now, don’t pretend you weren’t just looking for an excuse to cop a feel.”

Tiger leapt out. Not bothering to snag the spirit back, Sheng freed the beast. Tiger snarled once and, gratified by her flinch, slunk back. Sheng refused to allow anyone, Mistress or Master, to leash him.

Her features settled into a collected mask once again as her chin tilted toward Sheng. “You are treading on dangerous ground. This isn’t a matter of marriage or my distaste for casual affairs. This is the fate of the entire
world
. The last time I checked, the key to the survival of humanity wasn’t in your pants.”

She paused for effect and, dammit, her words did carry weight.

Tiger shrank back into the corner of its cage. Ouch. Her words stung, her tongue like a barbed whip. Yeah, they’d fooled around, years ago when Sheng had been overwhelmed by the responsibility bestowed upon him after Tiger revealed itself. When he’d first met the Matchmaker, sparks had flared between them, and he’d mistaken their attraction for the good kind. Turned out, they were magnetic opposites, destined to butt heads. He hadn’t exactly performed to her standards in bed, his cock going off before they’d gotten down to it. She’d never let him live his ineptitude down.

He’d been young, far less experienced, and she’d…well, she’d appeared damn near the same as she did today. Ageless, the woman was. Witch.

Later, when he’d learned her views on random fucking, he’d realized the whole thing had been a setup. She’d pretended to want to have sex with him just to humiliate him. Or teach him about control. Or whatever fucked-up lesson her scheme had intended to drill into him. He had no desire to bring up the subject and ask her which.

He shrugged off the blow to his pride. Neither of them itched for a rematch, so what the hell twisted her panties into an
endless knot
?

Before he chose an appropriate retort, footsteps echoed toward them from a side room. He jerked his gaze from her to the source.

Xiaodan. Motherfucker. Lucy’s uncle had been listening too?

Sheng cast a scowl of betrayal at the Matchmaker, but it seemed she was still too smugly reminiscing about his one-act performance in her bed. She lifted her shoulder and focused on Xiaodan.

The short, lanky man strode toward them, but directed his focus on the Matchmaker. “I may have been wrong about the Dragon but, I assure you, Lucy will not disappoint. She will submit to whatever you require of her.” He dabbed the beading sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. The sour stench of his cowardice stung Sheng’s nostrils.

The Matchmaker conceded with a delicate nod. “Indeed. She will,
Xiānshēng
Yeoh.”

Ending their discussion, she slid her arm through the old man’s and waved Sheng off. “Remember our conversation, Li. Don’t bring her back until she’s ready.”

The pair of them strolled away, heads bowed, deep in conspiracy.

The tiny hairs on the back of his neck pricked. He didn’t like this new development. Not one bit. If Xiaodan was involved in the Matchmaker’s schemes, there was more to the puzzle surrounding Lucy than Sheng had been given to piece together.

The Matchmaker might be right, for once. As much as his gut sank to admit it, maybe Lucy really was off-limits.

Chapter 10

Lucy tugged down the hem of her black t-shirt. After the others had driven her back to Kek Lok Si and not her uncle’s condo, she’d anticipated another tour. Instead, they’d handed her a set of workout clothes and directed her to a changing room.

The second she’d stepped out, unease had fluttered through her stomach. The others, dressed in clothes matching the ones she wore, were gathered around Sheng.

Her cheeks flamed as images of last night flashed through her mind. Knowing he’d eavesdropped on her entire meeting with the Matchmaker heightened her anxiety.

Licentious? Seriously, who used that word? It wasn’t as if she were a prostitute. What was wrong with enjoying a little physical contact? Her mind drifted over their conversation in the dome and the appearance of the white foot atop her hand. Had Sheng spied it?

Her palms grew sweaty while she surveyed the huddled group. She shifted her feet, unsure if she should join them.
Are they talking about me?
Just as the question passed through her mind, Sheng lifted his head, his dark gaze lasering straight into her. No emotion pierced the inscrutable mask on his face and, still, she trembled.

Fang, Kassian, and Mei broke away from him, retreating into the gym.

“Come here, Lucy.” Sheng extended his hand but, as she treaded forward, he shifted into a defensive stance.

“What are you doing?”

“Fight me. Show me what you’ve got.”

Oh boy. No way. Sure, she’d achieved the fourth level of
wŭshù
known as the bronze/blue Tiger. Yet it hadn’t been easy or enjoyable. Yesterday, she’d witnessed Sheng fighting. In two seconds or less, he’d have her flat on her back. Without a doubt.

It was pointless to fight him. “We both know you’re better than me. There’s no reason for us to fight.”

“I’m the Master. When I tell you to do something, I expect you to obey.” Another crook of his fingers.

His commanding tone was nothing new to her. As a Master, he outranked her. She owed him both her respect and obedience. Still, she struggled against folding her arms and refusing. Although, part of her would’ve loved to toss him onto his back. Even if she doubted she could best him.

“Fine.” Lucy sighed and inched forward, striking a blow to his shoulder, which—
surprise
—he deftly blocked.

“Try harder than that,
tùzi
.”

His eyes sparked with mischief and, suddenly, she
needed
to wipe the smug grin off his face.

You can do this. Dig deeper, Luce.

She shot forward again, this time lower, aiming to land a strike across his middle. He thwarted her blows, dancing around her. She cut her arm across her body, using the force to chop at his upper chest. He flounced back, flipping over and away from her, landing in a crouch, hands braced on the ground with the tips of his fingers.

“That’s it. Use your emotions,” he goaded, nimbly popping to his feet.

She didn’t give him a break, launching at him. He slid beneath her and kneeled, his back bent as if he danced the limbo. She landed on her feet and whipped around to face off against him once more.

“What do you know about
anything
?” Her righteous anger didn’t surface, it boiled and erupted. She might have been rescued from the nightmare, but they’d never experienced a second of it. Yet, here they were, saying the vaccine was pointless? Confident
they
could stop the Red Death? Blaming it on a frickin’ Plague God? Ha!

“Together, we can stop this. I promise. Give me your Rabbit, and I’ll hand you justice.”

This time he came at her and their hands locked in a dizzying blur of blocked blows. As his arm aimed for her lower middle, she spun away, twirling around his back. She kicked at his knee. He countered, grabbing her leg and knocking her backward to slam her butt onto the mats. Twisting from her back to her side, she swiped her foot at his lower legs. He jumped, avoiding her kick.

Her body heaving from the exertion, she used her arm to brush away the sheen of sweat across her brow. She smiled as a bead of perspiration formed on Sheng’s forehead.

Maybe he wasn’t invincible.

Deeper. I can beat him.

Just once on his back, and she’d be eternally grateful.

“Finished, Lucy?” Sheng taunted from his side of the circle, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I thought you had more in you than that. More fight. Or are you just the spoiled American princess afraid to scratch her manicure?”

This was his opinion of her? Rich girl, no depth? Targeting him, she answered, “How dare you assume I haven’t suffered. I’ve been through
Hell
. It’s how I landed here.” Narrowing her gaze, she ground out, “I’ll never be finished. Never, Sheng.” She vaulted to her feet, and they circled each other, scavenging for weaknesses.

As much as he’d studied her in their first few rounds, she’d been scrutinizing him too. Analyzing his fighting style. Detecting how he responded to her moves.

She may not be as strong or agile, but she was no novice, either.

She kicked and, as she’d predicted, he latched on to her ankle. This time, instead of letting him toss her to the ground, she bent her knee and launched onto him, bracing her hands on his shoulders to propel around to his back, piggyback-style. The swinging motion jerked him off balance, and he tumbled on top of her.

His heavy frame smacked her to the ground, the sharp angles of his bones bruising the soft tissue of her body. The sickening snap of a bone echoed, and she must have cried out, because his weight lifted instantly.

Too late. Spearing agony shot through her elbow where her arm twisted unnaturally behind her back. White spots blinded her vision as though she’d stared straight at the sun during an eclipse. She gasped for air, but each breath seared her lungs. She couldn’t move, her body was paralyzed as her pain receptors worked overtime to ensure she focused on nothing but the throbbing pangs in her arm.

“Lucy. Lucy.” A rough, accented masculine voice called her name. She winced and shook her head, trying to sink into unconsciousness where she wouldn’t hurt.

The bastard was insistent. Bands of steel wrapped around her, lifting her off the mats. Juggling her into his arms, he knocked her elbow against his chest.

She screamed.

Pain slammed back into her full-force, causing her eyes to shoot open. Sheng’s blurred face sharpened. Panic lanced his features, making her contemplate for a moment that he did care.

“We’ll fix you up, okay? Just breathe for me, yeah? You’re going to be fine.” His words soothed her, a calm ocean wave. She dropped her head back against his shoulder and slid her eyes shut. The torment in her elbow diminished like a light dimming.

“What the fuck were you thinking? We were supposed to spar, not go all out.” His reprehensive growl in her ear jolted her back from those soothing waves.

Jackass.

She winced as she lifted her head to glare at him. “You didn’t think I could beat you, asshole. Did you really expect me to just submit?”

A dark possessiveness flashed in his eyes as she spoke the word “submit.” She tried to hold his stare, to delve further, but he focused straight ahead, spinning around and using his shoulder to shove open a door.

“She’s broken her arm.” He exchanged words with a person she assumed must be a doctor.

She attempted to twist around to get a better view, but Sheng grasped her tighter. “Stop squirming.” His warning feathered against her ear. “No, knock her out for this one.”

What the heck? She flounced in his arms, arching her spine, but he held her down, his firm grip no match for the pain lacing through her body at her flailing.

One moment, she glared into his dark eyes. The next, blackness.

***

Mei filled a syringe, her features spread in glee. Playing doctor happened to be among her favorite pastimes. Crazy Monkey.

Sheng rolled his eyes and focused on subduing Lucy’s attempts to break free of his arms. The moment the needle plunged through her skin, her lids closed and her body went limp.

At last. Cooperation. Even if it meant drugging her. He nodded at Mei, Kassian, and Fang before laying Lucy on the infirmary cot. He hissed in empathy as he eased her arm across her front, the limb bent at an awkward angle. They stationed themselves around her, each placing a hand on her body.