One Tainted Secret
Chapter Four: A Bewitched Tryst
By: Michelle
She must have drifted off. The bath water had gotten cold. The candles were down to the wick and flickered barely. Her muscles were still sore from hours spent at the dojo, but at least she was relaxed and cleaned up for dinner.
Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, Xiao unplugged the drain with her toe and stood up, bubbles clung to her pale slender body, goosebumps everywhere. The marble floor beneath her feet were cool. White towels waited for her on the counter and quickly she wrapped up. She brushed her hair while she checked her eyes: blood shot.
It had been an exceptionally vigorous day. The only way to quit Jin from her mind was to practice in the dojo or go for a run, which had been the strict regimen the past couple of days, to clear her mind. She couldn't focus much on school work, especially psychology, and there was much anxiety when she was close to him in class or in the hallways at school.
Dinner every evening was the worst. Sitting across from him, hearing him eat, listening to him eat, watching his mouth, twitching to her heart's fluttering. Tonight she will have to sit through it again.
Her bedroom was dark. The candles she left lit were blown out, which was odd, she thought, but perhaps it was Lucy. She traced the wall for the light switch, walking the perimeter. Her hands brushed over a door, across the frame of a portrait, lightly over someone's hard chest.
Her gasp was caught in a rather large hand. Her body was wrapped quickly and held tight by strong arms. There was so much struggle in her head she nearly blacked out, the hand over her nose and mouth did not slack, not enough air. A knee between her legs lifted her, to keep from falling she had to embrace him, whoever it was, naturally her arms swung around his neck.
"Just kidding," Jin released her.
Her knees buckled when her feet landed. She wobbled up straight but couldn't reach for her fallen towel, as he was still pressed up against her, her hands on his chest. He, too, noticed this.
"See, in order for me not to see anything, I must stand this close," he teased.
Xiao was apprehensive, yet strangely excited, like a spark that didn't quite light the firecracker. She did not move. She did not want him to move. It was beyond her, a magnetic pull that slapped together on contact, something like that, she couldn't fathom the moment yet.
Unforthcoming, she did not look up at him, she fingered a button on his shirt, unsure of what was to happen next.
"You followed me into the forest," he said casually.
Sensing no reaction from her Jin reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning in extra close while doing so. The smell of soap on her skin pleased him, he noticed there were bath bubbles still on her neck. The thought of her sitting in a bath tub excited him.
"Do you speak?" he asked her silence.
"I'm cold." Xiaoyu shivered violently.
She could feel his breath, slow and steady like an athlete, arrested by her scent. His knee began to slide between her thighs again. How awkward and good it felt, when he brought his mouth down to taste her earlobe, this uncertain tryst. She tilted her face, opening her neck for him like a flower.
"Wrap yourself around me," he whispered hotly.
He lifted her with his knee again, bringing her closer, but the moment he pressed her legs apart she stiffened. An alarm went off in her head. Reflexively, she reached for his nose and gave it a rough turn.
Jin repelled off her instantly, holding his nose. With the heat of his body so quickly gone Xiao shivered. The magic feeling disappeared so fast it left her in a daze.
Naked, she watched Jin for what he was to do next. She half expected him to vanish out of thin air, as if she imagined this whole encounter, but he stood there looking as if he had been bewitched. She reached for the towel and wrapped up, told him to turn around not to move.
He couldn't believe what was happening. "What?"
"I said turn around and don't move."
Now that she was in control of the situation, Xiao went to the dresser where Lucy laid out her dinner gown. While she dressed she got a chance to examine him. He was facing her bed, quiet, like she asked. He was in his dinner attire, black pants and a crisp black buttoned up shirt tucked in. His sleeves were half rolled up and his hands were wrapped in clean bandages.
"Why did you come here?" she asked.
He did not respond for what seemed awhile. Then he said, "I should ask you that question."
Perplexed or offended, Xiao forgot about her hard crush on this boy. Surly, she asked him what he meant.
"Look at the size of you," he said. "What kind of tournament do you think this is? Ballet?"
Xiao was furious at his mockery. She walked over behind him, feeling like a bully now, stood on tip-toe by his ear and whispered secretly, "I did follow you into the forest."
He did not turn around.
"I saw your girl," she continued. "I watched her cry."
His hand reached back to touch her.
"Is that what you came here to do? Turn me into all those other girls?"
His fingers barely grazed her hip. That was all it took. He turned around and, shamelessly, without a moment's thought, she threw her arms around him and kissed him. He picked her up and held her tightly, her feet dangling over his. There was a warming sensation in her stomach, she kissed him harder until he pulled away.
There was a smile. He looked handsome with a smile. "Is that what you believe, Xiaoyu?"
She didn't know how to answer, melting at the sound of her name from his lips, too wrapped up in the moment. Without thinking she asked him, "Was Jun your mother?"
He didn't answer. His smile just faded. She felt his hands begin to slacken under her weight, he put her down. Sullen, he made to leave. Before he left he said, "She would've liked you."