"But I will lose my virginity!"
He stared hard at her. "Do you truly not know how it is done?"
She flushed so hot her ears burned. "I have seen dogs. I…I know the essence, but a touch one place will lead to more. And you are stronger than I."
"Then take this." He handed her his empty plate. "If I touch more than you wish, then you may break it on my head. Do it hard enough and I will not be touching anything again for a very long time."
She hesitated a moment, then grabbed the plate from him. Whatever she decided, she would feel better with a weapon in her hand.
"Decide quickly. The doctor will be back soon."
That brought a return of her fears and a swift decision. With a deep breath, she began unbuttoning the clasps at her neck and then down along her side. All too soon, her blouse was pushed away, the silk dropping uselessly to the floor. Below it, her diamond-shaped undergarment of soft cotton was already stained from perspiration. The ties pulled at her neck and back, but her entire front remained covered by the too-thin fabric.
"Take it all off," he said, his voice low and thick.
She lifted her chin and stared at him. She had to do this, she reminded herself. And truthfully, a kind of madness had gripped her. She wanted to do this. She wanted to see his face when her flesh was bared to his eyes. So while one hand still gripped the plate, the other resolutely untied her undergarment. And inside her, the blood seemed to beat faster, wilder, with a daring she found as exciting as the man who stood before her.
"Not flat plates, after all," he murmured. His face was no longer pinched, but his eyes still held that intensity she both feared and enjoyed. "Your breasts are bells arching outward." He spoke as if to himself while one hand lifted to touch her. "They say that women with bells mature young and have very high desires." His hand stopped, and his gaze leaped to hers. "I am going to touch you now. Do not be afraid."
She wasn't. Looking in his eyes, she didn't see anger or vengeance. She wondered for a moment if this was the look of lust, but he did not have the signs that her mother had told her of. His eyes did not pinch nor did his mouth pull back like a dog in heat. If anything, he had the look of reverence.
"Your skin is flawless," he said. "It would glow in candlelight."
He touched her. With his long elegant fingers, he stroked the side of one breast and fire trailed in his wake. She gasped at the feel, and he smiled. Then he curved his hand around the outside before brushing his thumb across her peaked nipple.
She trembled. It started in her belly, but it traveled outward, making her breath stutter and her heart race. He moved closer, his hand still caressing her breast.
"What…what are you doing?" she gasped, though the answer was perfectly obvious.
"You are safe. Keep the plate handy."
She had forgotten it. With shaking hands, she gripped the fine porcelain tight, but she didn't do anything with it. He moved around behind her, his one hand still stroking. Her breast felt hot and large in his hand, and her back tingled with awareness of him. And then, every so often, he would pinch the nipple and she would shudder at the flash of sensation that burst through her thoughts. Her whole body now beat with a wildness and a hunger she'd never felt before.
His free hand slipped around her rib cage to lift her other breast. He leaned against her back, pressing her forward so that her legs pushed against the physician's table. She was pinned between him and the table while his breath brushed hot across her cheek. She felt surrounded by him, completely and totally within his power.
"Do you know what leads to fertility?" he whispered into her ear.
She shook her head. It was hard to think with his hands rolling over her breasts.
"Passion, Chen Ji Yue. A passionate woman is a fertile woman." He pinched her nipples—both at once—and she cried out in her surprise. "What you feel right now is passion, and it is what all these physicians, eunuchs and courtiers are looking for."
"What of the emperor?" she gasped. "Does he look for this as well?"
"Him most of all," he said into her neck. Then she felt his tongue, hot and wet as he stroked the skin behind her ear.
"Oh!" she gasped.
"Lean forward," he murmured.
She did because she liked what he was doing. The feel of his tongue overwhelmed her senses, and his hands had not stopped moving in mesmerizing caresses all over her breasts.
"You smell sweet, Ji Yue. I think your cream has grown stronger."
She tensed. "But it can't! You said—"
"Let me see if I can wipe some away."
He pressed her forward even farther and one of his hands abandoned her breast to slip down to her knee. With quick movements, he pulled her skirt up to her waist.
"No…" she murmured, but he must not have heard her.
"Widen your legs for me, Ji Yue," he said. "I must have access to wipe the cream away."
She did not intend to move, but her legs were so weak. He pinched her nipple again, and as she arched in reaction, his leg slipped between hers. And then his hand was where no man's hand had ever been.
"There is so much cream here!" he said as he began to stroke her.
Oh, the feeling was amazing. She could barely breathe for the wonder of it. It was as if he coaxed a flame hotter and brighter with every touch. The flame burned through her belly, sending sensation up her spine. Then he widened his hand and burrowed deep with his fingers while she…she…
She whipped around and slammed the plate against his head. It took all her strength and she collapsed sideways after the impact. But that gave her the space she needed to shove him away. "You said you would only touch my breasts!" she accused.
He had fallen a step backward, but he was still standing. She hadn't hit him hard enough, she supposed, and now she had a new problem. What would he do to explain the welt he sported on his temple?
"You told me I could hit you," she said, struggling to put force into her voice. But she didn't have the breath, and her heart was beating so fast! "You told me to do that if you touched me somewhere else."
He lifted his head and she saw that she had cut him, too. Blood dripped down the side of his head and his eyes blazed with fury.
"You told me I should hit you!" she cried again. She had already pulled down her skirt, and now she tried to retie her undergarment one-handed. Her other hand gripped the largest shard of plate that she could reach. "You told me—"
"So I did," he said. He rubbed his hand over his temple then grimaced when his palm came away glistening with blood. "Cover up. The doctor will be here soon."
With shaking hands, she retied the cotton underdress, then pulled on the silk blouse, fastening the clasps with one hand. Just as she finished the last button, the door burst open and in walked the physician.
The woman froze on the doorstep, and her eyes narrowed on the tableau before her: Ji Yue flushed and breathing hard; the master with blood smeared down his cheek. And of course, the plate pieces shattered about the room. It wouldn't be hard to guess what had happened. The question was: would she blame the master? Or Ji Yue?
With a snort of disgust, the doctor threw a towel at him. "You're disgraceful," she snapped. She turned to Ji Yue. "Put the plate down. You're safe now."
Ji Yue slowly released the plate shard. She had to consciously will her hand to open. When the porcelain clattered to the floor—shattering anew—the woman huffed in disgust. She went to the door and called in a eunuch to clean up the mess.
"Clumsy girl has broken a plate," she groused to the eunuch. Then she looked hard at Ji Yue. "Fortunately, the emperor has many plates. You might be wise to keep an extra handy for whenever you break one again."
"Always," she answered softly, her gaze going to the master. "I won't be caught without one again."