Free Trancing the Tiger (Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 1) by Rachael Slate Page B

girl’s normal hand. Must’ve been a hallucination.
    She climbed down the rope ladder and hopped off the last rung. Sheng greeted her, crowding her the second her feet made contact with the floor. He set his hand on her waist.
    Tiger. He wants to touch me.
    Heat flared from the point of contact on her lower back, the erotic flames spearing through her body. She pressed her hand against his pec in an effort to peel them apart, but his chest rumbled beneath her palm.
    Almost like a purr.
    He’d barely broken a sweat while the others wiped down with towels and guzzled bottles of water.
    “Eyes on me, Lucy.” Using his finger, Sheng tilted her chin to his face. Her gaze stayed riveted on his mouth, on those lips he refused to press against hers.
    Would he be a good kisser?
    Was there any doubt?
    He angled her face higher, tearing her analysis from his lips and forcing her to stare into his eyes. Hypnotizing. That’s what his eyes were. Shifting from black to a glinting, pale blue-gray. How could eyes even do that?
    His rough finger continued to stroke her cheek and she felt herself drifting. Falling.
    His warm breath mingled with hers, and the deeper she fell into his spell, the stronger her senses became. His masculine scent, spicy and intoxicating, floated through her nostrils, settling on her tongue. So vibrant she tasted him. Her ears detected his heartbeat. Strong, pounding. Louder than hers, which slowed to a dull thudding. Her muscles fell limp, and her body crashed to the floor.
    Around her, muffled cries echoed as though from a distance. Her vision didn’t fade, but sharpened. Colors brightened, shapes enhanced. She tuned out the background noise, her focus on what was right in front of her. Of Sheng crouched above her body, his hands gliding over every curve and dip. His firm caress would have been sensual if not for the panicked tone of his commands.
    Her gaze slid into his, mesmerized by those glinting eyes.
    And then her breathing stopped.
    ***
    Sheng ran his hands over Lucy’s body, fighting the dread icing his muscles. He cupped the back of her neck and brought her mouth closer to his face. Had she hit her head? His fingers found no lump. What the bloody hell was happening? One moment, they’d been flirting. The next, she’d slumped to the ground without a fucking warning.
    “Mei. Kassian. Fang. Get help.” The shrill note of panic laced his voice. Lucy laid limp and lifeless in his arms. Hovering his hand over her mouth, he didn’t detect any sign of her breathing. Terrified she would die right here, in his arms, he laid her down, adjusted her neck, and parted her lips. Determination surged through him as he bent forward to begin resuscitation. He refused to lose her.
    Dammit, Lucy. You’re not leaving me. Not like this.
    Mei squatted at his side, ready to help him with chest compressions. He pinched Lucy’s nose, making sure her airway was clear.
    Her eyes glazed over and her heart stopped beating.
    Tiger roared in helpless confusion. Sheng slammed the beast back into its cage, requiring a clear head.
    As he drew back to suck air into his lungs, Lucy gasped. Her body jerked, hands shooting forward, smacking his chest. The force flung him backward while she vaulted to her feet and launched into the trees.
    Sheng righted himself. His shock was mirrored in Mei’s widened eyes. He sprang to his feet, scanning the rafters. Where was she and what the fuck was going on?
    “Lucy,” he growled, half in frustration, too confused to release his panic. It took him only a second to detect her twenty feet above, dangling from a tree branch. “Lucy, get the fuck back down here.”
    He wasn’t sure if he should be furious or elated. Was this some kind of joke? How the hell had she pulled it off? She’d been deathlike in his arms.
    One of her legs scraped against the bark as she tried to swing her foot over the branch and right herself. Her foot slipped and so did her grip. She fell, but managed to hang on,