Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
A love tested by chaos.
Lei has spent his life ruling with ruthless precision, but Monique is no ordinary woman—she’s a wildfire in his world of order, a temptation he can’t resist. She belongs to him in every way, yet his biggest enemy lingers, threatening to shatter everything.
Monique never wanted a crown, but fate has placed one on her head. As the Mountain Mistress, she must navigate a deadly game where loyalty is a weapon and love is the most dangerous weakness of all.
When an unimaginable gift is placed at her feet, a line is drawn in blood.To protect what’s his, Lei will burn the world down.
But can their love survive?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
A Symphony of Teas
Monique
In the moonlit garden, cherry blossom petals fell around us.
Lei’s grip on my ass only intensified as I moved my hips, riding his cock in this hypnotic rhythm.
“Oh, Lei.”
The grass and cool dirt smoothed beneath my knees.
My breasts bounced, almost hitting his face.
He leaned forward eagerly capturing my sensitive nipple and sucking on it.
Teasing it with the tip of his tongue.
“Oh. Oh.” I arched my back. “Oh.”
Groaning, he let go of my nipple and dug his fingers deeper into my flesh.
“Oh.”
The intensity of his sensual grip only heightened the pleasure. “Mmmm.”
“God, I love you.” My lips found his in a passionate kiss and our wine-stained tongues danced.
More delicate petals fell, brushing against our entwined bodies in soft caresses.
Ragged gasps left me.
His deep voice whispered against my skin. “Moni.”
Lei thrust hard into me, meeting my tempo. “You’re not just in my heart. . .”
I shivered in erotic pleasure.
“You’re in my head.”
Ripples of lust slipped down my spine.
“You’re in my soul.”
My whole body melted.
With a shuddering gasp, I fell over the edge and Lei followed closely behind, loudly groaning.
Our bodies moved together as one, our skin slipping and sliding against each other.
We climaxed in utter erotic ecstasy, vibrating and. . .
Chef Foo spoke in front of me, “This one is Gyokuro.”
What?
I blinked my eyes and the vivid memory of that intense erotic moment with Lei faded like the remnants of a perfect dream.
Shit. I need to be paying attention. Stop that.
I blinked a few more times.
Alright. The tea ceremony. Focus.
My vision cleared and I found myself back in the present, surrounded by over sixty ornate bowls arranged on a long, polished wooden table. The dried tea leaves inside varied in color from rich emerald-green to deep amber.
It was a stunning visual display that was currently freaking me out.
How the hell am I going to know what leaves to pick?
Some leaves were rolled into tight curls while others were spread out like miniature palm leaves.
Plus, they all had their own unique color and texture.
The chef pointed at a bowl filled with deep green leaves. “Gyokuro has a sweet, grassy taste.”
I cleared my throat, attempting to pay attention.
“It is known for its smoothness and rich umami taste.”
“Okay.”
The scents were intoxicating; each one more alluring than the last.
There were earthy, robust aromas that spoke of ancient forests and deep, rich soil.
Sweet, floral notes wafted up from bowls filled with petals and herbs mingling with the fresh, grassy fragrance of green teas and the smoky slightly bitter scent of black teas.
This is going to be impossible.
My nose twitched as I inhaled deeply, trying to absorb the complex fragrances enveloping me.
The colors were breathtaking—a mesmerizing rainbow of teas.
Chef Foo bowed. “I will now give you time to pick. Good luck, Mountain Mistress.”
Shit.
He left and I just sat there wondering which ones to grab.
The bowl in front of me held a deep, rich red tea Hibiscus. The dried petals looked like crimson velvet, their tart floral scent bold and invigorating.
Mom used to drink Hibiscus because it was high in vitamin C and helped lower blood pressure. But I liked the idea of using it because. . .that deep red made me think of the intense passion Lei and I shared last night.
I picked up the bowl and handed it to Lan. “This will be the first ingredient.”
“Sounds good, Mistress.” Lan smiled and took the bowl.
I glanced at my other ladies-in-waiting, taking a moment to appreciate their presence and support today.
Each of them wore formal blue designer suits, tailored to perfection. All of their black hair had been braided back into tight cornrows and then twisted into buns behind their heads, as if they wanted to be ready to fight yet not have their long hair used against them.
Thandi, tall and commanding, stood close to six feet. Her height was intimidating to some but I knew that Duck seemed to be the most intrigued by her when I introduced them.
I nodded at her as she remained by the door.
Thandi nodded back. “Excellent choice, mistress.”
Lan got back to my side. Since their return to me this morning, she seemed to be the leader among them, always taking charge with a natural ease.
Lan gazed at the other bowls. “Last night, I spent some time in the palace library looking up tea ceremonies in the East.”
I widened my eyes. “You did?”
“Yes.” She continued to check out the bowls. “Chen guided me around of course, showing me the various sections and even helping me find a book written by the Grand Mountain Mistress.”
“Lei’s mother, Jing wrote a book?”
“Several of them but the most important ones were about tea ceremonies.”
I let out a long breath. “I’ll need to read them.”
“I found a good one and checked it out. However, Chen said I couldn’t bring it today because it would be cheating.”
Chen is such a hater.