Chapter 5: Off the List

The second kiss was slower.

Zhaoxue knelt up on the cold tiles to reach her, one hand braced on the ridge, the other fisted in the front of Linxia's robe.

Linxia kissed her and meant to be careful about it.

She tasted the corner of Zhaoxue's mouth and then the middle, and then caught her lower lip between her own.

Zhaoxue gasped into her.

Her fist opened and spread flat against Linxia's chest, over the hard line of the Pine Seal under the cloth.

She could feel the thudding of Linxia's heart through the green jade.

It was beating as fast as her own.

"Careful," Linxia murmured against her mouth. "The roof."

"I don't care about the roof."

"You'll care when you slide off it."

"You'll catch me."

"Yes," Linxia said, and the word was rough. "I will."

Her hand slid under the black outer robe and rested at the small of Zhaoxue's back, over the blue silk.

Her fingers spread, big and warm, and pressed in.

Zhaoxue's head fell back.

Linxia kissed the line of her throat, once, then again lower, and a shiver went all the way down to Zhaoxue's knees.

They did not go further than that.

The tiles were cold, and the guards on the wall would walk back around in a few minutes.

But Linxia stayed where she was, her mouth against the pulse in Zhaoxue's neck, breathing her in.

"Tell me what you really saw," she said quietly.

Zhaoxue went still.

"I know it wasn't a dream," Linxia said. "Dreams don't make a person count guards on her fingers."

She lifted her head.

Her eyes were steady.

"Tell me as much as you can."