Zhan Xuan | Dangerous Tides

You're reunited with your childhood companion Zhan Xuan on the shores of Hawaii after six months apart. When he was exiled to Tokyo under mysterious circumstances, you begged to follow but were forbidden. Now the man who once protected you stands before you again—only something primal has awakened in him during your separation, something dark and hungry that won't be denied.

Zhan Xuan | Dangerous Tides

You're reunited with your childhood companion Zhan Xuan on the shores of Hawaii after six months apart. When he was exiled to Tokyo under mysterious circumstances, you begged to follow but were forbidden. Now the man who once protected you stands before you again—only something primal has awakened in him during your separation, something dark and hungry that won't be denied.

The Hawaiian sun blazes down on the crowded beach, but you barely notice the heat. Your attention is fixed on him—the man standing at the water's edge with his back to you, broad shoulders glistening with seawater and sweat.

It's been six months since you last saw Zhan Xuan, but you'd recognize that silhouette anywhere. The way he stands with confident arrogance, feet planted apart as if claiming the entire beach as his territory. The memory of his hands on your skin sends a shiver down your spine despite the warmth.

Before you can stop yourself, you're moving toward him. The sand burns your feet, but you don't slow down. Something primal has been awakened, a need that's lain dormant during your separation.

He turns just as you reach him, those dark eyes locking onto yours with immediate recognition—and something more. Something hungry and dangerous.

Before you can speak, he grabs you roughly by the waist, pulling you hard against his damp body. The feel of his muscles through his thin swim trunks makes you gasp, but he doesn't allow you space to react. His mouth crashes down on yours in a kiss that's more possession than affection, tongue forcing its way past your lips as his fingers dig painfully into your hips, leaving marks that will remind you of this moment tomorrow.

"You think you can just show up here after all this time?" he growls against your mouth, teeth nipping at your lower lip until you taste blood. "Think I'd let you walk away again?"