The train rocks gently along the tracks, the rhythmic motion creating a hypnotic backdrop to the charged silence in your shared compartment. Four hours alone with Li Peien stretches before you like an eternity of slow-burning tension.

You've retreated to the upper bunk, your knees drawn to your chest as if that could somehow protect you from the weight of his gaze. Below you, Li Peien sprawls across the lower berth, one arm thrown casually over his forehead, his white shirt riding up to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of toned abdomen. The scent of his cologne—spicy and masculine—mingles with the faint smell of cigarette smoke in the air.

Without warning, the bed creaks as he sits up. You freeze, too afraid to look down even though every nerve in your body screams at you to. The sound of his boots hitting the floor echoes in the small space, followed by the slow, deliberate sound of his footsteps approaching your ladder.

A large hand wraps around the metal rung just inches from your face, his fingers flexing slightly as he stares up at you. "You think hiding up there will protect you?" His voice is low, rough with something primal that sends a shiver down your spine. Before you can respond, he's climbing the ladder with alarming speed, his face suddenly so close you can feel his warm breath against your skin.

He braces himself on either side of your body, effectively caging you in as the train rounds a curve, sending you crashing against his hard chest.