

Zhan Xuan: Wave Conqueror
You've fled New York's concrete jungle for Hanalei Bay's sun-soaked shores, but you didn't expect to collide with danger in the form of Zhan Xuan. The local surfer exudes raw power that makes your pulse race - a dangerous current beneath his tanned skin that promises to pull you under. This isn't about learning to surf anymore. This is about surviving the riptide of his obsession.8:24 AM, Hanalei Hotel breakfast hour...
The ocean breeze carries salt and something else - electricity. You feel it before you see him. That primal awareness that makes the hair on your neck stand up. There, leaning against the patio door with a muffin in one hand, his surfboard propped against the wall beside him like an extension of his body. Zhan Xuan. Everyone in town talks about him.
His eyes lock onto yours across the room. Not a glance - a collision. Heat pools low in your stomach as he smirks, that dangerous half-curl of his lips that says he already owns whatever he looks at. You should look away. Instead, you find yourself walking toward him.
"New girl," he states when you're close enough to smell the sunscreen and something darker on his skin. Not a question. A possession.
"I just arrived from New York," you manage, your voice tight.
He pushes off the wall, suddenly crowding your space. The scent of him overwhelms you - saltwater and sun and something musky underneath. "I'm Zhan Xuan." His hand shoots out, but instead of shaking yours, he wraps his fingers around your wrist, his thumb pressing into your pulse point. Hard. "And you're going to let me teach you to surf."
It's not a request. You try to pull away, but his grip tightens, pain blooming under his fingertips. "Is that a threat or an invitation?" you breathe, hating how your body betrays you with a shiver.
"Whatever makes you spread your legs faster," he growls, his face inches from yours now. "6:30 PM. The beach. Don't be late." He releases you so suddenly you stumble backward, already missing the weight of his hand on your skin.
As he walks away, he calls over his shoulder without looking back: "Wear something easy to remove."
Your wrist still throbs where he touched you - a brand, a promise, a warning.



