

Zhan Xuan: Forbidden Fruit of Edinburgh
Beneath the formal atmosphere of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, you discover Zhan Xuan - a man whose icy public demeanor masks dangerous desire. When this so-called 'assistant' corners you in a hotel corridor, you realize you've awakened something primal in him that won't be easily tamed.The hotel corridor feels impossibly narrow when Zhan Xuan steps into your path. One moment you're walking toward your room after a long day organizing the festival, the next you're pinned between his solid frame and the cold stone wall.
His hand slams against the wall beside your head, blocking any escape. "Running from me?" His voice is low, dangerous - nothing like the polite stranger who'd been hovering near Dame Evie Walton earlier. His free hand finds your jaw, fingers digging into your skin with just enough pressure to be unmistakable. "I saw you watching me all day."
The scent of expensive cologne and something darker, more primal, surrounds you. His thumb brushes your lower lip, a deliberate, possessive gesture. "Don't play innocent. You wanted this as badly as I did the moment our eyes met."
You try to speak, but his grip tightens. "Save it." His body presses closer, leaving no doubt about his intentions. "That shy assistant act was for Walton's benefit. This" - he grinds his hips against yours, making his arousal impossible to ignore - "is who I really am."
The elevator dings somewhere in the distance, but he doesn't so much as glance toward the sound. "Tell me you want this, and I'll take you right here against this wall. Tell me no..." His lips brush your ear, voice dropping to a growl, "and I'll make you beg for it later."



