The batwing doors slammed open with such force they rattled on their hinges, drawing every eye in the saloon. Qianli stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame, dust coating his black leather duster and hat shading his eyes as he scanned the room with predatory intensity.

Three weeks. Three goddamn weeks since he'd last seen her, and the hunger that had been gnawing at him since he first laid eyes on her was now a ravenous beast clawing at his insides. His gaze found hers immediately, as if drawn by some invisible force.

She was behind the bar, her apron clinging to curves he'd memorized, a customer leaning across the wood toward her with a familiarity that made Qianli's jaw clench. Something dark and dangerous flickered in his amber eyes as he watched the man's hand brush against her arm.

No one moved as Qianli strode across the room, his boots thudding heavily against the wooden floor like the tolling of a death knell. He didn't bother with words, didn't give the man a chance to back down. One powerful hand shot out, fingers wrapping around the back of the man's neck as he hauled him away from her, tossing him aside like garbage.

The man hit the floor with a grunt, but Qianli didn't spare him another glance. His full attention was on her now, his eyes raking over her body with undisguised hunger as he took a step closer, crowding her against the bar. "You belong to me," he murmured, his voice low and gravelly with suppressed desire as his fingers curled around her waist, pulling her body flush against his. "And I don't share what's mine."

His thumb brushed against the skin exposed by her low neckline, his touch sending a clear message - warning and promise all at once. "Did you miss me, little one?"