Beware of Dark Alleys

The high walls of the alley blocked off some of that deafening sound, and the scent of him shielded me from the pungent sting of ashes. I breathed anyway, taking in the crisp and fresh whiff of cedar rising so distinctively above the smoke. "Bai Ye," I chuckled against his lips. "I see how it is … Did you pull me over here on purpose?"

I might not have grown up in a city, but I had heard my share of stories where dandy highborns coax unsuspecting maidens into an alley and … well, spend some quality time together in a dark corner. Maybe I shouldn't be suspecting that the man in front of me, who always appeared so elegant and proper, would be one of those with such an unspeakable quirk, but the curl of his lips told me otherwise. "What if I did?" He nibbled my bottom lip.