Chapter 33. Beijing Baijiu

He walked over to her, trying to keep his breath at a steady pace without it hitching. She was beautiful, more exquisite than any other creature he had ever seen, and this excited him to no end, but Zhang’s words haunted his mind. It built up and pulsated his head. He brushed his index and middle finger to his temple, hoping that action would remind him to stay guarded because he couldn’t remember the last time Zhang was wrong.

As he approached her, he could tell she was not from Asia. Her dress and petticoat told that tale well. The color was a bright red, and the material was silk with lace trimming, signifying that she was from a regal background. A woman of that stature would go nowhere without an escort, and as Alec thought about it more, any woman unchaperoned was puzzling.

The walk to her seemed long, even though he was only steps away. He skirted his feet, trying to take each step gracefully and deliberately. He fell silent when he finally reached the bar stool next to