"You only have to take me there. Something you never expected will happen."
Lu Mei frowned slightly. Luo Qian looked utterly sincere. "Trust me!" "All right..." she agreed. Luo Qian Chao held out a hand to her. "Get on." The Thundercloud Fire Leopard was of a much higher rank than Lu Mei's mount, so it was naturally much faster. She hesitated, but Luo Qian had already run out of patience. He caught her soft hand and gave a sharp pull, drawing her down behind him as lightly as a startled swan. "Hold tight. This fellow isn't exactly well-behaved." With that, Luo Qian patted the leopard's head. Feeling the sudden extra weight on its back, the Thundercloud Fire Leopard gave a low growl of protest and sprang Chao into the sky.
"Ah!" Lu Mei cried out. She had not expected the mount to be so fast and was nearly thrown off. She hurriedly wrapped her arms around Luo Qian's waist. Before her pounding heart had settled, she felt how tightly his body had gone, rigid as iron. Her face reddened. She had never been this close even to her father or brothers. His scent slipped into her nose in wisps amid the wind roaring past her ears. As the Thundercloud Fire Leopard rose and dipped through the clouds, Lu Mei grew dizzy, as though she had drifted into some wondrous realm...
Luo Qian had once ruled his little corner of the street-thug world, but he had never been a speed demon. In fact, he was rather afraid of speed. He had no experience taking a girl on a wild ride, and this time he had made a real fool of himself. When the Thundercloud Fire Leopard launched forward, a pair of delicate hands reached from behind and clasped his waist tightly.