by Nadia Lee
Chapter Forty-Two
Yuna
It’s incredible how exhausted I feel. And it’s not the Monday effect, either. It was having to spend the entirety of yesterday with Mom, convincing her I should work until Benedict returns because us Haes take our commitments seriously—unlike Sera and her family, cough, cough—then secretly texting Declan that I can’t stop by and feeling bad about it. There’s also the matter of how I’m going to gracefully bring up the conversation I overheard and recorded.
“Hey, you wanna hear something totally crazy?”
Or…
“Hey, did you know your family thinks you’re a human ATM?”
Neither really works. But it isn’t the kind of topic that lends itself to a delicate intro.
At least I got Mom to let me keep working and back off on adding five more bodyguards. So I guess Sunday wasn’t entirely wasted.
Still, I have to do something about the fact that Mr. Choi and Ms. Kim are going to be hanging around constantly. I generally haven’t had a problem with them hovering, but I wasn’t in a relationship before. Mr. Choi and Ms. Kim both started working for me in the last three years. And I’ve been in an anti-dating phase to ensure my parents didn’t dream futile dreams. That would’ve been cruel, and I’m a good daughter.
Now I wish Declan and I were in Korea, and I wasn’t working for him. Then we could meet at a hotel restaurant for lunch or dinner, and sneak in a couple of hours to ourselves in one of the many suites.
Mr. Choi shows up at Ivy’s place with Ms. Kim. I climb into the car, and he shuts the door.
“Lady Min said I can work instead of you, in case you’ve changed your mind,” Ms. Kim says.
I give her a thin smile. She’s just doing her job. “I haven’t.”
“But if you need anything—”
“I’ll most definitely let both of you know. Until then, you can assume that I don’t.” I make sure to add some wattage to my smile.
The drive is quiet. Not even the navigation directions are audible, because Mr. Choi has an earpiece. When we arrive at Declan’s mansion, Mr. Choi opens the door for me. I step out and turn to Mom’s spies.
“Why don’t you two go hang out at a nearby café or something?”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Ms. Kim says.
“We need to keep you safe.” Mr. Choi smiles and bows.
“You don’t see Eugene’s bodyguard tagging around after him at his office. You know why? Because it’s safe inside.” I gesture behind me. “Just like I’m safe inside that mansion.”
Ms. Kim looks pained. “But you are not your brother.”
I shoot her a look that says how dare she contradict me. “Don’t be a sexist, Ms. Kim.”
“But it’s true. We can’t have you be alone with a man,” Mr. Choi adds in an impassive tone, like it’s the most logical thing in the world.
“What do you think this is? The Joseon era?” I shoot back, referring to a particularly female-unfriendly Korean dynasty that started in the fourteenth century. The founders were in love with Confucius and said boys and girls shouldn’t be in the same room together if they were over the age of seven. Those old-fashioned fools would have a stroke if they saw a modern elementary school.
Mr. Choi and Ms. Kim both look back at me blandly. Which means they aren’t budging.
“If you don’t stop, I’m sending you both to internal audit.” This is stooping shamefully low, but it’s the best threat in my arsenal.
“If we don’t go in there with you, Lady Min will be exiling both of us to internal audit. Forever,” Ms. Kim says.
Damn it. Mom neutralized my most effective weapon. If it’s me or Mom, Dad will choose Mom because he values his marriage too much. And he has to live with her. He hasn’t stayed in charge of a multibillion-dollar conglomerate by being stupid.
“You won’t even notice we’re there,” Mr. Choi says.
Yeah, right, because his death glare is so subtle. But I sigh and march into the mansion with the two tagging along behind me.
Declan starts to wave from the kitchen, then stops when he notices my entourage. “Oh. I didn’t realize they were coming.”
“My mother’s orders.” I mouth, Sorry.
Declan gives them an “I wasn’t expecting you, but welcome anyway” smile and gestures at the fridge. “Do you want anything for breakfast?”
I want to tell him not to offer them anything, although it would be petty as hell. And very un-Korean to be stingy with food. Mom would be embarrassed.
But I’m resentful, and how else am I going to express my displeasure?
“No, thank you,” Ms. Kim and Mr. Choi decline in stereo sound. They move to the living room and take a couch, turning so they can see me and Declan more clearly. Who needs video surveillance when you have these two?
“They’re going to be here until…?” Declan asks in a low voice.
“Until Benedict comes back. Which is ridiculous, and I’m really sorry. But they promised they won’t get in the way.”
He leans closer. “They’re already in the way because I can’t give you a good-morning kiss.”
Aww. I go warm all over thinking about it. “Same here. I’ll find a way to get us some privacy.”
“Deal.”
Thankfully, Mr. Choi and Ms. Kim do stay fairly unobtrusive. But it still drives me crazy, because the most Declan and I can do is brush hands and exchange glances while we work through the morning mail.
Must. Figure. Something. Out.
Two hours after lunch, I think of the perfect way to get rid of the spy duo.
“Ms. Kim, can you get me a soy latte with extra whipped cream?” I ask politely in Korean.
“Of course.”
“Great. I’d like a venti from Coffee Heaven. Their stuff is amazing.”
She looks up the café. Then frowns and tries again. Finally, she clears her throat, her cheeks slightly flushed. She’s likely overcome with her own professional failure. “I’m sorry, but I can only find one. And it’s forty minutes away from here.”
“Oh, no need to apologize. That’s the only one.”
A corner of her eye twitches. “Must it be that café? The latte will be cold by the time I bring it back.”
“Yes, it must. That’s the best café in the area. But I totally hear you on the cold coffee. That’s why you’re taking Mr. Choi with you, so he can drive you fast.”
“I don’t think he can shorten the time to an acceptable amount, Ms. Hae.” Her words are stiffer than a leather folio.
“Probably not, with the traffic starting and all. I guess you’ll need to take a thermos,” I say sweetly. “I can’t believe I’m having to come up with all the solutions here. But I don’t mind too much, since I like you. A lot.” I grin. “Also bring a macchiato for Declan. He probably needs a caffeine boost too.”
“Of course, Ms. Hae.” She’s speaking smoothly, but I can see her jaw muscles flexing.
“And since I’m feeling generous, get some coffee for yourself and Mr. Choi as well. My treat.”
“Thank you.” Mr. Choi’s tone says he’d rather pay for his own coffee and stick around.
I wave at her and Mr. Choi. “Bye, now. Drive safely. If you get ticketed for speeding, it’s coming out of your pay.”
They leave together. I wait until I see the black Mercedes disappear and turn to Declan and spread my arms. “Ta-da! We’re alone!”
“Damn. How did you do that? She looked like she’d rather eat trash out of the compactor.”
“I sent her on a coffee run.” She didn’t bother to take a thermos. She knows it isn’t about the soy latte.
“Oh.” Declan sighs, his shoulders drooping a little. “That isn’t much time.”
“I think a little over an hour is plenty. Don’t you?” I shoot him an impish grin. “I sent them off to Caffeine Heaven, like a boss!”
His gray eyes light up. “Ooh. Well, then. It’d be a shame to waste the opportunity.”
�
��It definitely would—”
His mouth comes down over mine and our lips fuse. Our tongues tangle, and I moan as pleasure shivers down my spine. It’s been so damn long since we kissed, tasted each other like this.
His large, strong hands roam over my body. Even through the clothes, all my nerve endings are going crazy, like lit firecracker fuses. My heart is thundering, and I swear each boom is saying only one word—want, want, want.
I wrap my arms around his neck and press closer, needing a tighter connection, and kiss him even harder. I want to devour him. All the way from his head to his toes.
I should’ve sent Ms. Kim and Mr. Choi to a café in Arizona.
Declan pushes my skirt up, his palms hot against my suddenly bare thighs. He hooks his fingers in my underwear and tugs at the flimsy lace thong. The scrap of silk and lace falls, and I’m perched against the kitchen counter.
“You’re kinda hot when you get bossy,” he says, placing little kisses along my jaw line.
“Mmm. I do like being bossy.” I tunnel my fingers through his warm, soft hair and smile with satisfaction. Everything about his body is amazing. It’s like God specced him out exactly to my taste. “Especially when it gets me what I want.”
“I had a dirty dream about you once.” His breath tickles my ear.
Hot shivers run down my spine. “Only once?”
“Okay, more than once.”
I laugh at his honesty and reach down and cup his cock. It’s already rock hard against my palm. “I can totally make your dreams come true.”
His chest rumbles with a low laugh. “Good, because I want to devour you like the boss you are.”
He drops to his knees, spreading my legs, and positions himself between my thighs. He trails kisses along the sensitive skin along my inner thighs, using his lips and tongue.
I grip the counter behind me with shaky hands. I’ve never done this standing up. But I like it. It makes me feel hot and powerful to have a man as big and strong as Declan at my feet, ready to pleasure me.
His breath fans against my folds, and my whole body clenches with anticipation. I can feel warmth radiating from his mouth even though it’s not on me yet.
“I never understood the appeal of pink until now. It’s absolutely the hottest color.”
My face heats with need and the tiniest bit of embarrassment. Nobody’s ever commented about my lady parts.
His mouth closes over me, and it’s as if an electric shock strikes. I stiffen, then sigh, as a bliss I’ve never known starts between my legs. Declan works his clever mouth and tongue against me. He seems to know exactly what kind of strokes I like, how much pressure to apply.
I clench his hair. He makes a sound low in his throat and licks me like I’m the tastiest candy he’s ever had. His fingers invade, and I clench around them, loving the slick friction.
The pleasure builds, and all I can feel is Declan. An orgasm rips through me, and I shudder and scream, my whole body going tight, then trembling uncontrollably.
He stands, holding me tightly as I shake with the aftermath of the climax, and kisses me. I cling to him, cherishing the intimacy of the moment.
“I want you inside me,” I whisper against his glistening lips. They’re flushed red, and I didn’t realize how gorgeous and delicious a man’s mouth can look. “I want to feel you move inside me and come with your arms wrapped around me.”
His lust-glazed eyes darken to a deeper shade of gray. I can’t look away from the smoldering need blazing in their depths.
He reaches into his pocket and takes out a condom, shoves his pants and underwear down and puts it on. Then he’s sliding into me, and I’m clinging to him with my arms around his neck and legs around his hips.
Oh. My. God.
Gravity and my own weight work together. He glides in so, so deep, and my vision goes white with stunning pleasure and the unbelievably tight connection between us… Agh!
“Did you just come again?”
“Yes,” I pant out, blinking to focus. “I’ve never done that before.”
“Jesus. Now you almost made me come.”
I laugh, pleased at his reaction. I like it that he’s into this as much as me. The more he wants me, the more I want him back. It’s like we’re feeding off each other’s desire.
He grips my ass, and I let out a soft moan, then kiss him as I bounce up and down his hard shaft, and he moves himself, making me feel good. He seems completely attuned to me, because he adjusts just so to maximize my pleasure, even though we’re at each other like animals in heat.
Air saws in and out of his lungs, shallow and rough. I tighten my hold on him as tension builds inside me for another huge climax.
When I come, sobbing his name against his mouth, he shudders, his cock spurting inside. I lay a kiss on the throbbing pulse point on his neck and close my eyes.
It’s insane how easily I can throw away my inhibitions with him. It hasn’t even been an hour and I already came three times. My whole body feels like goo, like it often does after an orgasm. But so does my heart…and that’s never happened after sex.
Everything I do is the result of a complicated calculation, which is done instantly. I’ve done it all my life, ever since I was old enough to talk.
My preferences are always clear. I know what I like and what I don’t, even if I can’t explain my reasons.
I’m constantly aware of my family’s reputation, its position and its place in society. The responsibilities that come with being a member of said family.
Then I factor in my own desire. Just how much do I want what I want?
Afterward, I know what I’m going to do.
Being with Declan complicates things with my family. But I want him too much to give him up.
With Declan, I have someone on my team, somebody who wants me to do what makes me happy and is one hundred percent behind my decisions. My friends are like that too, but he’s different.
He makes me feel like a beautiful, desirable woman who deserves to be loved for who she is, rather than what her family has.
The dossier men want what my family represents, and I’m just a means to an end. To Declan, I am the end.
And I realize I’m hopelessly in love with him.
Chapter Forty-Three
Declan
Ever since Mr. Choi and Ms. Kim started to hang around, Yuna has gone home at five sharp. Not because she wants to, but because Mr. Choi and Ms. Kim rush her out. They seem to think that the longer she’s in the same house as me, the more she’s going to be corrupted.
I almost want to hire a crew to stage an accident and create a huge traffic jam every time they go to Caffeine Heaven. Both ways.
Now, at five fifteen, the mansion feels cavernous and empty without Yuna. Which is weird. I’ve never felt this way about my home before. I love this place, with its gorgeous view of the Pacific. The moment I achieved success, I bought it. As a tangible sign I was going to be okay.
I’m not the kid who was alone and scared after his mom’s death. And his father’s cowardly refusal to take him in.
My phone buzzes. I jump for it, hoping it’s Yuna.
But nope. An unknown number.
–Unknown: Mr. Winters, can we talk?
Huh. Not a spam text. This is almost ominous. Like something out of a James Bond flick. The Unknown could be a man stroking a white cat in his lap while holding his iPhone in his free hand, a heavy ring winking on one of his fat, blunt fingers.
The phone rings. From the Unknown. I put it on speaker.
“Yes?” I say, wondering if I’m going to hear a cat purr.
“Mr. Winters. This is Ms. Lim, calling on behalf of Lady Min.”
“Who?”
“Ms. Hae’s mother.”
“Oh. You mean Mrs. Hae.”
“Lady Min. Korean women do not take their husbands’ names after marriage.” Ms. Lim’s voice is flat.
“Sorry,” I say, feeling like I’ve been chastised for being culturally unaware. But
how was I supposed to know? I assumed Mrs. Hae would be fine, since she never told me to call her by her name.
“An apology isn’t required, Mr. Winters. Are you free this evening to have dinner with Lady Min?”
Definitely ominous. “Is Yuna coming?” Say yes.
There’s a pause. “It’s about Ms. Hae.”
Okay, so that means she isn’t coming. Damn. I don’t really feel like going. The last dinner I had with Yuna’s mom around was awkward. And she couldn’t have made it clearer that she didn’t care for me because of my career choice.
But at the same time, it’s Yuna’s mom. Although Yuna’s stubborn enough to do what she wants, and I’m certain she isn’t going to let her mom tell her who to date, that doesn’t mean I want to upset her mother by ignoring an invitation for dinner. Given how much Yuna cares about her family, being rude to her mom might be enough of a reason for her to reconsider dating me.
So I’ll just suck it up and meet her mother for what’s guaranteed to be the most uncomfortable dinner ever. “Sure.”
“Excellent. Please come to Angelina at the Aylster Hotel by seven.”
“I’ll be there.”
I hang up, then go to the closet to see what I’m going to wear. I want to impress upon her that I’m successful and I don’t need to own a huge conglomerate to be a good match for Yuna.
I pick out a deep navy Brioni suit that I’ve only worn twice. It makes my eyes look blue-gray, and it should be good enough for Lady Min. A silk burgundy tie will go well with it. I hesitate over cologne. After a moment, I decide on just a dash of it. Then some wax in my hair to slick it back.
There. I look good enough to sell heaters in Havana. And I’m as ready as I can be for this dinner.
I head out. Rush-hour traffic is a nightmare, but I manage to arrive at the restaurant on time. The slinkily dressed hostess takes me to the same table from Saturday. Surprisingly, the entire place is empty. Weird.
Lady Min’s already seated. She’s impeccably dressed in a jade-green dress, her makeup flawless. Her skin’s still amazingly smooth, and diamonds twinkle from her ears, throat and fingers. I can see where Yuna got her fashion sensibilities.
