by Arthurs, Nia
“I think it’s cute though. Even though Sun Gi likes you, he decided to be faithful to Hanna.”
Jo’s heart perked. “You think he might be interested in me?”
“Definitely. He came to pick you up when you were drunk, took you for a walk, fed you…”
“Now I sound like his pet.”
“No one kisses their pet.”
“You haven’t seen my Aunt Wei with her dog.”
Jewel grimaced.
Sky’s eyes twinkled. “I’m happy for you. Really.”
“I’m glad someone is because I’m thinking of writing my resignation letter.”
“Don’t.” Sky winked. “I have a feeling everything is going to work out.”
“Can’t I just stay here all day with you and Jewel?” Jo pouted.
Sky steered her around. Nudging her toward the door, she cheered. “You can do it! Put on a snappy pair of pants and apologize to your boss for coming on to him when he’s almost married.”
“Sky…” Jo whined.
Heartlessly, Sky kicked her out on the street.
Jo slinked into her car and drove home to take a proper shower. After getting ready, she drove to work.
The closer she got to the office, the more jittery Jo became. She almost stopped and turned back countless times, but an internal drive to make up for her mistake forced her to continue.
Fifteen minutes later, she crept toward Sun Gi’s office door. It was firmly locked. She pressed her ear to the surface and listened. Jo didn’t hear anyone moving around behind there.
Good. That meant Sun Gi hadn’t arrived yet.
She breathed out in relief.
Her exhale ended on a pathetic wail as the door suddenly gave way. Unprepared for the movement, she barreled forward, arms wind-milling.
Sun Gi caught her, holding her up with his hands on either side of her waist. Jo blinked in shock before she came to her senses and scrambled away from his touch.
Where his hands had brushed hers seared her like fire and prickles of attraction pinched her heart. She wished she could cut these feelings off, wished she was a better person.
But there was no taking back what she’d done.
“Morning,” Sun Gi said. His expression was hard to read. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine. Great!”
He nodded.
Panicked, Jo sucked in a deep breath and then blurted in Korean, “Joe-song-habnida. I’m sorry. Last night was a mistake. Please pretend it never happened.”
She stayed bent over, too afraid to look Sun Gi in the eyes. Shame crawled over her entire body and made her squirm.
Sun Gi said nothing and the silence only magnified her torture.
At last, she straightened and peeked at her boss.
His square jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on her face. He looked… angry.
I am so getting fired today.
27
A mistake. Sun Gi rattled his pen on the desk and stared at Jo through his open door. She was typing something on her computer, focused and attentive. Frustrated, he raked trembling fingers through his hair.
Screw it. I should have just kissed her.
Sun Gi scratched his cheek and glared at his computer screen.
He wanted Joana Lee Gregory.
Desired her more than anyone in his entire life.
He wanted the sultry Nightingale whose voice could bind a man like Wonder Woman’s lasso. He wanted the charming woman who screamed like a banshee and ate tacos like a truck driver.
Thing was… he didn’t just want to sleep with her—although that was pretty high on his list of priorities. He wanted to make her laugh. Find out what made her tick.
But he couldn’t have her.
He shouldn’t.
Guilt and desire waged war on his heart. It would be easy—so easy—to just act on his instincts, drag Jo into his office, lay her flat on his desk and work out his frustration until she couldn’t even walk.
She liked him.
He liked her.
Nothing was stopping him.
Nothing except his word.
He’d promised his fiancée three months. He’d made a commitment. And if he couldn’t uphold that commitment now, there was no way in hell he’d keep it if—when they got married.
So he sulked instead, like a petulant child who’d been told he couldn’t play with his favorite toy. Except Sun Gi was a man and throwing temper tantrums wasn’t a luxury afforded to him.
A tap on his door made him look up. Jo stood bracketed in the light. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and she wore a simple blouse over a pair of brown pants that hugged every curve. She looked more beautiful today than she had yesterday.
Sun Gi sat up. “Hey.”
“Bo Young called and said she’d be in a little late. She has a doctor’s appointment today.” Jo’s voice was calm and steady, but he saw her thumb ticking against her wrist. “Do you want some coffee?”
“You’re offering to bring me coffee now?”
“It’s my job.” She lifted her chin.
He studied her, unsure of what to say to that.
Jo took note of his silence and turned swiftly. “I’ll take your silence as a no. I’ll be outside if you need me.”
Forcing his gaze away from her swaying hips, he noticed his phone lighting up with a call.
It was Eun Jung.
He picked up and heard her shriek, “Sun Gi, I’m so sorry. I forgot to return your call yesterday. Was it important?”
“It’s alright.” He got up and closed the door for privacy. “I wanted to check if Brighton had been in touch with you.”
“Did he do something?”
Sun Gi explained his feeling of being watched yesterday in the parking lot. “He’s my primary suspect.”
“Oh no.” Eun Jung gasped. “Well, I did hear from Brighton, but he didn’t seem angry and he didn’t threaten me. He apologized for the way he behaved that day and confessed to taking the inventory. He also offered to pay for them.”
“Wow.”
“His only request was that I didn’t tell Jo the truth.”
Sun Gi’s eyes sailed to the locked door. “Is that so?”
“He must like her a lot,” Eun Jung mused. “Do you think she likes him back?”
No, Jo likes me. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“Well, what do you want me to do? Should I press charges?”
“No. It’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He discussed a few other matters with Eun Jung while she was on the line and then hung up.
Sun Gi stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. So Brighton had confessed to stealing from the inventory. Should he tell Jo or not?
He mulled the question over in the back of his mind as he worked. Around ten o’clock, he got up to use the bathroom and ran into Jo in the hallway.
“Hey.”
She wiped her hands on her pants. “Hey.”
“Just going to the bathroom,” he said. As if he needed to explain that.
“Yeah.” She hefted her mug. “I made myself some tea.”
They stood there awkwardly, staring at each other.
Jo glanced away first. “I should get back to work.”
“Sure.” He slid left to get out of her way, but Jo moved that direction too. He dodged right, found that she’d had the same idea and rubbed the back of his neck. “You first.”
“Sorry.” Jo winced. When she looked up at him, her brown eyes were thoughtful. “We’re not… going to be this awkward forever, right?”
He said nothing. Unfortunately, he couldn’t predict the future.
Jo’s smile dimmed and she scampered away.
Over the next week, their stiff interactions plagued them both. Having her this close wrecked his mind. He wanted to touch her, feel her softness against his hardness, breathe in her scent.
The way things were going for him right now, he’d have to transfer Jo to another store just so he could concentrate. Bo Young was about
to go on leave and he couldn’t imagine how much harder it would be to restrain himself once his secretary-turned-chaperone left him and Jo alone in the office.
He spent the weekend on his yacht alone to gather his thoughts. There was something about the glorious waves of the Caribbean Sea that put things into perspective.
On Monday morning, Jo’s first day as his official secretary, he headed to work with a clear mind and a renewed commitment to Hanna. Nothing would happen between him and Jo during the rest of his three-month vow to her.
But after that?
He was calling off the wedding. It was time for this farce to stop.
Sun Gi felt peace about the decision. A feeling that fled the moment he stepped into his office and found Hanna sitting in his chair. Jo stood in the corner, stiff and tight-lipped.
He went on alert. “Hanna, when did you get here?”
“A few minutes ago,” she said, a tired smile on her pink lips. For the first time since he’d known her, Hanna looked disheveled. Her hair was in a sloppy ponytail. She wore a plain T-shirt over skinny jeans.
“Jo?”
“I came to the office to see if you needed anything before I headed to the opening ceremony for Joon’s store. Bo Young said it was okay.”
“I don’t need anything. Go ahead.” Sun Gi nodded.
Jo grabbed her purse and trotted for the door.
“Hey, Jo,” Hanna called out.
She froze. “Yes?”
“Thank you,” Hanna said, “for taking such good care of my fiancé while I was away.”
Jo’s face went blotchy. Her eyes darted to his. Guilt danced in her strained smile as she nodded. “No problem.”
Hanna grinned and got to her feet as Jo left. “She’s stunning, isn’t she? That gorgeous brown skin. Her curls. Her eyes—I mean, damn, right? ”
“How’s your grandmother?” he asked, striding for his desk.
“She’s better.” Hanna followed him, her heels clacking against the tiles. “Not that you would know. You didn’t call me once.”
“I texted.”
“And as much as I appreciate that, I don’t think it’s enough.” Hanna draped herself into the chair across from his desk and looked him square in the eyes. “I have a confession to make.”
He appraised her. “Let me guess. Your Halmoni isn’t really sick. You went to Korea to get back with Tyler and now you’re dumping me for true love?”
She barked out a laugh. “No, my Halmoni was sick and Tyler wasn’t even in Korea.”
He frowned. Well, now I look like a jerk. “Sorry.”
“You like Jo, don’t you?” Hanna’s mouth quirked.
His gaze landed on the desk.
“Don’t try and hide it. Sky already told me everything. How you’d wait in line at Sweet Treats just to see her. And that Nightingale was her performance name. Everything.”
Sun Gi blinked. “Wait, you knew about that? Then why…?”
“Why’d I confess my undying love to you? It was an act.” The strain in her eyes faded as mischief took over. “Did you really think I was the type of woman who would chase a man, beg him to love her? I have more pride than that.”
“You played me.”
Hanna bobbed her head. “Exactly.”
“But… why?”
“Sky wanted to make sure you were good enough for her friend. And I wanted to know,” she sucked in a breath, “how much of my heart you were willing to break to please yourself.”
“I can’t believe this.”
“Joana told Sky about the night she kissed you.” Hanna tilted her head. “And about you stopping yourself from kissing her back. For my sake. Even though you didn’t love me, you were honoring me. That’s a man we can trust.”
The shock was starting to fade, replaced with anger. “You messed with me, Hanna. You lied to me.”
“I’m sorry. It wasn’t my idea. After the whole Tyler-inspection craziness, I owed Sky.”
“What about our wedding? What about the invitations and the reservations—?”
“Canceled. Thankfully, I’d only given invitations to a few friends. There’s no financial loss on that front. I was dragging my foot on this just like you were.”
He blew out a breath. “So it’s really over? Just like that.”
“Just like that.” Hanna wiggled the massive diamond off her finger. “This belongs to you.”
He took the ring and watched it gleam. “Are you going to be okay?”
“My parents will be pissed, but they’ll have to fly to Korea to scream at me.”
He glanced up. “You’re moving?”
“My Halmoni is okay, but she’s getting old and she needs someone to watch over her. I’ll run her boutique business in Korea. At least there, I won’t have anyone constantly barking on my marital status.”
He rounded the desk and offered his hand. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.”
“I wouldn’t say it was a pleasure.” She winked and shook his hand. “But it was nice.” He smiled and then glanced over his shoulder at the empty receptionist desk. Hanna caught the direction of his gaze and chuckled. “Go after her.”
He galloped backward. “I truly wish you the best.”
“Uh-huh.”
Sun Gi spun and shot out of the store. His chest expanded with every breath he took. Hanna had played him, sure, but his commitment to her had finally ended.
He was free to do what he wanted, to be with whom he wanted.
Jo.
Sun Gi pulled out his cell phone to call her and get a location when he heard footsteps thudding behind him. He whirled around, unnerved by the sound.
No one was there.
Adrenaline thumping through his veins, he focused on getting to his car. The shelter in the parking lot that was reserved only for him was empty.
Sun Gi pulled his keys out and went to open the door when he saw a shadow in the gleaming paint. His eyes widened. Before he could react, something hard crashed against the back of his head.
Pain splintered through his skull.
He thudded to the concrete as his world went black.
28
His eyes burst open. Darkness. Am I blind? He blinked and saw the hazy outline of a wall in the distance. So he still had sight; he just couldn’t see.
Sun Gi tried to move but couldn’t. He snapped his wrist around and felt a harsh material cut against him. It seared his skin. A rope. He’d been tied up.
Someone moaned.
He stiffened, gaze bouncing around the room until he saw the outline of a man in a chair. Sun Gi leaned forward. “Who’s there?”
“Sun Gi?” a familiar voice croaked.
“Joon?” He couldn’t see his big brother, but the fact that he wasn’t alone in this hellhole made him instantly optimistic. “Joon, what happened? Where are we?”
“I have no idea. Ugh. My head is killing me. I think that guy tried to smash my skull in.”
“He hit you with a metal rod too?”
“Yeah.”
“Same with me,” Sun Gi said. “But the pain’s better now. Just a dull ache.”
“You’ve always been hard-headed. Guess that came in handy today,” Joon muttered.
“Is now really the best time to insult me?”
“Sorry.”
Sun Gi went silent and took stock of their dark prison. There was not an ounce of light, not even a pinprick. He couldn’t see a door or a window. He’d probably have to feel around to find an exit.
Joon spoke. “Sky will be worried about me. You think she’ll sense that something’s wrong and call the police?”
“That’s best-case scenario, right?” He sighed. “Worst-case, no one finds our bodies for a few weeks.”
“Who’d you piss off this time, donseng?” Joon growled.
“It wasn’t me! At least… I don’t think so.” Sun Gi frowned. “What about you? Did you try and bribe someone else to get this new store up?”
“Of course not. Sky w
ould kill me if she found out,” Joon mumbled.
“Then who’d want us both dead? Any ideas?”
“None.”
Sun Gi frowned. “Look, it doesn’t matter who put us here. We need to figure out a way to escape on our own.” His voice echoed in the room. “Since there’s no windows and I don’t hear any sounds from the street, I’m guessing we’re in a basement out in the woods.”
“It’s weird. This place feels… familiar to me.”
“Familiar?” Sun Gi’s eyebrows hiked. “It’s dark. How can you see anything that you recognize?”
“That’s why I told you it was weird,” Joon snapped.
“Whatever. I’m tied up over here. Can you reach your cellphone?”
“No. Whoever kidnapped us knew what they were doing. I’m locked tight.” Joon sighed. “And I need to pee.”
Sun Gi snickered.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying this.”
“Does it look like I’m enjoying this? I finally get to tell Jo how I feel and now I’m going to die.”
“Jo? Wait, you like Jo now? What about Hanna?”
“We had a talk and agreed to call off the wedding.”
Joon whistled. “How’s she going to tell her parents?”
“I don’t think she’s telling them anything. She’s running away to Korea.”
“Makes sense.”
They fell silent for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts.
“Well,” Joon’s voice was quiet, “if this is the last time I get to talk to you, I guess I should apologize.”
Sun Gi twisted his neck and stared at his brother’s outline. “For what?”
“Not being there when you were taking care of Dad. You shouldn’t have been alone. I’m sorry.”
Sun Gi sucked in a breath. “So am I.”
“For what?”
He cleared his throat. “For being a jerk to you. Stealing Hanna. It was stupid and immature of me.”
Joon laughed.
“What so funny?” Sun Gi demanded.
“For years and years, we fought like crazy, and now that some maniac is trying to murder us, we’re making up.”
Sun Gi chuckled. “I guess that is kind of funny.”
Then he laughed harder.
Their cackles bounced against the walls and echoed in his ears.
