The Asian One: BWAM, Asian Man, Billionaire Romance (Relatives From Money Book 5)

by Samantha Drake

  “I could get used to this.” Hyung groaned as he slightly pulled away. Their lips were no longer touching but their foreheads were pressing against each other. “How am I going to hold back at the office?” he asked as he brushed his thumb against her chocolate skin.

  “Well, we can start practicing now,” Talia teased as she stepped back. “How about we go out before night falls?”

  “And they say I’m a tease,” he mumbled under his breath. “Fine! Let’s go.”

  Talia pretended not to hear the first part. Instead, she focused on the latter. She reached for her suitcase. If they were going to venture outside, she needed a few extra layers of clothes. Five minutes later, Talia was ready, she was just waiting for Hyung to get dressed as well. Suddenly, her phone rang. She wasn’t expecting a call, so she wondered who it could be. ‘Darwin Corporations’ flashed across her screen. She looked at Hyung and then back at her screen.

  “Darwin’s secretary is calling.”

  “They probably want to talk about the new date for the meeting.” Hyung shrugged as he went through his suitcase in search for his thick sweater.

  “Do you prefer any date?” Talia asked.

  “Any day will be fine. Just make sure it’s right after New Year’s day.” Talia nodded and walked towards the door.

  “I’ll take it outside.”

  Talia answered the phone before she stepped outside. No matter how much things had changed, she was still Hyung’s secretary. As she talked with the girl on the other end of the call Talia paced around the sitting area. The call had been short, they’d immediately agreed on a date. Luckily, Talia knew Hyung’s schedule like the back of her hand, so she didn’t even need to check with her agenda.

  A few minutes later, she was hanging up on the call, the date of the meeting was on her calendar and ready to be reported to Hyung. She had her back to the bedroom doo, so, as she ended the call, she turned on her heel. The minute she did that one of the doors opened, the one opposite to the one in which they were staying. Talia’s eyes froze on the door, even before someone appeared. Her lips parted the minute she met the familiar brown eyes. It was like the world froze, everything collapsed around her, leaving her breathless.

  One year had passed since she'd last seen that face. Since she'd been dumped over a text. Only that long had passed, but to her, it seemed like decades had gone by. She wasn’t sure how to react, what to say or do, and it was obvious James was in the same situation.

  “Talia!” he exclaimed once he finally gathered himself. “How—I—” he stuttered. Words came out of his mouth, but none of them formed a proper sentence. Then, before she even got to say anything, the sound of another door opening creaked through the thin air. Hyung emerged from the door, with his jacket hanging by his arm. He'd been smiling, but his smile slowly vanished as he looked between Talia and the man staring at her.

  “Hyung!” she exclaimed. Hyung was now standing beside her, his eyes traveling between her and James. She took in a deep breath and smiled. “Hyung, this is James. James, this is my boyfriend, Hyung.”

  The introduction had been weird and awkward. The tension between them was so thick that it could practically been seen. The two guys eyed one another, but Hyung was the first to extend a hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” James returned the shake. “We were about to go for a walk, would you like to join?” Talia knew Hyung had only offered out of curtsy. Talia hoped James wouldn’t be the jerk she remembered, but how lucky could a girl get?

  “I’d love to.” Hyung and Talia shared a look and then sighed. It looked like their trip wasn’t going to be exactly as they’d imagined. “But how about we get some coffee instead, it’s really cold outside.”

  Hyung and Talia exchanged a look. She was dying to shake her head, to just drop everything and drag Hyung back into the bedroom. But she was out of luck.

  “Sure, let’s go.”

  Chapter 10

  “So, you're Hyung Harrison?” James asked as he leaned over the table. Talia closed her eyes and sank into her chair. She wondered what she'd seen in him. James was an idiot on so many levels. “Whoa! Talia, you always dreamed of working for such a big company! You scored big.”

  Talia didn’t answer. What was there to say? He was speaking in such an arrogant way. He’d always hated having someone better than him around. And he knew that Hyung was above him in so many ways. So, he tried to point everything out himself and pretend none of it was bothering him. Too bad that Talia saw right through him. He seemed to forget how well she knew him.

  “Well, she’s a smart woman. Any company would be lucky to get her.”

  “So, is that how you met?” Talia wasn’t sure where he was going with it, but it surely wasn’t just small talk.

  “We met abroad. She started working for me later. I wasn’t the one who hired her, so don’t worry, being hired was all to Talia’s own credit.” Talia smiled and placed her hand on top of his. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Jame’s eyes on them. They followed her hand up until it came to rest on Hyung’s.

  “What about you? When did you return from Europe?” Talia asked.

  “A few months ago.”

  “What happened to the company that hired you?” Talia made sure not to mention anything about the girl with whom he cheated on her. She didn’t want to make him think she cared. She’d gotten over the incident long ago. She didn’t care about James even a bit. She didn’t even resent him the way she used to. Hyung was the one responsible for that. He’d grown to take over her entire heart. With him there, nothing seemed to matter anymore. No one was worthy of her feelings, not even the negative ones.

  He was about to answer but the sound of Hyung’s cell phone suddenly interrupted their rather awkward conversation. Hyung looked at the phone and exhaled loudly.

  “Sorry, I have to take this,” Hyung said. Talia smiled and nodded. However, she wished he hadn’t been obliged to take it. She didn’t want to be left alone with James. She knew how awkward it would be. The words they’d exchanged so long ago were still ringing in her years. Hyung walked out of the little coffee area downstairs. Talia reached for the cup of tea she’d been sipping from. She used it as an excuse, as a means to escape the burning feeling of his eyes on her.

  “You know, I remember seeing an article that stated he was engaged to some Korean rich girl. What happened to her?” Talia knew James would attack as soon as Hyung would walk away, but she didn’t expect him to throw such a low blow.

  “They weren’t engaged. And I don’t see why I have to give you any explanations.” Talia didn’t hesitate to express her anger and annoyance. He was just as she remembered, an annoying piece of—

  “Okay, sorry, sorry. You’re right.” James sighed as he sank deeper into his chair. “I guess you’re still mad. But I don’t blame you. I did a horrible thing to you. But I guess that no one realizes what they have until they lose it.” His voice had changed completely. It was now low and soothing, but lacking any bit of sincerity. “I still care about you, Talia. In fact, I came here because I needed some time to think and reflect on all the mistakes that I’ve made. What were the chances that you’d show up? If this isn’t fate, I don’t know what it is.” Talia was at a loss of words. And not in a good way. She wondered how someone could be so selfish and so—she couldn’t even find a word to describe him.

  “You do realize my boyfriend is under this roof, right?” Talia asked. “In fact, he’ll be back any time now.”

  James didn’t seem moved by her words. On the contrary, he ignored them altogether.

  “Yes, he’s there and you're here. He brought you on a ‘romantic’ getaway but he still takes business calls. He even made you work. I heard you talking to someone on the phone earlier. Can’t you see, Talia, you're nothing but a secretary to him. He's just playing nice with you because he wants an adventure,” he said without even the slightest bit of decency. “He’s just some Asian guy that must feel lucky to have had the opportunity to c
ome here. He will never be worthy of you. But to me, you are so much more. I might have messed up, but I still love you, Talia. I wanted to talk to you, but you came to me before I even got the guts to do so. Doesn’t that count as anything?”

  Talia wondered if she was the only one annoyed by his words. She looked at him and wondered how someone could be so ignorant. They'd met again after months, he should have felt happy she even spoke to him. She was there with her boyfriend and he still didn’t hesitate to spew so much nonsense at the earliest opportunity.

  “Don’t you ever even dare repeat those words,” Talia hissed between her teeth. “You don’t regret what you did. Not even a bit. And I don’t care either. I am over what happened. You know why? Because I love Hyung. He is more than you can dream of being. You thought you were irreplaceable, that’s why you were so shocked when you saw me with Hyung. That’s why you’re trying to waltz back into my life with meaningless and stupid confirmations,” she angrily spat. “Hyung is not some Asian guy that was lucky enough to receive everything on a silver platter. He is a guy who worked his butt off to keep alive what his father left behind. I know it’s inconvenient to acknowledge that. It’s hard to admit you are a total screw up when someone else is so high up there,” she sarcastically said. “I tried to be nice to you. I hoped you'd changed, but you didn’t. So, next time we meet, let’s not even greet each other.” Talia didn’t wait for an answer, she just stood up and marched out of the parlor. Hyung was just outside the door. He was still tucking his phone in one of his pockets when he spotted her.

  He looked at her with furrowed brows, clearly noticing the frustration written across her face. Talia took in a deep breath and walked up to him, her hand reaching for his.

  “How about we go back upstairs? We can enjoy the snow tomorrow.” Talia was sad that her day had been ruined. She and Hyung had had such high hopes. But maybe some time with Hyung would help salvage whatever was left of the day.

  “Did he say anything? Do you want me to go talk some sense into him?” Talia loved it when he acted like that. It made her feel protected. But, she would never want him to actually act upon those things. James wasn’t worth a scene.

  “Yes. Jame’s a dick. But I gave him a piece of my mind. Now, let’s go upstairs and enjoy whatever is left of this day.”

  Hyung hesitated for a moment. He looked at her, and then back at the door through which she’d walked. It took him a second but eventually he sighed and nodded.

  “Go upstairs. I’ll let Mrs. Cannon know we’ll have our dinner in our room.” Talia looked him dead in the eye “I promise, I won’t do anything. I’ll ignore him if I see him.” Hyung chuckled as he lowered his lips so he could peck her lips.

  Talia smiled and nodded.

  “Okay. Don’t take too long.”

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  Hyung returned upstairs after taking the empty dishes back to the kitchen. It had been his way of stepping out for a while while Talia took her hot shower. He took his time to walk back to their room. He took advantage of the silence to reflect on the events that had happened earlier that day. Talia’s words were still vividly playing in the back of her mind. He remembered each word vividly, even the tone with which she’d spoken them was as clear as day. He’d heard her conversation with James from the beginning but had acted like he hadn’t. His reason had been pretty clear, too. Talia had confessed something to James, something she hadn’t even dared tell him. And although her words might have been spoken just to prove a point, he didn’t want to embarrass her and let her know he’d heard it all. There was another reason as well. He'd been touched by her speech, by the way she’d defended him even when he wasn’t around. He didn’t know what to say to that. How to thank her for the words that had infiltrated his heart. Hyung took in a deep breath and wondered how they’d gotten there? Talia had confessed to having the same constant question, to feeling the same surreal emotion when it came to their relationship.

  By the time Hyung reached their bedroom, Talia was already out. Her hair was still up in a messy bun, the one in which she’d thrown it so it won’t get wet. There were small drop of water on her neck, right where the collar of the bathrobe stopped. She was with his back to him, searching for something through her suitcase.

  “You’re back,” she greeted but didn’t turn around.

  “Yeah. I stayed a bit to talk to Mrs. Cannon. Apparently our neighbor next door checked out before dinner,” Hyung said as he sat on the edge of the bed. Talia had stopped rumbling through her suitcase and was now looking at him. There wasn’t any particular feeling crossing her face, she was just happy they didn’t have to see his face again.

  “Is he the one?” Hyung asked after a moment of silence. “The one you talked to me about back in Korea?”

  Hyung had remembered the conversation the second he saw him. She hadn’t introduced him as her ex, but he would have been stupid not to realize the tension pointing to a rough patch. The answer to the question wasn’t really important. He couldn't care less about the guy. He was a douche, and he was lucky that Talia even considered him at a point in time.

  “Yeah,” Talia nodded as she pursed her lips. She was still standing over her bag, but her attention was now on him. “I always knew he wasn’t a good guy. But when we were in high school everyone encouraged us dating, and I guess it started as a kind of influence. Then it became one of those toxic habits. When we broke up, I wasn’t really affected by us breaking up as much as I was affected by my poor decisions. I had walked on my pride and on what my heart really wanted, and in the end, he had been the one to replace me first.” Hyung listened to Talia’s confession silently. “I’m sorry, I know it’s weird to talk about my ex.”

  It would have been. Hyung was also a jealous guy. But Talia spoke of everything so emptily that the story no longer held any romantic link to her. It was only a simple story of her past. And he wanted to know those little stories. He was curious about them, about who she was beyond what he saw.

  “For better or worse,” Hyung said after a moment of silence, “I owe the guy.” Hyung chuckled, earning a frown from a confused Talia.

  “Because of his stupidity fate brought you to me.” Hyung wasn’t used to saying cheesy and romantic things, but it was only natural when he was around Talia. He loved seeing her speechless, seeing her reacting to his meaningful words. Whenever that would happen she would look away, as if to hide her reaction. He found her shyness cute.

  Talia bit her lip and busied herself with her hands. Hyung chuckled and rose from the edge of the bed. She didn’t raise her gaze to meet his, not even when he’d come to stand dangerously close. Hyung placed a finger under her chin and tilted it upwards. His brown pools melted with the hazel ones in front of him. Her skin was still hot from the shower, her heat sipped through him. His gaze lowered when he noticed another drop of water sliding down her neck. Hyung swallowed the lump in his throat and reached to wipe it away. His finger slid across her skin, making her tense under his touch. Then, his finger trailed further down and past her collar bone. It snaked inside her bathrobe, and over her bare breast. She was warm and damp from the shower, and the combination made his insides burn.

  Talia didn’t move under his touch. She wasn’t even breathing. Her eyes were following his hand, her pupils played and dilated beneath the constant light.

  She gasped when he pinched her nipple, releasing her lower lip from the bite. His eyes never left her face, on the contrary, he watched her closer with a smirk playing acr
oss his lips. It was worth it, he loved the different lustful reactions he got when he undid opened the robe with his other hand. The sides of the blue cover-up parted, revealing the perfectly curved body that he’d grown so addicted to. He loved teasing her, but he couldn’t take it much longer either. He was only human himself.

  Before either of them could acknowledge it he closed the distance between them. He crashed his lips on hers. There was nothing gentle about the kiss. It was violent and needy, resembling the hunger of a predator after days of starvation.

  Talia’s lips were like rose-petals against his. They were so soft, so delicate and fragile, yet just as strong. They were innocent, however. No, they were as sinful as his. They tugged and pulled at his lower lip, luring him straight into hell. Hyung groaned and pulled her upwards, so that her legs would now straddle him. They were closer to the bed, but he wasn’t thinking. So instead of laying her there, he pinned her against the wall. She struggled with his shirt, but eventually managed to discard it before her back came into contact with the wall.

  Hyung pulled back for a second and looked at her. Her hair was messier, her lips were swollen, but he loved the look. Mostly because he knew it was all because of him. A groan rumbled through his chest as he lowered his mouth onto her neck. She still smelled of coconut butter, the smell made him dizzy. It removed whatever control he still had.

  He sucked and licked every inch of her neck, he even made sure to leave a mark on her shoulder. She was his, and that was his personal mark. Talia pulled and tugged at his hair. She breathed heavily, her chest moving beneath him. Her nipples were pressing against his chest, teasing him, but not for long. He reached them soon enough, ready to return the favor.