✔Private Affair [Taennie Adaption]

6

"You want to get married? Are you crazy?" Jennie's voice went all high and squeaky, as if she'd been sucker punched.

"Hardly the resounding yes I was hoping for," he said wryly.

He loomed over her, trapping her between his body and the door. His lips twitched into what could only be described as a grin.

At work he was all single–minded determination. He brought that same focus to the bedroom. Being the focus of such intensity brought her nerve–rattling pleasure, but lately she'd found herself wondering if he ever relaxed and let his guard down.

So at the sign of his unexpected humor, she could only shake her head in exasperation. "Now you're laughing? Over this?"

"I do have a sense of humor."

"Obviously, but if this is any indication, it's not a very good one."

Then she was struck by a memory of him throwing back his head and laughing. The sort of full–bodied laughter that warmed her soul. It had been that first night, snowed in at the airport, trapped in the lounge for so long. Before she'd known he was Kim Taehyung, her soon–to–be boss. Before he'd realized she was an employee. Before she'd imposed so many restrictions on them.Ever since then, their relationship had been winnowed down to this narrow swath of hot sex and strained tension. She'd done this.

This was how it had to be. Wasn't it?

Professional success meant everything to her. She couldn't be like her mother, financially dependent on a man, held hostage by her love life.

Trying to focus on that, she forced herself to stand incredibly still, her feet planted firmly on the ground.

"Asking me to marry you is probably the least–funny joke I've ever heard. But I don't blame you. This is my fault. I should never have let this get out of hand."

"Out of hand?" he asked. He was no longer grinning, but his expression was too enigmatic for her to read.

"Yes." Unable to stand still anymore, she reached for her bag and shoved her laptop into it. "This is my life. My job. My responsibility. Every professional goal I've set for myself was within reach. I should never have let myself get distracted by great sex."

"Is that really how you see this?"

She rolled her eyes. Typical guy. "I'm trying to have a serious discussion here and you really want to pause so I can stroke your ego? Yes, the sex is great. You know that." Taehyung reached for her arm, snagging her attention with his touch. "Yes, I know the sex is great." The intensity of his gaze made something deep inside of her contract. "That's not what I was talking about. Do you really see this as nothing more than a distraction?"

She sucked in a deep breath. Between the look in his eyes and the heat of his hand on her arm—the sheer strength of his personality—she had trouble thinking. Forget trying to define their strange and complicated relationship.

"What do you want me to say?" Since they'd first met, their passion had blazed fast and strong. Her attraction had overwhelmed all of her common sense. "Being with you has distracted me from everything I've ever wanted."

"But is it nothing more than a distraction?"

"What more could it be?" And then the truth hit her. "Oh my God. You were serious about getting married, weren't you?"

"I may have a sense of humor, but I wouldn't joke about that. We're not teenagers and I'm tired of sneaking around. I want a real relationship outside the bedroom, but I'm tired of jumping through hoops for you. It's time to ante up. The only question is what you want."

What did she want?

The second the question filtered through her mind she knew the answer. She wanted him.She'd always wanted him. From the moment they'd met. From before that, even. He was the man her heart had dreamed of before she'd even known such a man existed. He was strong and smart. Confident without being overbearing.

And it terrified her how much she wanted to be with him.

Not thirty minutes ago, she imagined he might be dating someone else while sleeping with her. The very idea had made her shake. It had wrenched her heart right out of her chest.

Taehyung promised her he wasn't dating Irene and she believed him. His arguments were perfectly logical. Very rational. What scared her to the very core was how irrational she'd felt before hearing them. How completely vulnerable she'd felt. How exposed.

Hadn't she promised herself she'd never be that way with a man? Wasn't that why she wanted financial independence in the first place? So she'd never find herself at the mercy of a man's affection?

Yet here she was. Financially independent, but emotionally tied into so many knots she could barely function.

And still his question hung between them. What did she want?

To avoid giving a real answer, she said, "We've only known each other for six weeks. How could you possibly be sure I'm really the one you want?" "My gut says you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I didn't make it this far by being cautious. When it's time to put down money, I go all in. So I'm all in. Are you?"