Hye-jae: Book 4

Sexy Summer Spirit Part 17

They pulled on robes and tiptoed like after-curfew teenagers to the kitchen where Hye-won turned to her love: 'so what do you feel like?' and on seeing the gleam in his eye and his step forward to put his arms low down around her back, she grinned and corrected herself: 'I mean to eat, what do you want to eat?'

Too late, she realised that she had compounded her error, as his chuckle fell a full register and his hold on her tightened and he leaned to nip a sliver of skin below her ear, her trembling titter setting his nerves spinning.

'Ok, ok, I am being a brat, I realise it. I'll behave for now,' and he moved to open the fridge door, though over his shoulder, he threw: 'though a punishment may still be needed...later,' and she felt her heart give a little jolt at how hot that comment sounded to her.

He lifted a carton of eggs and turned to her, with eye-brows raised and a hopeful smile: 'how about your speciality? All the hotels I've stayed in for the last few weeks - I've never tasted anything as good as your omelettes.' You are easily satisfied - and definitely biased, my love.

'Of course, Seon-jaea...just sit and give me 5 minutes.'

'Ah-ah, no way.'

He walked to hand her the eggs and then stood behind her, his arms linked around her waist.

'In a few hours, I'll be back on a plane leaving you and I'd never forgive myself if I missed a chance for a back-hug.'

Anticipating her possible protests, he reached his long arms to lift a spatula and a whisk from the utensils jar by the cooker and held each in left and right hands: 'you see - four hands - and my love, you know that our Four Hands is sublime.'

She knew that he was referring to their brilliant playing of the Mozart Four Hands duet that was so dear to them both, as 1 of the first pieces that they had played together in their earliest days, when their attraction to each other was so strong that it felt like a pulse between them and made their duetting literally zing with sex appeal. She laughed at his clever sweetness and busied herself - cracking, whisking, pouring, folding - while he enjoyed the closeness of her curves cosied into him but allowed her to work undisturbed, watching in silence. It felt almost like a continuation of their earlier trance-like embrace and he could feel it feed his soul and murmured to his love, as the omelette neared completion: 'mm...I feel full already, sweetness.' Full of you.

She smiled as she turned off the heat, lifted the pan and looked to her left, where his chin was propped on her shoulder, his eyes swivelling to hers, devilment dancing in their depths : 'well, that's cute but let's get you full...the normal full...for now, ok?' and he grinned to hear for now and obeyed his Goddess.

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Seon-jae's devouring of the 3-egg omelette - as well as numerous slices of thick-cut, multi-grain bread and a large glass of cold milk - belied his full proclamation. Sitting on high stools at the breakfast counter, his enjoyment of this hearty, home-cooked meal - as energetic as his relish for satisfying all his appetites - brought a slight smile to Hye-won's face. He saw the fleeting look and cocked his head, waiting for her to say what was on her mind but she just shook her head with a broader smile and they both could guess - you are too cute for words.

Meal finished, they brewed a pot of chamomile tea and the first floral sniff and honey sip brought both straight back to their lives in Freiburg, where they had shared so many such sniffs and sips.

'Mm...this tea...we could be right back on our balcony now.'

Seon-jae smiled and it was clear that the memories of those golden summer evenings were as sweet for him as they were for her and they both sipped on in silence.

'So, where is it next - Washington D.C., right - and then, where?'

They chatted about the next destinations and some details of the scheduling of the tour.

'How do you feel about it? I know you miss us,' she paused, as their teasing a few minutes before came to both their minds and they smiled at the deliciously tantalising memories.

'But apart from that, how about the rest - the travel, the venues, especially the playing?'

It was hard to see his conflicted expression and not reach her hand across to squeeze his. His upwards glance under gathered brows was so expressive - I didn't expect this to be so hard.

'Ok, so, apart from that,' his hangdog-look told her - as if - 'the travel doesn't bother me a bit, the venues - some good, some not so good, most fine - they don't really affect me either - it's the piano that is most important to me - and in fairness, I've no complaints there.'

He gave a little laugh: 'it's not like I grew up playing Steinways,' and Hye-won remembered the beaten-up Hanil piano that Seon-jae had learned on and a nostalgic look came into both their eyes.

'It's the playing that is the highlight of every day. I feel like...,' he took a breath and she remained quietly waiting for him to find the words to express the complicated feelings that his playing arose in him.

'It's like...though I'm busy every day - whether travelling or rehearsing, maybe in the gym or going for a run - I'm really just sort of...sleep-walking, maybe...my brain is switched off because if I think too much, I'll miss you and the kids so much that it gets hard to do anything else. So I have sort of found this...I think stand-by mode is the best way I can describe it...where I go through the motions of living but without anything really touching me. So, when I get to play, I feel like...I come alive.  All my feelings come out as I perform, I suppose.'

Her thoughtful tone matched his: 'I'm sure your playing sounds amazing lucky audiences but does it...help you?'

His spreading smile was a wonder to see: 'not as much as getting a text, or a call, or a video-call from you or of course...,' he sucked his lips at the memory, 'spending time showing you how much I missed you...,' another happy grin, 'but yes, it's a great release and mostly, I completely love it and I know how lucky I am to be having this chance.'

'I sense a but coming.'

'Well, I know that we are doing the right thing for the kiddies but in an ideal world, I would love you to be with me and for us to be sharing this tour.'

She nodded: 'like we did in our first summer in Europe. I know, love, I would love that too.'

He took a look at her crest-fallen face and mentally berated himself. Idiot - you will be gone from her in a few hours - why are you worrying her like this? He stood from the counter and took his dishes to the sink to rinse and stack on the draining board, then turned back to his sweetheart where she sat: 'right, enough about tomorrows, let's just concentrate on tonight, hmm?'

He walked purposefully to her, reached for her hand lying on the counter and lifted it to his lips, feathering a kiss of suggestion on its back: 'so, my lady, that was totally delicious - thank you - and I'm full now...but I'm still hungry. Come with me,' and with a ravenous look, he led his woman back along the darkened corridor to their bed-room.