Bound by Love

Chapter One

I know that I've imagined love before
And how it could be with you
Really hurt me, baby, really cut me, baby
How can you have a day without a night?

You're the book that I have opened
And now I've got to know much more

Unfinished Sympathy, Massive Attack

"We really need to do some furniture shopping," Soo Ah said one morning, standing at the counter eating her yoghurt and looking around their large but spartan apartment. "It's a bit embarrassing. We look like we spent all our money on the apartment and didn't have enough left over to furnish it."

She could see Saeroyi raise his eyebrows from over the rim of his coffee cup. "So this isn't what you were going for? I thought you were a minimalist."

"Not this minimalist!" she laughed. "I do think some furniture is necessary, you know."

It had been two months since they had married. The one thing they had managed to do in the time between the proposal and the wedding was to find and buy a marital home. Apart from location, Saeroyi hadn't been particularly picky — Soo Ah was the one who had pushed the realtor on size, layout, insulation and natural light. She thought about things that had never crossed his mind. Money wasn't an issue so it hadn't been long before they found something they both liked — a spacious apartment in Gangnam, close enough to both their offices.

So thankfully, the issue of a home was sorted out. But the house was barely furnished — they had a bed, and a housekeeper who came in daily to clean and stock the fridge. And that was it. Whatever meals they ate at home were at the kitchen counter because they hadn't even had the time to buy a dining table or any living room furniture.

"This needs to be a priority," she said. "When are you free? Should I speak to Secretary Lee about your timing?"

"I don't think my wife should need to book a slot with me through my secretary," he said, amused. "That's for everyone else."

"You know your schedule? Then when can we do this? Probably the weekend right?"

"It's not about whether I'm free," he said, grimacing. "It's just that I can think of better ways to spend the weekend than going furniture shopping."

"We just need to bite the bullet and do it," she said, drawing close to him to fix his tie. "Or else we can hire an interior designer to do it all. Which would you prefer?"

"The option that would enable us to do more important things," he said. Their eyes met and the movement of her hands at his throat stilled.

She bit her lip. "More important things?"

He took hold of one of her hands, which was resting high on his chest near the knot of his tie, and kissed it. "We have so little time as it is," he said huskily. "I'm not going to waste a minute of what we do have."

"As long as we're together, I don't count the time as wasted," she said, smiling despite herself.

"I could think of a million other things I'd rather be doing with you," he said, starting to nuzzle her neck.

She gave up. Her arguments were dissolving into thin air as his lips traced her collarbone. "We're going to be late for work," she said, breathlessly.

"Yes, I think we are," he said, as he captured her mouth with his own.

Needless to say, Saeroyi got his way — they hired an interior decorator and spent the entire weekend in bed.

Soo Ah had always wondered what being married to him would be like. She had never guessed that it would mean so much sex. No matter how busy their schedules were, no matter how late they came home or how tired she thought he'd be, he was never too tired for her. He didn't seem to need much sleep.