The drive to their destination was as comfortable as it could be between the two strangers.
Jeong Hyeok made no move to touch Se-ri again, although she could definitely feel the weight of his stare from the moment he had joined her in the backseat.
Feeling a little flustered by his intense gaze, and admittedly being a little nervous about what was going to happen once they reached his home, Se-ri opted to look out of the window and try to figure out where they were headed.
The neighbourhood they were in was familiar to Se-ri, and she could tell that they were headed near Lotte World Tower. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, they're driving up towards the discreet basement entrance to the Signiel Residences.
As soon as the car stops, Jeong Hyeok opens his door and gets out. Se-ri moves to open her door, but Jeong Hyeok beats even the building valet to it, opening it for her.
Good looks and a gentleman? Colour me impressed, she thinks, smiling to herself.
He takes her hand again and leads her to the elevators. The doors open and they walk in together, and he presses the button for the 71st floor.
As the mirrored doors close, Se-ri is greeted with the sight of their reflection. They're standing shoulder to shoulder—more like shoulder to arm given their height difference—and his large hand is still enveloping her smaller one.
Se-ri can't help but think that they look good together, but she shoots down the thought as soon as it comes to mind.
One night only, she thinks. This can't be anything more than that.
But just as she's trying to police her wayward thoughts, his eyes meet hers in the mirror, and her heart starts fluttering in her chest as heat rises to her cheeks.
Thankfully, the doors open just then, and they walk together to the door of his apartment. They pause for a moment as the automatic lock on the doorknob reads his fingerprint, and then he opens the door for her. He pauses just as he did earlier when the car arrived, the same questioning look in his eyes again.
"Why do you keep doing that?" Se-ri asks.
"I'm giving you an out, Yoon Se-ri," says Jeong Hyeok, "because the moment you step into my apartment, there's no going back." He smirks at her, the challenge in his words as plain as day.
Smirking back at him, Se-ri walks into the opulent two-story penthouse apartment ahead of him. She's greeted by a simple yet stylishly appointed living room boasting muted, masculine colours and floor to ceiling windows that give sweeping bird's eye views of the glittering Seoul skyline.
"Make yourself at home," he says as he comes in after her. "I'll get us something to drink. Is wine okay?"
Se-ri hums in assent and pauses by the windows, acting as if she was taking in the view. In reality though, all of her attention is on Ri Jeong Hyeok. As bold and brave as she would like to be, Se-ri's heart seems to want to beat itself out of her chest.
But again, there was something about him... something she can't put her finger on.
Jeong Hyeok goes into the kitchen and takes out a bottle of Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 from the wine cooler. He was saving this expensive vintage for a special occasion, but he never imagined that the special occasion would be this night, with this woman.
A voice inside of him was screaming at him to impress the girl—something that he's never needed to do, let alone the desire to.
He opens the bottle and puts it on the counter to let it breathe before turning back to the cupboard to get them some wine glasses. Se-ri enters the kitchen then, eyeing the wine bottle with a curious look on her face.
Just as he was about to put the wine glasses down onto the counter, Se-ri takes the bottle and drinks straight from it, taking a couple of gulps. She takes one last swallow before putting down the bottle with an exaggerated 'ahh'.
"Sorry that I'm a little impatient," she says, looking apologetically at him. "I needed that."
For some reason, the sight of her drinking this expensive wine straight from the bottle, the tinge of red that the wine leaves on her lips, and even the bit of wine that had dribbled from her mouth down to her chin drives Jeong Hyeok wild with lust.
Se-ri moves to wipe off the wine that had dribbled down from her mouth to her chin with the back of her hand. But before she has a chance to do so, Jeong Hyeok puts down the glasses and takes her hands in his.
He looks into her eyes for a brief moment before taking her face in his hands and kissing the corner of her mouth, tasting the wine left on her lips. He then moves his tongue up languidly from her chin to the corner of her mouth, following the trail that the drop of wine had left on her skin.
He draws back and looks back into her eyes, noting her darkening eyes and her heavy breathing. Unable to help himself, he puts his right hand on the back of her neck to kiss her, while his left pulls her close.
She doesn't respond at first, taken aback by his unexpected attack, but then her hands come up to the back of his neck to pull him closer still. She opens her mouth to him, and he takes that opportunity to deepen the kiss and slip his tongue into her mouth.
She tastes of red wine and ambrosia, so sweet that Jeong Hyeok couldn't help the moan that spills from his own mouth. He catches her soft lower lip in between his teeth and nibbles softly, which elicits a delicious moan from her. So responsive, he thinks.
Jeong Hyeok kisses her again, a little more chastely this time. He knows he has to slow down, because if they keep this up, they weren't going to make it to the bedroom. He pulls back and chuckles as he takes in Se-ri's dazed and puzzled face.
"I hate wasting," he says by way of explanation, brushing his thumb against her soft cheek. "And besides, this wine somehow tastes better from your lips..."
"Oh really?" Se-ri says with a laugh. She smiles at him impishly before putting her hands on his chest and pushing him back a little. He smiles and lets his hands fall to his sides.
Feeling bold, Se-ri backs up against one of the bar stools before using it to boost herself up and onto the kitchen counter. With her sitting on it, she's now an inch or two taller than him.
She then looks him in the eye before reaching forward and pulling him by his navy silk tie to stand in between her legs. He rests his large hands on the tops of her thighs before moving to kiss her again, but she stops him with a hand on his chest.
"Like you said—no waste." Se-ri then takes another big swig of wine straight from the bottle before taking Jeong Hyeok's face in her hands and kissing him again. She waits for him to open his mouth before opening hers, letting him drink the wine from her and eliciting a rather delicious groan from him.
Drunk on the wine and each other's presence, Se-ri wraps her arms around his neck and opens her mouth to him, wanting him as close as possible in every possible way. Jeong Hyeok responds by wrapping his strong arms around her and pulling her towards him, and she instinctively wraps her legs around his waist.
I was right about those lips, Se-ri thinks. I can kiss this man all day. Se-ri captures his lip between her teeth, just like he did with her earlier.
At that moment something in him seems to just snap. His kisses turn hard and demanding, his tongue invading her mouth and drawing out more moans from her. She closes her eyes and gets lost in the kiss, in the way his tongue plunders her mouth, taking no prisoners.
All of a sudden, Se-ri feels herself being lifted up and off the counter by Jeong Hyeok. "Hold on, baby," he says in a low voice against her lips.
Se-ri feels a shiver run down her spine at the rasp of his voice, and she tightens her hold on him with her arms and legs, clinging to him like a koala holding on to a tree.
Jeong Hyeok effortlessly carries her through the apartment as he continues to kiss her, his lips and tongue unrelenting in their pursuits. Se-ri revels in the feeling of him—his strong arms holding her tight, his mouth claiming hers, his very essence permeating all of her senses.
He then carefully lowers her onto something soft, likely the bed, and Se-ri opens her eyes to take in her new surroundings. The room is a reflection of him—simple and masculine yet stylish and elegant, mostly in black and shades of grey with white accent pieces.
She notes that she's now sitting in what looks to be a massive California King sized bed with dark grey silk sheets, and that the only light in the room was coming from the city lights shining through the massive windows.
Se-ri looks up at Jeong Hyeok, watching him watch her. The sparse light from the city below them puts his features in sharp relief, his face half in shadow and half in light. He looks both angelic and devilish, a fallen angel that had come to take her away.
To heaven or hell, she couldn't care less... so long as she was with him.
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Author's Notes:
I recommend reading this chapter while listening to the song/s below for maximum effect.
- High by Whetan and Dua Lipa