Y/n pov
The cab pulled outside a villa located outside the city. I stared out of the cab window, gasping at the sight in front of me. It looked like a fucking royal palace. Geez! Is he a king or what? In a daze, I opened the door and stepped out. I paid the cab driver and made my way toward the huge iron gate.
"Y/n Kang . I have a meeting with Kim Tae-hyung Kim ," I told one of the guards at the gate who inquired about my identity and purpose of the visit.
The armed guard nodded, then confirmed the same with his master on the intercom before he let me inside. I thanked him and walked inside, approaching the main gate of the villa. I noticed a woman in her late twenties standing outside.
"Hello, madam. I'm Somi," the woman introduced herself with a poised, professional smile on her face. "I'll take you to sir."
I acknowledged her with a tilt of my chin. I wanted to smile, but it seemed my senses were not working. Nervousness was crawling its way through me, making me feel giddy and a bit clumsy. I was in a daze following the woman as she led me inside the villa. My eyes roamed around, taking a small amount of time to appreciate the classic interior of the house.
"This way, madam." Somi ascended the stairs, then turned to the left and walked down the hallway. I followed behind, not like I had any other choice.
"Sir is waiting inside," she said as we stopped outside a wooden door. "You can go in."
Somi turned and walked away, leaving me alone in dread. I rubbed my sweaty palms together and drew in a deep breath. A small part of me wanted to run away, but then I didn't want to continue living like I was anymore. Bracing myself, I lifted my hand and knocked on the door softly.
"Come on in, Y/n," came the husky drawl from inside.
God, how was I to stay away from this sex-on-legs creature when his every gesture pulled me to him. Everything about him was sexy, making me think of the sinful things that should be considered illegal for a twenty-year-old.
My fingers curled around the doorknob, gathering my thoughts for one last time before I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
I looked around taking in the classy and cozy study. It had the best of everything money could buy. And there was nothing flashy, just classic, elegant things that could give any royal palace a run for its money.
A broad smile pulled at my lips when I caught sight of him. "Hey, Richie Rich!"
An act of nonchalance could be tough when you were a mess inside, but it was the only option I was left with. Coming across vulnerable was the last thing I would ever want. All I had known the past few years was that you show your weakness to people, and they won't hesitate using it against you.
"Hello, Y/n." My name rolled off his tongue. "How are you?"
"As good as one would be after agreeing to her temporary marriage." He smirked, amused with my reply. "I like this fire in you."
Kim Tae-hyung rose from his seat, rounded the wooden desk as he approached me, and I could just gawk. He looked like a dream-a fucking dream-in a pair of blue jeans and an off-white sweatshirt that fit him well, outlining his perfectly toned body. My breath caught in my throat. He was going to be my husband for a year. I was so doomed.
"Have a seat." He gestured toward the sofa to his right. "Coffee or tea?"
"A Coke would be good," I said, dropping down on the plush sofa. I leaned back and let go of a sigh while he called his household help through the intercom and told them to bring drinks for us. Once he was done, he grabbed a file off the desk and moved over to take a seat beside me.
I straightened myself, becoming aware of his presence beside me. The heat radiating off his body was welcoming in a way I couldn't explain in words. But the feeling was anything but unwelcomed, which was strange. I usually wasn't comfortable around the male species, and that explained my forever- single status.
"So..." I cleared my throat, wriggling in my seat. I ignored the sudden urge to shift closer to him, to let my body cuddle against him, and look at him with a straight face. "You wanna talk about our deal?"
"Deal?"
"That's what it is, isn't it?" I asked with an eyebrow raised.
He had a stoic look on his face, making it hard to read him, but I didn't try any harder. I had come to know the man would let you know what he felt only when he wanted to. It was admirable as well as annoying for people like myself.
"How do you want to get married?" Kim Tae-hyung asked back, the huskiness of his voice causing goosebumps to crawl on the surface of my skin. Or was it his question? Both, it seemed.
How would I like to get married? Temporarily, though. I asked the same question to myself and came up with nothing exciting when realizing it was nothing real. The marriage would have an expiration date, and it would be better to go for a simple court wedding.
"A court wedding will be fine."
"We can have a traditional ceremony if you would like," he offered.
"Why waste our time and money on that when we both know this is temporary?"
Something flickered through his eyes at my words, but it was gone too soon for me to figure out what it was.
"Fine. If that's what you want," he grumbled.
"What are the ground rules? I mean, how is this arrangement going to work?" I was unable to keep my questions to myself. I had many, and he was going to have to answer each one of them. Poor him. I tended to drive a person crazy with my queries since I wanted to know everything. "Is it going to be a real marriage? I mean..."
"This is going to be real, a very real marriage," he interrupted, his darkened gaze pierced through me, and I shivered from the starry vehemence.
"Real in what sense?" I gulped down the lump forming in my throat.
Kim Tae-hyung leaned closer, his big palm rested on my thigh, and his lips brushed against my earlobe. I froze. My heart was racing, and my body was burning from his close proximity in a good way. But I wouldn't like to think about that right now.
"We're going to be husband-wife in and out of bed." His dark whisper brought me back from my dreamland. I let his words sink in and gasped at the bold meaning of them.
"You mean, we're going to..."
"We're going to do everything married couples do. Everything," he completed it for me, and I could only gape. He ran his palm down my bare thigh. "You're going to be my wife in every sense."
I didn't want to think about that right now. The things we would be doing as a couple. All the dirty, naughty things, the voice in the back of my head quipped. I chose to ignore it.
"What about fidelity?" I cocked my head. That was my biggest worry. Being married-temporarily or not-I would expect loyalty in the relationship we were going to share for the coming year.
"Of course, we'll be loyal to each other," Kim Tae-hyung replied with a sound of promise in his voice.
"That's what I wanted to hear," I murmured.
"Any more questions, Y/n?"
"Yeah, not a question but a request."
"What is it?" his voice softened.
"Once I get married, I'll inherit the money and property my father left to me in his will," I started off, fidgeting with my fingers. I had my selfish reasons to agree to marry him. I was going to be honest.
"What do I have to do?"
"After our marriage, I'll submit our marriage certificate to his lawyer, then he will come to meet us to ensure everything is fine. You will have to meet him as my husband, after which the property will be transferred to my name." I explained to him everything about the procedure we would have to go through to get what's rightfully mine. "And please make sure Minji doesn't get wind of our arrangement. She will make sure I lose everything."
"She won't," he whispered, tightening the hold he had on my thigh, and it was then I realized he hadn't taken his hand away. But what left me surprised was my body's reaction to his touch. It was like I was used to his touch, too comfortable with it.
I opened my mouth to say something but stopped hearing a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door clicked open, and Somi strolled inside, pushing the trolley forward. She smiled at me which I reciprocated.
"You can leave," Kim Tae-hyung dismissed her.
"So, when is the wedding?" I asked after Somi left, closing the door behind her.
"Next week?"
"That's fine by me," I shrugged.
I sipped my Coke while he drank his steaming coffee. The silence between us comfortable, unlike the last time, but the tension was still in the air.
"Is that for me?" I asked, casually pointing to the blue file on his lap.
"Yes." He nodded as he handed me the file. "It's your college application. Fill it out."
I gasped, eyeing him with wide eyes. "What?"
"You're continuing your studies. Don't worry about the expenses," Kim Tae-hyung replied curtly, leaving no space for an argument. But still, I tried and was silenced by his glare. "I don't want any arguments over this."
"Listen, mister, if you wanna marry me, you will have to tone down this bossy behavior of yours. I'm not gonna tolerate it." I pointed my finger at him with an annoyed look on my face.
Amusement danced in his eyes, the edges of his lips pulled slightly. "Really?"
"Really." I glared. "We'll see," he replied.
"Right, we'll see." I narrowed my eyes at his confidence. He was in for a rude awakening if he thought I was going to be some obedient wife listening to his every word without a fight.
***
A week later...
Holding a breath, I scribbled my signature on the papers and put the pen down on the desk in the marriage registrar's office.
We were married. Officially.
The registrar's stamp on the papers stared back at me, making me believe it was all real. Though I was never the girl who dreamed of marrying a prince charming then living a fairy-tale life, marrying him made me feel giddy.
It took longer than a moment to grasp the realization. I was no longer single. I was a wife, wife of a man who brought some unwanted feelings out of me. The effect he had over me in such a short time was amusing but fascinating as well. It was probably the first time after my father's death that someone could bring out an emotion in me other than anger.
I raised my head and looked over at him, my gaze met his, and I caught my breath seeing a small yet real smile playing across his lips.
"What?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing," he whispered with a slight shake of his head.
Kim Tae-hyung rose from his place and held his hand out for me. "Shall we?"
I nodded, placing my hand in his and rising to my feet. He then turned to the registrar and exchange a few words before we made our way out.
"Where to?" he asked, opening the back-seat door of the car for me. I slid into the leather seat and looked up at him.
"My mother's place," I replied. "I need to break the news to my family and get some of my stuff from there."
"That sounds dramatic." He slid beside me and then told the driver to start the car.
A smile etched across my face. "It's going to be dramatic. Sorry in advance."
"Don't be. I'm used to over-the-top family drama." "I don't believe you."
"You will start believing once you meet my family."
"Your family?" My breath hitched. We had never talked about his family, nor did I know anyone other than his brother existed in his family. "Who else is there in your family? I just know your brother."
"My parents and my sister, Ji-woo," he replied with a small hint of admiration in his voice which was rare to witness. "They live in Daegu, but they will be visiting us very soon."
"Do they know this is a temporary marriage?" As much as it stung to call it a temporary marriage, it was a reminder for me not to get too attached.
"No, and they don't even have to know," he said in a stern voice, making me wonder about his sudden change in mood. "You will not say a word about our arrangement to them. Whatever happens between us, stays between us. Is that clear?"
"Lower your voice, Mr. Kim . I know and understand the situation. No need to go all aggressive on me," I hissed, pinning him down with my gaze.
Kim Tae-hyung held my gaze, shifted closer, and slid an arm around my waist. His big palm laid flat against my stomach, causing my insides to churn due to gooey feelings rising in the pit. I clenched my fingers, fighting the urge to snuggle in against him.
"Firecracker," he muttered audibly. "I'm going to have fun taming you down."
"In your dreams, husband." I smirked, pulling away from him, but he brought me close as quickly as I moved away. His warm breath fanning over my earlobe tickled my senses.
Kim Tae-hyung chuckled darkly. "Wait until we reach our home."
I ignored the promise in his voice and stared out of the window for the rest of our journey to my mother's place.
[Words Count : 2401]