Hanni
We make it back into the house just as Elle and Lucas return from the airport. They picked up one of Elle's bridesmaids and her fiancé and dropped them off at a nearby hotel. Apparently, they wanted some 'couple' time alone instead of staying in the house, which I actually don't mind at all since it'll give me more time alone with Minji.
Elle is extra cheerful as she begins rummaging through the fridge. She's always a peppy person, but today she was covered in sunshine and rainbows.
"Why are you so happy?" I ask, leaning up against the kitchen counter with my arms crossed.
"I'm getting married in three days. What's not to be happy about?" I notice the smirk on her face although she's not completely facing me.
"Wait…what time did your friend's flight get in?"
"Around eight-thirty." She slams the fridge door shut, her hands filled with sandwich meat and lettuce.
I start mentally counting in my head and realize they should've been home at least an hour ago.
"Where did you guys park?" I ask smugly, unable to contain the amusement in my voice.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She grabs a loaf of bread and proceeds to start making a sandwich.
"Danielle Marsh, Goody Two-Shoes of the century, I know when you're lying, especially about off-road sex."
She chokes on a gasp. "You're so crass, Han."
I laugh, getting a kick out of her blushing. "I'm not a virgin, Elle. It's okay to tell me you guys had sex in a car parked on the side of the road."
"It wasn't on the side of the road." She defends, then laughs at herself. I end up laughing with her, loving this side of her. "You only live once, right?" She grins, continuing to make her sandwich without making any eye contact but her message hits me hard.
You only live once.
We spend the evening huddled inside, in front of the fireplace. It's storming outside and we had planned on grilling but instead ended up ordering in because unless it's something simple like a sandwich or a can of soup, Elle's pretty useless in the kitchen.
Minji and I sit across from each other at the table again with Elle and Lucas. We pick at the containers of Chinese food, each grabbing for the last egg roll. I grip my fingers around my end, hoping she'll be a gentlewoman and let me have it.
No such luck.
"Let go," I demand. "I grabbed it first."
"If you grabbed it first, I wouldn't have the other half in my hand."
I roll my eyes. "You're a child, I swear."
She shrugs unapologetically. "When it comes to food, I don't mess around."
I move my gaze over to Elle, who's biting her lip. Ever since this morning, Minji's turned a complete one-eighty on me. Now she's the one giving me whiplash.
"Just split the egg roll in half," Lucas suggests.
I raise my brows at Minji, daring her to deny me. But she doesn't give anything away in her expression. Now it's a game—who's going to give in and who's going to stand their ground?
"It's a damn egg roll," Elle hisses, getting annoyed with our pathetic game.
"But it's the best egg roll I've ever had," I whine. Minji's eyes are trained on mine and her stance isn't giving anything away. "Fine, take it." I release my fingers, looking back at the food left on my plate, but then say fuck it to myself. I lean over the table, snatch the damn thing from her hand and shove the whole thing in my mouth before she even has time to react.
She watches in pure amusement, her eyes never trailing off me. As soon as I can finally talk, I say, "So delicious."
I grab my plate and take it into the kitchen just before heading back up to my room. Now that I've made an ass of myself, I just want to read alone in my room.
I read two chapters of my book before I hear Minji's door close next door. The storm has settled, only a light trace of sprinkles now. I turn my Kindle off and stand at the window that's overlooking the backyard. The moon is shining really bright tonight. It's glistening over the water and the soft waves that are pushing to the rocks.
You only live once.
Elle's words echo in my mind as I consider doing something else from my list. I smile to myself as I make a split-second decision, hurrying downstairs as quietly as I can before anyone hears me.
I walk across the dock, looking out over the water. It's chilly outside and it's still sprinkling, but I just can't resist.
I strip all my clothes off, letting them pool at my feet. I step out of them and toss them to the side where they won't get wet. Chills run over my body, a hard shiver running through me as the wind and rain both hit me.
No turning back now. Skinny-dipping—number eight.
I walk to the very edge and instead of giving my body time to adjust to the water, I count.
Three.
Two.
One.
I jump off the dock, the water enveloping my entire body. More chills run up my spine as the crisp water surrounds me and goose bumps line my arms and legs.
Once my arms stop flailing and I push my hair back, I actually allow myself to enjoy the cool water. It's not as bad as I anticipated, the thrill making it all worth it.
I know I need to continue moving to keep my body heat, so I begin stroking my arms back and forth, my body floating away from the dock. I lay on my back, my arms moving back and forth slowly as I find a steady rhythm. I stare up at the moon, enjoying the light it beams down on me. There's a sense of peace that overcomes me as I take everything in. It's gorgeous.
Skinny-dipping a success!
The water has calmed, only soft waves surround me now. I close my eyes, reveling in the fact that I actually did it. I would've never done this otherwise. Aside from feeling the dull aches in my leg, living in the moment is so much more thrilling, and I can't believe I didn't allow myself to before.
The waves begin shifting, distracting me from my thoughts. I look toward the rocks where the moon is glowing and see a shadow coming toward me. I shift my body so I'm no longer floating, but continue moving my arms back and forth so I stay afloat.
I swallow as it gets closer. Minji. Under the moonlight, her body looks glorious. Her biceps are filled with tattoos that blend into her chest. It looks even better than before, for some reason. Perhaps it's the way the light is shining down on her, or perhaps it's because I'm looking at her differently now.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to skinny-dip alone?" she asks with amusement.
My body is fully covered except from the neck up. "Who says I'm skinny-dipping?" I raise a brow up at her, challenging her. My eyes focus in on her mouth, where she bites her lip in response.
"Well, the fact that all your clothes are laying on the dock next to mine is a pretty good indicator," she replies matter-of-factly. She inches closer, the water covering up everything I was gawking at.
I scowl at her, knowing she's full of shit. "I could be wearing a bikini," I counter. She grins, brushing a hand through her dark hair. "Or…you saw me…"
A deep, throaty laugh escapes her mouth. She can't even deny it now. "Or…I saw you." The corners of her lips curl up into her shit-eating grin that I've actually become fond of. It means she's up to something. "Yes…I did."
I shake my head at her, biting my lip to conceal the smirk that's eager to form. "You're just seeing all kinds of me naked, aren't you?" I try and sound mad, but I know I fail miserably.
She swims even closer, both of us at eye level. "What can I say? I'm good at being in the right place at the right time."
"Apparently." I snort. I would've had a better comeback but my mind was too occupied taking her in. Although we were in the water, I could smell her scent. Her firm body—less than a foot away—is distracting me from any logical thought. Her mouth—sweet Jesus, her mouth. The soft warmth of her lips is still lingering on mine from this morning.
I suddenly remember I'm supposed to be pissed off at her. "Is this you getting even with me?" She raises both eyebrows in question. "For taking your precious egg roll," I clarify, moving a fraction backward. I can't think with her this close.
Her head falls back in easy laughter, her lips forming a genuine smile.
"I didn't care about that damn egg roll," she finally says, taking me by surprise.
"You didn't? Then what was your problem?" I demand.
"I knew you wouldn't give up," she says smugly.
"You were pushing me?" I ask, surprised.
"Yes." She swims closer again.
"Why?" I say just above a whisper, with no more strength in me to swim away.
"I wanted to see where your boundaries lay."
I let out a dumbfounded laugh. "By testing me with food?"
"I needed to know my limits."
It takes me off guard, so I just stare at her for a moment. "Limits for what?"
She doesn't answer me. Her eyes remain locked on mine as she closes the gap between us. Her hand grasps the back of my neck, pulling me to her. Her mouth is an inch away, torturing me as she doesn't yet touch me.
"What number was this?" she asks, taking me off guard once again.
"W-What?" I stumble.
"Skinny-dipping. It's on your list, yes?" I nod, still in shock. "What number on your list was it?"
I clear my throat before answering, "Eight. It was number eight."
"Another one you can mark off now." I nod, silently begging her to shut up and kiss me.
"How was it?" she asks.
"Exhilarating so far."
"Good."
I'm panting, my body on fire as I desperately wait for her lips on mine again.
"You're going to get sick out here, you know?" she says softly. "I should get you back inside before you get hypothermia.
Seriously? If I had balls, they'd be as blue as Papa Smurf right about now.
I clear my throat, trying to hide my disappointment. "Oh, right." I had completely forgotten about the chill of the water the second I saw her and now I'm fully aware of how hard my nipples are, although that could just be from her presence.
"I brought you a towel," she says as we get closer to the shore.
"Oh, thank you," I say with surprise in my voice. I hadn't even thought of a damn towel. "You're going out first."
She spins around, the water already down to her waist. I've kept my chest under water as long as I can, hoping not to reveal anymore of me than I already have.
"Are you seriously that shy?" She perks a brow, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I don't consider not wanting to show you my frozen girly bits shy."
She smirks as her eyes drop to below the water. There's no way she can see anything, but I imagine her mind wandering anyway. "Stop it."
"What?"
"Stop looking at me."
She laughs, her smile going so high her dimples peeking inside her cheekbones. "You can't stop me from looking at you, sweetheart. Every inch of that silky body is engraved into my memory."
"That's perverted."
"I beg to differ. You voluntarily walked out of the bathroom naked, sweetheart."
"After you barged in and stole my towel!" I begin to argue, but realize it's useless. "Ugh, whatever." I begin to walk toward shore when something hits me. "Wait." I stop and turn back toward her. "Are you testing me…again?" I cross my arms over my chest, concealing what dignity I have left.
"I don't know. Am I?" she mimics my actions, both arms covering her chest as she looks down on me.
"You really have some issues, Minji. I'd recommend seeing a psychiatrist real soon."
"No need," she replies, smugly. "I've seen a therapist every week for nearly the last two years." Her curt confession takes me off guard, but I don't question her. I turn back around and push the water out of the way with my arms, the cool air hitting my bare chest sending instant shivers down my body. Shit, that's fucking cold.
My arms hug around my front as my chin tucks into my chest, preparing to walk out bare-ass naked with Minji directly behind me. My body is freezing, the chills and shivers escalating to a rapid seizure-like shaking.
Before I fully emerge from the water, Minji grabs my elbow from behind and pulls me to her chest. One hand cups my face as the other wraps firmly around my waist. My chest is fully exposed to her, but she presses us so close together, nothing can be seen. Her lips find mine—my mouth automatically responding to hers. They move perfectly together, her warm lips slowly heating mine. Her hands are oddly warm, making my body relax against her. My hands instinctively lay on her chest, both our bodies concealing them.
The taste of her is incredible, even better than before. I deepen the kiss, begging for more because right now I not only need more, I want more. List or not, my body responds to her in ways I can't make my mind understand.
The hand on my waist moves up to my face, brushing my hair back where it stuck to my face. Her thumbs rub gently across my cheeks, sending warming sensations all down my body, mixed with pleasurable shivers.
Too soon, her mouth releases mine and I swear I groan aloud. My eyes open and meet hers. Her expression is unreadable making me doubt she felt what I did.
"That's better," she finally says, continuing to rub her hands over my face. "Your body was going to go into shock if you didn't warm up soon." I continue looking up at her, wondering exactly what she means. "Let's get you inside now."
"Wait…what was that?" I finally ask, offended that she's constantly leaving me clueless.
"I was trying to warm you up. You were shaking and your body was too tense. When you're tense, you feel colder. I was giving you my body heat so you'd relax."
My face stiffens into a hard grin. I can't let her see how that affects me. I wanted more than just a kiss. "Oh…" I nod graciously. "Thanks."