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“Come with me?” he asked with a soft squeeze of her hand.
“Yes.”
His steps weren’t hurried as he led them down the miniature streets of the zoo. But he picked up speed when they arrived at the entrance of a small aquarium. A narrow, dark hallway led them inside and continued into a semicircle as it opened up into a round aquarium that hugged the outer walls. The blue light emanating from the water gave the interior an otherworldly vibe. And it was deserted.
Colin didn’t stop until they walked into another dark hallway leading into what she presumed was another exhibition. He maneuvered her back against the wall and ran his hands up and down her arms, making her shiver with anticipation.
“I shouldn’t do this,” he said in a rough, low voice.
“Neither should I.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kiss me?”
“God, yes,” he said, crushing his mouth against hers.
Jihae let herself melt against him with a content sigh. When his tongue gently outlined her bottom lip, she parted her mouth and flicked her tongue against his. That earned her a sexy growl from Colin, and his hands pressed against her back, bringing her even closer to him.
Her curious hands traveled down the length of his firm, muscular arms and came to rest on his narrow waist. First her thumbs drew circles on his stomach, then she boldly grabbed his shirt and tugged it out of his pants. She didn’t stop there. She couldn’t. She wanted to touch him. To feel him.
He hummed under his breath and pressed his torso into her hands, so she followed her instincts without hesitation. Her fingers traveled over his stomach, delighting in every muscled groove. Then she moved her palms onto his hard, broad chest. It was so smooth. So hot.
Meanwhile, he kissed her like a man starved, but kept his hands planted firmly on her back. He was holding himself in check—trembling beneath her hands—to give her control of how far they would go. They were semihidden in the darkness of the hallway, but they didn’t exactly have privacy. This shouldn’t go far at all, but she wanted it to last just a little bit longer.
“Goddammit.” Colin suddenly pulled back to her bewilderment. “Sorry. It’s not the kiss. It’s not you. I just have a call I need to return.”
Then in the recesses of her mind, Jihae recalled the subtle ringing of a gong. It must have come from Colin’s phone. He walked through to the other side, his phone against his ear. She stayed behind to give him privacy and to take a moment to gather herself. She realized she was shaking, as well, and she breathed deeply in and out. After straightening her suit, she finally followed Colin into the next room.
The lights were even dimmer in this section, shining purple, blue and pink to exhibit the multicolored, glowing jellyfish that filled the various tanks. The firm line of Colin’s lips and the frown creasing his forehead looked out of place in the beautiful setting. Soon he ended his call and turned to her, his expression transforming into a regretful smile.
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid we need to leave,” he said.
“Leave?”
“I’ll drive you back to your car.”
“My car?” She knew she was repeating everything he said, but she didn’t understand. They’d just shared a passionate kiss, and he was going to dump her at her car. Shouldn’t they go someplace to talk? Or kiss some more?
“I’m so sorry,” he said again. “We’ll talk later.”
His grandmother had uncanny timing.
He was beyond frustrated by her interruption, and...grateful. He’d lost his head. No, he’d known exactly what he was doing, and he hadn’t wanted to stop. Jihae had tasted improbably like a summer day—like the warm sun and a soft breeze. Then she’d sucked him in like a sultry, tropical night. Her soft, cool hands exploring his body, and her sweet, wet lips kissing him with a hunger to match his own. No, he’d never wanted to stop.
But Grandmother’s call had been like a bucket of ice-cold water thrown at his face. A much-needed wake-up call. He couldn’t kiss Jihae forever. He shouldn’t have kissed her in the first place. Not only were they business partners, but he was also a Song. His cousin had broken their engagement, and she had sought revenge against him. They had quite a sordid backstory, except Jihae didn’t know yet. What was worse was that he planned to spy on her. He couldn’t risk having her become emotionally attached to him. He had no intention of breaking her heart. Ever.
Their drive back to his office had been tense and silent. Was it regret that had clouded her expression? His gut clenched. Hell. He couldn’t believe that he felt disappointed at the thought. Was he kidding himself that the kiss was a mistake that he never intended to repeat?
Before he could dissect his jumbled thoughts, he arrived at his grandmother’s Pacific Palisades home. He parked in the driveway and jumped out of the car. He was glad he could escape his confused emotions. And he had other things to worry about. He was quite positive that his grandmother had found out about CS Productions’s partnership with Rotelle Entertainment.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said when Liliana, the Song family’s housekeeper, opened the door.
“Hello, handsome boy,” Liliana said, laughing, and tousled his hair. “Mrs. Song is in her study. What trouble have you gotten yourself into today?”
His mind immediately flashed back to the darkened halls of the aquarium with Jihae sighing and arching into his body. He shook his head and flashed Liliana his daredevil smile. “What have I not gotten myself into is the question.”
Despite his flippant words, he walked down the hall with solemn steps. He thought he’d prepared himself for this, but one could never be fully prepared to face off with Grace Song. After taking a deep breath, he knocked on the study door.
“Come in,” she ordered.
He opened the door then closed it behind him. Despite his instinct to hightail it out of there, Colin walked up to his grandmother and bowed. “Hal-muh-nee, have you been well?”
