Every art piece brought a deeper blush until Eun Gi’s face was permanently akin to a beet. Refusing to give in unless Tessa did, the two of them traipsed past the artistic and the obscene, taking pictures all over the park. Eun Gi snared his arms around her waist as they leaned against a metallic statue of a woman mid-orgasm.
Tessa snapped another picture and, giggling, sent it to Kelly. “I am definitely not mature enough for this place.”
Her continuous embarrassed laughter reassured him that he wasn’t the only one who descended into a teenage mentality when faced with a giant penis statue.
“I’m glad we came though. Mamãe will get a kick out of it.”
The sweet flush of her cheeks had him nestling a little closer, settling his chin on her shoulder. “It’s pretty fun if you can ignore the crippling awkwardness. I think I might be getting desensitized. How’re your feet?”
“Surprisingly comfortable.” Tessa’s fingers laced into his hair, and he relaxed against her, tucking his face in the curve of her throat. She dropped her hand to rest on his arms where they crossed her stomach. “You okay?”
“Mhmm.” The sun had taken its time warming the air, but now the light sweater he wore was making him sweat. “Want to go to Hyeopjae Beach?”
“Lead the way.”
White sand spilled out of the turquoise ocean, draping the beach in sunlit crystals. A small island jutted out of the sea. It was too far to swim to but beautiful all the same. Tessa wiggled her toes in the sand, her flip-flops swallowed by it with each step. She wore her red swimsuit and a black sarong looped around her hips, while Eun Gi wore a black swim shirt and red swimming trunks. She kept distracting him from the view with her long golden legs peeking through the gap in the sarong with each step.
“I wonder if they coordinated all our outfits,” Tessa mused.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Matching outfits is the thing couples do here. Is that not something people do in Canada?”
“Well, I think it’s cute, but it’s more of an old-people thing, in my experience.”
“Huh.” He’d always kind of liked couples clothing, a representation to the world that you were a team, but he supposed each country would have their own traditions surrounding romance.
“Everyone is staring at us.”
“You stand out a lot,” he said, as if he weren’t also staring at her right along with them. “A tall, pretty foreigner usually gets some attention.”
“Maybe they’re staring at you. I bet you have fans who could pick you out of a crowd by the back of your head.”
He snorted. “I don’t doubt that.”
They linked fingers and walked along the line where the surf met the sand. It swelled up around their ankles before slinking back into the wide blue sea. The sand was warm underfoot and sucked them in with each slurping step. The water was a cool contrast to the bliss of the sun baking their skin.
“I missed the ocean while I was in Seoul,” Tessa said.
Eun Gi had fond memories of the ocean itself, but not so much the circumstances of when he’d lived so close to it. The drumbeat of the sea had been a lullaby whispering through the night, reaching past the sounds of the city as he’d cried himself to sleep as a child. He had mixed feelings about Busan and still dreaded the eventual return to finish filming the drama, but the sea at Jeju was sweeter than he remembered.
Tessa’s fingers clenched his hand as a swell of water swept up her legs. She let out a squawk and leapt towards the dry shore. He spun her towards the sand and took the brunt of the next wave splashing up his legs.
Seawater clung like morning dewdrops in her hair, glinting bright as diamonds. He brushed the sprinkling of droplets from her face and smoothed down the wings of hair the wind had slicked upwards. She smiled at him, saltwater mingling with the dusting of freckles across her cheeks.
“Stop it,” he whispered.
“Stop what?”
“Making me want to do this.” He closed the distance, lips brushing softly over hers, the salt tang teasing his tongue. Tessa pressed back, mouth questing as the sea rippled around them and camera snaps filled the air.
Her body swayed towards his as he pulled away. She let out a small, pitiful sound, and he was tempted to ignore the cameras for another taste. The studio had warned them that people would be watching, but it dulled the enjoyment of being outdoors with her. Suggesting they go back to the hotel was an option, but he didn’t want to be chased away.
Tessa looked at him, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
He gestured to the growing crowd of people and cameras pointed in their direction. “Apparently they have nothing better to do. I bet half of them have no idea who we are but didn’t want to miss the opportunity to get a picture.”
“Let’s not let it spoil today,” Tessa said. “Want to swim?”
“The water’s cold.”
“We’ll get used to it.”
Tessa dropped her sarong to the dry sand and kicked off her flip-flops, pulling him towards the ocean. It was warm enough to swim safely, but not enough to be particularly comfortable while doing so. They swayed with the water, hovering chest deep with toes skimming the sand. Eun Gi kept his hands planted at her waist, and she looped her arms behind his neck, keeping the warmth contained where their skin made contact.
Her eyes were fascinating; dark and liquid. His lungs constricted as he walked his fingertips down, watching those eyes focus on him, listening to the hitch of her breath. He traced the top of her thighs, and she moved with the next swell of water, legs following the surf until she was wrapped around him.
Her head tilted to the side, assessing him. “Okay?”
“Yeah.” He squeaked, and his hands automatically cupped the underside of her thighs to support her position. She dipped her lips once, twice, just the lightest caress on his mouth. His heart rate climbed steadily. It was only the cold water that would let him get out of the sea without embarrassing himself.
He shuddered as she brushed against him.
“Fuck,” came out as a single, hushed breath.
Tessa’s mouth curved against his. “Want to go back to the room?”
Propriety be damned.
“Yes.”
Chapter 15
Tessa
What the actual hell am I doing? Tessa wrapped damp arms around Eun Gi in the elevator. Everything below her knees was covered in drying sand and the salt was starting to itch. It was so easy to stop thinking, to sink into the sensation of his mouth, of his hands spread over her waist. They’d taken the first available vehicle to the hotel, keeping a careful distance from one another in the back of the cab, but the heat of his gaze had kept her heart ping-ponging. Her whole body thrummed with the need to be touched.
It had been so many years since she’d had sex with anyone except herself. Every minute brush of his hands on her skin branded itself there, leaving each spot humming with sensation. The elevator doors pinged on their floor, and a thousand what-ifs flooded her head. Eun Gi wasn’t her first lover, but he was the first with his particular anatomy.
He popped his head out of the elevator to check the halls. Finding it empty, he wrapped a hand around her wrist and tugged her towards their room. The key-card beeped in the slot, and he deposited them both inside.
“We should rinse off the sand.” Eun Gi glanced toward the bathroom and then back to Tessa. “Together?”
“Uh, you go ahead.” Panic rose in her throat. “I’ll hop in after.”
He gave her a long look before nodding, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Tessa grabbed her phone and sent a frantic text.
Tessa:
Kelly Kelly Kelly!
Kelly:
Tessa Tessa Tessa!
Tessa:
Help meeeeee I’m FREAKING OUT
Kelly:
What’s going on?
Tessa:
Um, we might be dating?
Kelly:
Tess, you just married him…
Tessa:
I KNOW, but I mean like, proper dating. To see if we like being together.
Kelly:
But that’s good, right??
Tessa:
YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! I have permission to actually feel all the things I’m feeling now and I CANNOT cope. I’m dying.
Kelly:
If by dying you mean living, then yes I agree
Kelly was no help at all. Tessa contemplated walking out of the room and continuing until she stopped feeling so overwhelmed. She’d have to keep going forever in that case because her nerves would start all over again the moment she turned back to the room.
Her phone pinged again.
Kelly:
Just roll with it. If you want to be with him, be with him. Have you kissed yet? I mean, outside of the wedding.
Tessa:
Yes
Kelly:
AND????
Tessa:
I’m doomed
Kelly:
Well we already knew that. Go get some!
Tessa:
That’s the problem!!! He’s showering right now and we might…you know
Kelly:
Tessa…you’re 27. You can say you’re gonna fuck
Tessa:
Kelly!
Kelly:
Be safe. I’m not ready to be an auntie yet :P
Tessa groaned and briefly considered smothering herself with a pillow.
The bathroom door clicked open, and Eun Gi stepped out in a cloud of steam, towel wrapped around his waist.
Holy shit. Her gaze fastened on to the lean planes of his body. He was sleek, damp, and slightly pink from the hot water. Droplets coalesced and glided down his torso before disappearing into the fluffy white fabric. Desire coiled in her belly.
“All yours.”
All mine. Tessa’s mouth went dry. Oh. He meant the shower.
She slid off the bed and zipped into the bathroom, phone in tow. After peeling off her swimsuit, she stepped under the warm spray.
You’re a grown-ass adult, and you’ve had sex before.
The indulgence of a good long shower helped calm her down a bit. She blow-dried her hair with the diffuser attachment Yuna had thankfully thought to provide, and it bought her a few more precious minutes. By the time she finished her routine she was almost ready to face him. It would be presumptuous to walk out naked, and Tessa didn’t quite have the fortitude to attempt it. Instead, she opted for one of the hotel robes hanging on the back of the door.
The room was dimly lit, and music played when she opened the door—one of 24/7’s earliest albums. A fresh bottle of champagne sat on ice, and Eun Gi was fully clothed.
Tessa blinked incomprehensibly.
There was a dress laid across the bed. Eun Gi smiled, stepping towards her. “You missed out on something important, and I want to fix it.”
“Oh. I thought we were going to do…other things.”
He snared her hands, lacing their fingers together. “Hmm, we were, but I could tell you were starting to panic.”
Tessa cringed. “I wasn’t panicking.”
“Uh-huh. Sure could’ve fooled me.” He slipped his arms around her waist. “I don’t want you to have to push through your emotions to be with me. Nerves are one thing, but I’ve paid enough attention to you to be able to tell when it’s more than that.”
Tessa was so intent on his face that she jumped when his thumb brushed her cheek.
“I told you there’s no rush, and I meant it. Whatever we do, and whenever you’re ready, you let me know. Okay?”
She nodded, heart racing.
“It might be our honeymoon, but I promise I don’t have any expectations. Would you mind putting on the dress I picked out?”
“What’s all this for?”
“A surprise.”
Red embroidered flowers adorned the hem of a white dress. She dug out undergarments to go with the dress, a matched set of black and gold lace.
He courteously looked away while she struggled inside of the robe to pull everything on, but she needed help with the zipper after getting it only halfway. Eun Gi swept her hair over her shoulder. Goose bumps raced down her arms, and she bit her lip against a gasp when his breath ghosted over the back of her neck. The zipper slid upwards, and his arms went around her again, his chin set on her shoulder. Her heart thrummed, and she settled her hands on his.
“What’s your favourite song?”
“Is it weird if I say ‘Lightning Dream’?”
It was Eun Gi’s second solo piece, and the first he’d written all on his own.
“No. It means a lot to me. I’m glad you like it too.”
Smooth, sultry notes poured out of his phone as a new song began. A hint of jazz mingled with the rippling music that saturated the air. He spun her in his arms, interlacing one hand with hers, and cradling her waist with the other.
“You didn’t have a first dance at the wedding.”
Tessa’s lip wobbled. Wedding planning wasn’t something she’d had much interest in growing up. She had never picked out the intricate details that some people did, and she’d convinced herself that she didn’t need any of that, but now…
He twirled her and drew her back in, murmuring the words of the song in her ear.
“Come with me tonight, my love. The violet sky is calling. Your eyes light up like lightning. Your voice whispering from a dream.”
A shiver raked up her spine, and her heart slammed into her ribs. This was a much more common fantasy than anything else that had ever wandered through her brain. To have him sing. For her.
“Come back, my love, and wait for me when you wake. The sunlight breaks the dream and leaves the lightning in the night.”
When he pulled her back in from another twirl, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him. Surrendering to the sweetness of the moment, she indulged in the softness of his lips, in the steady way his hands pressed against the small of her back. She reveled in the heat of his skin through the thin fabric and dug in her nails when his mouth moved to her throat.
Tessa shivered. A whispered yes mingled with ragged breath and helpless sounds of pleasure.
“Bedroom,” she gasped.
Stumbling steps took them through the suite, until her legs hit the edge of the bed. She leaned back, pulling him with her. Boundaries for how far she wanted this to go weren’t firm in her mind yet, but she could have this.
The two of them inched up and settled onto the bed, the weight of him sinking down next to her. The heat in his eyes had her stomach clenching. Each heartbeat was a punch to her chest, and every inch of her body was hyper aware of his presence, eager to feel, yet afraid to do so. Tessa swallowed hard.
“Tell me what you want,” he whispered against her ear.
The warmth of him sent fresh shivers rippling through her body. She wanted a lot. Too much.
“Touch me. Please.” A low desperate sound escaped her throat when he inched closer.
One hand threaded into his hair, the other clung to his shirt. They kissed until she was melting into the mattress.
“Look at me,” he said softly.
She peeled her eyelids open, not realizing how tightly she’d had them squeezed shut. He was so close.
“It’s just us.” His fingertips brushed over her hairline, ghosting over her cheek. “I promised to take care of you, right?”
Her voice was frozen in her throat, so she nodded instead.
Eun Gi propped himself up, putting her intimately on display. She stayed latched onto his shirt, keeping him at bay, but holding him close. He watched every shift of her features, dipping down to consume the hitch in her breath when his fingertips slid over the curve of her breast. Her stomach quivered under his hand.
Tessa wiggled closer, blood roaring in her ears. He toyed with the hem of her dress that pooled at her hips, slipping under the fabric, moving over bare skin, pressing her closer. Thoughts blurred and crashed togethe
r, whizzing through her brain too quickly to understand. All her senses focused down to him. Touching her.
She whimpered when he moved away from the waistband to settle on top of her thigh.
More.
“Please,” she repeated.
Eun Gi’s gaze flashed to hers. Her muscles twitched as he slid back down, hand curving over the inside of her thigh. When he sidestepped again, jumping to the other leg, she let out a whine. He buried his smile against her throat.
“Do you want me?” he whispered.
“Should I be more obvious?” She released a nervous giggle and unclenched her fingers from his shirt. Her lips brushed across his. “Yes, I want you. A lot. Please.”
He slipped his hand into her underwear, giving her exactly what she’d been angling for. She shuddered desperately, and squeaked. His fingers glided through slick heat and Tessa’s brain melted out her ears. Her nails dug into him and every rasping breath was accompanied by an uncontrolled gasp.
Tessa shifted her hips, rolling against his hand. Two fingers slipped in, and her back arched off the bed before slumping helplessly back down. The sounds she made no longer resembled anything coherent, as the heel of his palm pressed a slow grind against her, fingers moving in a steady rhythm that built an inferno in her belly.
He followed the guidance of her reactions, the pitching cadence of each moan leading him to focus on the exact spots that elicited the most desperate reactions. She shook with the waiting pleasure poised to burst.
“Eun Gi.” His name left her mouth as a gasp.
“Hmm?” He nosed her throat and nipped, eliciting another helpless sound from her.
“Please, I’m so close.”
“Your choice,” he murmured against her skin. “I can finish you like this, or…” His tongue dragged over the curve of her throat.
“That,” Tessa whimpered. “Definitely that.”
He chuckled softly and withdrew his hand despite her fervent protests.
Heart and Seoul (The Seoul Series Book 1) Page 19