Jong-in felt his cheeks heating. He dropped his gaze to the floor. “I…. It wasn’t anything special. I had really good material to work with.”
“It’s more than that,” Cho-ree said. “You have natural talent, much like Jin-woo dongsaeng, just for sound rather than visuals. I think a lot of people are going to be impressed with what you’ve created.”
“Gomabseumnida, seonbae,” Jong-in said. He didn’t have any further words. It was always awkward when people complimented him. He didn’t quite know how to take it. He just… he just heard what the music could be and helped it get there.
“Get some rest. You’ve had a long day.”
“Yes, seonbae.”
“Have a good night, dongsaeng,” Cho-ree said, and then he left with a wave of his hand.
Jong-in shook his head. He very much wished he could take that advice. With a sigh, he shut down the computers, turned off the lights, and left the room. He paused at his desk. It was still so weird to be here, to be in the headquarters of BL Entertainment. It was even more bizarre to be producing music, to be working with these amazing people. He’d laid everything out when he got kicked out of his home, but his plan hadn’t included this for another several years. He was so sure it would take a long time to get to this point, and honestly, a part of him doubted he would make it. He had stopped allowing himself to hope for things because, most of the time, it didn’t work out for him. This whole trying-to-be-normal thing kind of sucked.
And then there was HanYin. He hadn’t seen that coming, hadn’t even considered it would happen for him, let alone with someone like HanYin. Jong-in hadn’t been a monk, but he’d never been able to fully enjoy the moments because he had to make sure he kept his secret. He never even considered there might be others. Well, okay, given the fact he existed, others had to exist, but he didn’t think to ever meet one. Off and on throughout the day, Jong-in had found himself wondering just how many different types of nonhumans there were. HanYin had called him a Shifter, had in fact seemed very familiar and comfortable with the term. He’d also called him a Húli jīng, a Fox-Spirit. That would be Gumiho in Korean. Min-su had made him sit down with her and explained some things about herself. And while he felt honored she was trusting him with the truth, he wasn’t able to tell her about himself. She knew what she was. He didn’t… or hadn’t at the time. Thinking about what his ears and tails looked like, Jong-in could see the reference to foxes. Maybe that explained why walking past cemeteries always bothered him. Every time he got near one, Jong-in heard whispers, voices so soft he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He knew deep inside those voices were spirits. The older the cemetery, though, the louder the whispers became, yet, they were still unintelligible to him. Could he hear them because he was a Gumiho?
Jong-in didn’t realize he’d reached his desk until he was standing in front of it, staring down at HanYin dozing. He smiled. HanYin looked so sweet and innocent, his dark lashes fanning across his high cheekbones, his lips slightly parted. His deep purple hair, a recent change that looked sexy as hell, was all tousled, and Jong-in was loath to wake him. He reached out to shake HanYin’s shoulder but paused, recalling their conversation earlier in the day. He took a half step back and called his name instead.
“HanYin,” he said quietly, not wanting to startle him awake. “HanYin, it’s time to get up.”
From adorable innocence to snarling, silver-eyed, and fanged, HanYin jerked awake. Jong-in held perfectly still, functioning on pure instinct for those several seconds. Slowly the silver bled from HanYin’s eyes, and his fangs slid back… wherever they were kept when he wasn’t using them. Jong-in shivered, remembering the way HanYin had scraped them against his skin, sending electric currents of pleasure all over his body. The scent of his arousal perfumed the air, and HanYin zeroed in on him, quirking up the corner of his mouth in a sexy smirk.
“Are you awake now?” Jong-in asked quietly, feeling as if he were in the presence of a superior predator, which, he realized, he was, and damned if that didn’t jack up his arousal another notch.
“Yes, thank you,” HanYin said as he rose and moved closer, almost too close for Jong-in to think clearly. Before he could say anything, HanYin leaned in and kissed him gently. He gasped and received a little kitten lick before HanYin drew back. Jong-in looked at him, confused as to why he’d pulled away. “If I continue to kiss you, I’m going to want to do other things, and you have to go to work.”
“I’m glad one of us has a functioning brain,” Jong-in muttered, and HanYin laughed.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, I just have to grab my backpack,” Jong-in said. He moved around HanYin to the desk and pulled his backpack out of the bottom drawer. Then he patted his pockets, making sure he had his keys, wallet, and phone. Once he was sure he had everything, Jong-in turned to HanYin and smiled. “Okay, I’m all set.”
“Let’s go, then,” HanYin said as he grabbed a bag Jong-in hadn’t seen. As they turned to leave, he handed it to Jong-in.
“What’s this?”
“Your dinner,” HanYin said, his cheeks turning rosy.
“You made me dinner?” Jong-in whispered. While he’d enjoyed HanYin’s cooking while they were filming, this was different. This was just for him. It made him feel… all sorts of funny and hot. He hadn’t had anyone cook just for him since he left home. His throat tightened, and he had to look away to compose himself. When he finally turned back to HanYin, he could see the confusion and the concern in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” HanYin asked. “I didn’t mean to upset you. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.”
“No… yeah, I’m okay. I just…. It’s been a very long time since anyone has cooked for me like this, Hyung,” Jong-in said. “Thank you.”
HanYin smiled. “Who said we were past honorifics? It’s HanYin only. I hope you like it. There’s steamed dumplings, which I know are your favorite. There’s some pork spring rolls because they’re a finger food, no chopsticks or utensils required. And there’s a manju roll for dessert.”
“When did you do all of this? I thought you were working on songs for the next album?” Jong-in said. “Cho-ree seonbae said you and the others were in and out of the studios, driving the rest of the department insane.”
“He likes to tease us.” HanYin huffed. “I made them this afternoon. I had some time between my interview and meeting you, so I headed to my apartment and put this together. I didn’t want you to go without food, especially if you had to work several more hours.”
“This is very thoughtful… and amazing,” Jong-in said as they exited the elevator into the parking garage. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“No thanks needed,” HanYin said, ducking his head, but Jong-in saw the corners of his mouth turn up just before he did so. “I just….”
“You just… what?”
“No, I… I can’t.” HanYin looked everywhere but at him, a clear sign he was getting twitchy.
“Hey.” Jong-in put his hand on HanYin’s arm, stopping his restless movement. “It’s okay. Tell me when you’re ready. In the meantime, where’s your car?”
“That’s the other thing. I took my bike in this morning, so I had to go get my car in order for you to eat on your way to work,” HanYin said, clearly thankful for the change in topics.
They walked a little farther. As they did, Jong-in got this niggling feeling, as if someone were staring at him. He paused, looking around. Then he took a surreptitious sniff. There was a scent, something vaguely familiar but off somehow, something he’d smelled before. He turned this way and that, trying to pinpoint the scent trail. Suddenly the sensation vanished, and that was even stranger than having experienced it to begin with.
“What’s wrong?” HanYin asked quietly.
“I just felt… as if someone was watching,” Jong-in answered just as quietly. “There’s a scent, something… I don’t know, something I’ve smelled before, but I can’t place it. It smelled�
� wrong, sort of twisted, if that makes any sense.”
“Let’s get to the car. We can talk about it on the way,” HanYin said, bringing his hand to rest on Jong-in’s lower back. It was soothing.
“You believe me?”
“Of course I do. I learned never to doubt my instincts a very long time ago,” HanYin said. “It’s kept me alive on more than one occasion.”
“Exactly how old are you?”
“That’s a discussion for another time,” HanYin said with a self-deprecating smile. “Needless to say, I’m old enough.”
“Uh-uh, I’m not going to accept that answer,” Jong-in said with a chuckle as they stopped at a brilliant blue sporty-looking car. The lights flashed and the horn beeped, and HanYin gestured for him to get in.
Driving significantly reduced the time it took for Jong-in to get to work, and he had time to eat the delicious food HanYin had prepared for him. Their conversation had been easy and relaxed, although Jong-in wanted to ask more about HanYin’s age, where he came from, and how he became… whatever he was. Jong-in realized HanYin had never really said exactly what he was.
Outside of the store where Jong-in worked, there was a small picnic table where they took their breaks. He and HanYin sat there now in a companionable silence that was immensely relaxing and incredibly bizarre. HanYin occasionally stole bites of food, but Jong-in didn’t really mind. Well, he didn’t mind when HanYin, Min-su, or Jin-woo did it, but anyone else would have gotten smacked.
They talked about a wide range of things: music, books, movies, the video and how it was coming. In truth, HanYin did most of the talking, but Jong-in knew he was like that, and it was fine because Jong-in wasn’t much of a talker. His little diatribe earlier in the day was a prime example of “things Jong-in rarely did.” Even so, he talked more with HanYin than he did with just about anyone else.
“Isn’t your shift starting soon?” HanYin asked, bringing Jong-in out of his thoughts.
“Yeah. I really have to get going,” Jong-in said.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow?” HanYin said as he climbed off the picnic bench.
“Definitely,” Jong-in said, smiling. “Have a good night, HanYin.”
“You as well,” HanYin said. He glanced around and then leaned in and kissed Jong-in again. “Something for you to remember.”
“As if I could forget.” Jong-in snorted. “You’re just as bad as Ki-tae hyung is with Jin-woo-ya, only you hide it better.”
“I’m older,” HanYin said with a chuckle, and then he walked away. Jong-in had the ridiculous urge to call him back, to keep him from leaving, but he fought against it. He had to work, and HanYin was not conducive to him working.
Min-su
MIN-SU STARED at the words on the page, a sandwich in her other hand. She scanned them repeatedly, rolling them around in her head. For the first time since this whole adventure started, she had been able to put pen to paper and come up with something halfway decent. It still needed tweaking, and the beat wasn’t clear in her head yet, but it was a start. She had the words, and they meant something. She just hoped when it was time to present the song, no one else got how personal it was.
This was how she felt about Cheongul. Yes, she had been a fangirl, not that she would ever admit it, not even under pain of torture, but since this project began, her feelings had only gotten stronger. She wasn’t going to stalk him or anything creepy like that, but it was getting harder and harder to keep things casual. He was… amazing, and she didn’t have to hide being a Shifter. That very thought made her feel lighter somehow. There was no doubt they were attracted to each other, and if they jumped into bed, it would be incredible, she was sure, but that wasn’t all she wanted. The problem was she wasn’t sure how Cheongul felt about her, and she was having an incredibly hard time working up the nerve to just ask.
She was the unconventional girl, but she wasn’t that unconventional. Okay, perhaps she was, but when it came to Cheongul, she didn’t always act as she normally would. Min-su leaned her head back against the chair, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. It was getting harder and harder for her to be calm and professional. Every time she caught a whiff of him, it was as if she shifted into heat like some bitch. All she could think about was how he’d felt pressed against her, his cock tight against her core. Min-su whined softly, squeezing her legs together. This was definitely not the place for such thoughts. Her next deep breath only made her conscious mind realize what her body already knew.
“Why the hell do you always have to sneak up on me?” she snapped as she opened her eyes and looked at him upside down. “It’s a really annoying habit of yours.”
“It’s not my fault you weren’t paying attention,” he said absently, his eyes roving over her as they flickered from black to silver and back again. “You’re distracted.”
“That is your fault,” she muttered.
Suddenly Cheongul let out a low growl. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her to her feet. The next things she knew, Min-su was staring down at the floor, and Cheongul’s very fine ass, through the curtain of her blonde hair. She braced one hand against his back and pushed her hair to one side as she lifted her head. Just as she opened her mouth, she felt him clench his hand around her thigh… high up on her thigh, under the hem of her skirt. The pleasure wracked her entire body, robbing her of the ability to formulate coherent sentences.
“What?” was the best she could do.
Cheongul didn’t respond, but he tightened his fingers again. Min-su glanced around in fear. Had anyone seen them? Was someone watching them now? She would never be able to show her face again if someone saw her being carried like a sack of potatoes through the offices. “Put me down.”
“Not until I find us some privacy,” he rumbled, and that was doing absolutely nothing to help her calm her body.
She knew he could smell her, how aroused she was. She covered her face with her hands. A part of her mind screamed at her to fight against this, to claw at his back and try to get away, but the other part, the larger part, didn’t want to. She wanted to be alone with him. She wanted to feel him against her again, to kiss him again, feel his tongue in her mouth. She really was a bitch in heat.
Then she heard a slam, the clicking of a lock, and the flick of a switch. Cheongul set her on her feet and she immediately started pushing her hair out of her face again. Before she could do more than open her mouth to speak, Cheongul’s lips were on hers. He was pressed against her from thigh to hip, and if her mouth wasn’t full of his tongue, Min-su would have howled. She smelled his musky scent of sex and Min-su knew he was as affected as she was by the hard erection pressing against her stomach. This time they weren’t going to stop. This time he wasn’t going to run and leave her confused and horny. This time she was going to make sure of it.
Min-su pushed him back, following him, her mouth still feasting on his. She yanked the hem of his shirt out of his pants and only broke their kiss long enough to pull it over his head and toss it over her shoulder. With so much new skin to explore, Min-su didn’t waste any time. She worked her way over his chest, feeling him curl his fingers in her hair and clench tight as she sucked hard on his nipple. He snarled, and she practically purred, knowing she was pleasing him.
Licking, nipping, teasing with flicks of her tongue, Min-su worried that nub until it was swollen from her attentions. Then she moved to its mate as she worked the button and zipper of his jeans open. Pushing the placket aside, she let out a little cry of delight when Cheongul slid, hot and hard and silky, into her hand. Slowly she stroked him, looking up into his face. His eyes were silver, and his fangs pricked at his lips.
“That is so fucking hot,” she murmured, giving him another long stroke.
“You like my fangs, do you?” he growled softly pressing forward, pushing his cock into her grip. “Like the feel of my cock in your hand? You have the perfect touch, just hard enough to really make me feel it.”
&nb
sp; She murmured against his chest, throwing his words back at him. “You brought me in here for a reason, Cheongul. Why are we talking?”
“I like the sound of your voice,” he said as he leaned down and nipped her shoulder. Little bolts of electric pleasure shot through her, and she shuddered.
Panting, she continued to stroke him, running her nail gently through the slit, giving a twist as she reached the head every other stroke or so. Each pass was made easier by his heavily leaking cock, slick and hot. Min-su let out a cry when he gripped her thighs and lifted, pulling his cock from her hand as she grabbed his shoulders to stay upright.
“I’m going to make a mess of you.”
“Promise?” she growled as she bit his shoulder.
“Definitely.”
Cheongul found a chair; she had no idea how he managed it, as focused as he was on driving her insane with his fingers teasing between her thighs. Her muscles trembled with each stroke, and if she hadn’t had her mouth firmly planted against his shoulder, she was pretty sure she would have screamed her head off from that stimulation alone. Cheongul had seriously talented fingers. He sank down into the chair, her thighs now on either side of his, parted wide as he moved his legs outward. She felt her panties being pulled to one side and the hot, slick head of his cock pressing against her. Dammit, too slow.
“Ready?” he purred against her throat.
“I want you inside me,” she moaned, rocking her hips, trying to press down on him.
He nudged once, twice, and then she couldn’t take it anymore. She pressed down just as he gave one hard thrust upward, sinking fully inside. Min-su threw back her head and howled long and loud as pleasure slammed into her. Energy coursed through her, heightening… everything. This was not going to be gentle. She couldn’t do gentle right now. She buried her claws in his shoulders, and she cut her own lip as her fangs burst forth.
“That’s it, Min-su, honey, let me hear you,” Cheongul said, nipping her ear before swirling his tongue along the delicate edge. “Let me feel you. Let me see you come apart for me.”
Night Kiss Page 29