by Jayci Lee
“Shh,” he warned before removing his hand from her mouth.
Returning his left hand to tightly secure her leg around his waist, he worked his right hand under her top. He smoothed his hand across her stomach, reclaimed her lips and murmured words of sweet adoration against them. With excruciating gentleness, he slid his hand up, cupped her breast and twirled his thumb over the lace of her bra.
She wiggled against him and pushed into his hand. With a sexy, arrogant laugh, he bent his head and licked the mound above the bra like it was the most decadent scoop of ice cream. She shivered against him with a lusty sigh as he continued to torture her. Unable to handle any more, she reached to tug down her bra and thrust her peak against his lips.
With a guttural groan, Colin succumbed to her will and tasted her nipple, twirling his tongue around it and pulling it deeply into his mouth.
“Colin,” she whimpered as her frantic hands reached for his belt. She needed him inside her. Now.
* * *
Colin was so turned on he could hardly see straight. Her creamy, pink-tipped breasts tasted as sweet as honey, and her skin slid beneath his hands like warm silk. He was so hard that it almost hurt, and when she cried out his name, he thought he was going to lose it in his pants.
He was so lost in her that it didn’t register in his brain what her hands were doing. When she freed his belt and unbuttoned the top of his pants, he finally understood. For a split second, he wanted to succumb to her siren’s call. He was dying to feel her soft, warm hand on his aching dick. Then he remembered why he shouldn’t kiss her, much less make love to her.
“Don’t,” he ordered in a ragged voice, grasping her wrists to stop her from going any farther. She stilled at his command, her whole body going stiff against his. He mourned the loss of the languid warmth of her aroused body. But no. He couldn’t do this. He shouldn’t. “We need to stop.”
Slowly, he righted her bra and tugged down her shirt to cover her glorious bare skin. Then he stepped back, tucked his shirt into his slacks and buckled his belt. He couldn’t meet Jihae’s eyes. He hadn’t meant for things to go so far, but when she’d walked into his office, he knew he was going to kiss her. Her boldness and sweet vulnerability were his undoing. But now, he’d pushed her away, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.
He finally looked up to find her staring right at him. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected to find—maybe embarrassment and regret—but it certainly wasn’t cold fury.
“That’s it?” she asked. “Are you going to avoid me for months now? Are you going to pretend this never happened, too?”
“Jihae, that’s not—”
“I am not a fragile porcelain doll that you need to protect. Even if I were fragile—and I certainly am not—it isn’t your job to protect me. I can take care of myself. If you offer me your bullshit about protecting my reputation again, I will kick your skittish ass.”
“It’s not that simple—”
She cut him off again. “This is the last time I offer myself to you. You want me, but you’re too afraid to take a chance. Well, listen very carefully. I will have you on your knees before I ever let you lay a finger on me again. On. Your. Knees.”
That was the sexiest angry speech he had ever heard. He definitely felt like he’d been put in his place, but it was so incredibly hot. Since thinking of pleasurable ways to get on his knees for her wasn’t conducive to getting his body under control, and Jihae needed to leave his office before he lost all willpower, he decided to just keep his mouth shut. He couldn’t think of what to say at any rate. Other than wow.
She arched a perfect eyebrow when he didn’t offer any more excuses, then tsked impatiently. “I’ll see you next week for the director interviews. Good night.”
With that, she opened the door and walked out of his office with her head held high. Colin was relieved that their last two kissing sessions weren’t going to affect their business relationship. He wasn’t surprised, though. Jihae was a true professional and she wouldn’t let her personal life interfere with her work. If he’d liked and respected her before tonight, he was in awe of her now. She was spectacular in every way.
He’d been doubting his initial belief that Jihae had been involved in Rotelle’s espionage scheme. After tonight, he couldn’t believe that she’d been a part of it. Despite her impenetrable ice-queen image, Jihae was frank, honest and fair, and was an incredible partner to work with. She had such innate integrity that she gave praise and credit where it was due, and wasn’t afraid to admit when she was wrong.
Could such a person have participated in such subterfuge? Colin’s gut instinct told him no. And he would never hold her accountable for the depravities of her family. Rotelle was still the prime suspect for the espionage attack against Hansol, but he wouldn’t wrap Jihae into it anymore. Maybe he could even trust her enough to ask her outright if she knew anything about the espionage. No, that would be crazy. He couldn’t do that without revealing his connection to the Song family. While she didn’t allow her personal life to interfere with her work, working with her ex-fiancé’s cousin would probably be too much, even for her. And, more importantly, Jihae wouldn’t betray her family.
Despite the guilt nagging insistently at him, he had to keep his identity a secret for the sake of the production. He didn’t want to be a constant reminder of her broken engagement and her injured pride. Jihae was as invested as he was in the project. He couldn’t ruin things for her by putting her in such an impossible position.
Colin swiped his hands down his face. Preparations for the production were going into overdrive soon, and he would have to spend a lot of time with Jihae. Hopefully, she didn’t hate his guts after tonight, and they could go back to being good colleagues.
The thought of being “good colleagues” with the most alluring woman he had the pleasure of meeting plunged him into a black mood. A platonic relationship with Jihae was as appealing as climbing a rocky mountain with bare feet. The lust blazing inside him was likely to burn him to cinders, but he had no other choice.
He had to protect Jihae from himself, find justice for his family and make a damn good movie.
Eight
Jihae was a strong-willed woman. She didn’t regret throwing herself at him, but she was most definitely not going to give in again. She’d meant every word she said. He would need to beg to have her after that spectacular rejection. She’d spent a lifetime playing the role of Princess Jihae. While it took monumental willpower not to touch him, she was able to exude cool professionalism on the outside.
With the director and screenwriter selected, they were moving on to casting. The director, Cora Huang, already had the lead actors in mind and reached out to them. She would be working with a casting director for the remaining roles. Jihae and Colin had brief phone calls and exchanged emails, but hadn’t seen each other since they interviewed the directors together. Both of them acted as though they were business partners and nothing more.
But wasn’t that the truth? They weren’t anything more than that. Sure, they’d shared two passionate kisses, and Colin looked at her like he wanted to tear off her clothes whenever he thought she wasn’t watching him—she smiled smugly at the thought—but that didn’t mean there was anything between them.
Jihae gnawed at her lip. She wasn’t a woman who opened up easily, and physical acts weren’t meaningless to her. Those kisses had meant something to her and it irked her that Colin was able to ignore them so casually.
When she heard a knock at the door, she shook her head to clear it.
“Come in.”
June stuck in her head. “Hey, boss. I’m taking the team out to dinner—on you, of course—to show them how much you care.”
“That’s great, and I do care. Too bad it wouldn’t fit my image to join you guys. Besides, if I come along, the staff will be so tense, they’ll probably get indigestion,” Jihae sa
id, only half joking.
“Hey. You could come if you want,” her friend said with gentle sympathy. She understood Jihae’s isolation and loneliness.
“No, I’ve got work to do. You guys go and have fun,” she replied with a forced a smile.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Now go away. I really have to work.”
“Fine. Do you want me to lock up for you?”
“No, I’ll lock up on my way out.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow, friend.”
When the door clicked shut, Jihae had the sudden urge to run after everyone. What happened to cool professionalism, Princess? She was in an odd mood and blamed it on Colin Song. Jihae wouldn’t be feeling so lonely if she’d never known how warm and cherished she felt in his arms. She tsked impatiently. Stop being unreasonable. Pushing Colin from her thoughts, she turned her attention to her inbox.
Confidential: Top Priority jumped out at her from the top of her unread emails. It was from her father, which startled her. He usually left emails and such to his executive assistant. With trepidation, Jihae clicked open the email, and what she found inside befuddled her.
Introduce Yami Corporation’s CFO to one of your contacts at NAM.
That was it. The terseness was expected but the content made no sense to her. She’d never heard of Yami Corporation. If she had to guess, they were an apparel company. She might’ve seen a bus-bench ad featuring a model wearing their jeans.
She wasn’t directly involved with Rotelle Corporation’s businesses, but she had some knowledge of which companies they did business with. Yami wasn’t one of them. Besides, fashion was one of the few industries that Rotelle didn’t dabble in. Why would Father want her to introduce Yami Corporation’s CFO to a talent agency?
None of it made sense. She checked the time and calculated that her father might be awake. He was something of an insomniac.
“Father,” she said when he picked up after a few rings as expected.
“What is it?”
“Your email. It doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s not your job to understand but to do as I instructed you,” he said dismissively.
She forged on despite his tone. “Since when did Rotelle do business with Yami Corporation? Isn’t that an apparel company? We don’t do apparel.”
“You don’t know everything. Far from it.”
“I don’t want to know everything. I just need to know why Yami’s CFO wants an introduction to NAM.”
“How the hell should I know? Just do as you’re told and stop wasting my time with incessant questions.” His terse tone warned her that she didn’t have much time.
“My connection to the talent agency is important for my job. For Rotelle Entertainment. I can’t jeopardize it by pushing a stranger on them for reasons unknown.”
There was a brief pause as he considered her words, and Jihae’s grip on her phone tightened.
“You can deal with the details of the introduction directly with Yami’s CFO. If she tries to ask you questions relating to Rotelle Corporation, tell her you don’t know anything. Which is the truth. You’re merely my representative.” He sighed quietly. “I need someone I can trust to handle this.”
Her father sounded so weary that her heart constricted. “I understand, Father. I’ll take care of it.”
“Good.”
“Father...” She hesitated, wanting to ask him if he was okay. The line went dead before she could say another word.
While she doubted there was any information, Jihae searched the internet for any connection between Rotelle and Yami. Not surprisingly, she found nothing. What she did find left a bad taste in her mouth. Yami Corporation had competed against Hansol for a partnership with Vivotex. The mention of Hansol still brought with it a twinge of humiliation even though she had cheered on Garrett Song in her head. He had been brave to marry the woman he loved rather than marry the woman chosen for him by his family. She closed the browser window resolutely. She didn’t care what Yami had to do with Hansol.
* * *
The office was empty but the door was unlocked, so there was someone still there. Colin hoped that someone would be Jihae. He’d assiduously avoided her since the director interviews—he had Ethan and Kim deal with anything that required direct contact—but he knew that this cowardly tactic couldn’t last forever. He and Jihae were partners. They needed to work fluidly together without a middleman.
No matter how much her presence tempted him, he had to keep his attraction to her separate from CS Productions business. With the director selected and the casting underway, it was past time to discuss their future direction and to prioritize what had to get done. He told himself that was why he’d rushed to her office after hours, as he stood in front of her door.
Just as he was about to knock, he heard the murmur of her voice. He turned away thinking she was in a meeting or on the phone. But her next words froze him to the spot.
“Since when did Rotelle do business with Yami Corporation? Isn’t that an apparel company? We don’t do apparel.”
After a moment’s pause, she continued, “I don’t want to know everything. I just need to know why Yami’s CFO wants an introduction to NAM.”
Colin couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, which meant she was on the phone. His heart pounded against his chest, and sweat sprung out across his hairline. Yami Corporation wanted an introduction to NAM? And Jihae was supposed to do the honors? Why?
“My connection to the talent agency is important for my job. For Rotelle Entertainment. I can’t jeopardize it by pushing a stranger on them for reasons unknown,” she said.
For reasons unknown. The sudden elation caught him off guard. Blood pounded in his ears, and his chest rose up and down as he fought for his breath. Jihae knew nothing. His gut instinct hadn’t steered him wrong. She hadn’t been involved in the espionage. Colin had been worried that his judgment was compromised by his desire for her, but now he had proof of her innocence. The relief made him lightheaded.
“I understand, Father. I’ll take care of it.”
Then trepidation washed over him. Was Rotelle scheming again? Her father was instructing her to meet Yami’s CFO, and she’d just agreed. She might not know anything yet, but the meeting might get her involuntarily involved. He didn’t want her taken down with her father just because the conniving snake decided to embroil her in the mess now. But the Jihae he knew would balk at any shady business. Her honesty and integrity wouldn’t allow her to do anything she felt was wrong. He trusted Jihae. She would be smart about it, and keep herself safe.
And Rotelle Corporation would be taken down. After running into dead end after dead end, the investigation was about to get a fresh start. After tugging his cell phone out of his back pocket, Colin typed in a quick text to Garrett.
Found new lead on Rotelle. Yami’s CFO might be their contact person. Have PI shadow her.
Then he turned his phone to mute. The professionals could handle the rest. He’d carried out his duty to his family, and he could stop scrounging around for evidence. A part of him whispered that he still might need to keep an eye on Jihae, but he hushed the nagging voice. His belief in Jihae’s innocence hadn’t been wishful thinking born out of his interest in her. She truly was innocent. He didn’t need to feel guilty for having feelings for her—the Song family’s enemy—anymore. His careening thoughts came to a screeching stop.
Did he have feelings for her? Yes. Colin cared about Jihae. He’d been suppressing his feelings and calling it lust because caring for her would’ve been a betrayal of his family. But now, with proof of her innocence, he could let himself admit his feelings for her. And maybe even act on them.
Colin took a deep breath, then knocked softly on Jihae’s door. He was being either brave or stupid, but he didn’t want to hold back. Not anymore.
“Come
in?” she said after a brief pause.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said as he walked into her office, closing the door behind him.
“Colin.” His name left her mouth in a breathy whisper, and her wide eyes revealed her pleasure at his unexpected appearance. But it disappeared with a blink. Her damn armor was back in place. “What are you doing here?”
She looked pristine in her white Princess Jihae attire, but her cheeks were stained with color and loose strands of hair framed her delicate face. He had never seen a more beautiful sight. Her expression exuded confidence and a hint of tightly controlled curiosity, but her eyes greedily roamed his body. Despite his rejection and subsequent inattention, Jihae miraculously still wanted him, but it was going to be difficult to have her admit it again. What was it she’d said?
I will have you on your knees before I ever let you lay a finger on me again.
With the last traces of his suspicion gone—freeing him from any guilt he might have felt over betraying his family by wanting her the way he did—he saw her with clarity for the first time. Her intelligence, her integrity, her beauty, her courage to experience new situations with curiosity and joy. He respected her. He desired her. And he wanted to do much, much more than lay a finger on her.
She’d come to stand in front of him as he stood glued to the spot, gazing mutely at her. With her within arm’s reach, her exquisite scent hit him, jerking him out of his paralysis. He wanted to kiss her so badly a shiver shook his frame. But if he wanted to kiss her, he had to get on his knees. She was quite clear on that, and he intended to obey her explicitly.
His expression must have shifted because her eyes widened and she took a hasty step back. Her retreat snapped the last of his control, and he stalked her step by step until she was backed against the wall.