Could It Be Okay?
Hyun-seo gazed at Tae-yeon and asked once more, “What should we do?”
His eyes were quietly simmering, full of that familiar unspoken promise. Tae-yeon met his gaze steadily, then nodded slowly. Honestly, she had been through so much these past months. During the hardest days she had leaned on him like a lifeline.
It was like a miracle that a donor had appeared. She could guess how hard he had fought for it. On days like today she wanted nothing more than to sleep tucked safely against his chest. Even if she didn’t fully understand what love was, she knew she could never cut her heart off from him.
She might have spotted the first cracks in her stubborn longing after her mother collapsed, when Choi Hyun-seo’s actions seemed to suggest he could hold her heart. Even if his feelings weren’t love, they were clearly affection, a desire to protect her at all costs.
“Let’s go together.”
Tae-yeon offered a small smile, but her cheeks burned too hot to hide. Hyun-seo extended his hand in answer. That large palm hovered, yearning to close around hers. When she placed her smaller hand upon it, he gently enclosed her fingers and began to walk. How long had it been since she had looked at him with such swelling heart and wild hope?
Before the business trip to America, before everything had seemed truly over. To feel this flutter again now was almost strange. There was a ridiculous edge to it, yet she liked it.
The coldest part of winter always came right before spring. Just like now. Outside the weather was chilly, so Tae-yeon lowered the window and let the cold air rush in.
“Why? Aren’t you cold? Close the window.”
Hyun-seo brushed aside the whipping strands of her hair and said, “I just wanted to feel the cold air. Is it too cold?”
“No.”
“Then wait a moment.”
Outside the car, February’s sharp wind howled. Tae-yeon gripped her wildly blowing hair and murmured to herself, “Spring will come soon, won’t it? Right now it feels like spring will never arrive.”
Hyun-seo answered with silence. He raised the window. The gap sealed perfectly with the glass, and the icy gale that had battered the car died instantly. The interior warmed at once from the heater.
“Whether you want it or not, spring is coming. If it doesn’t, we can just stay warm like this.”
It was the kind of reply only Choi Hyun-seo would give. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll make it work. Haven’t you always said you work with that mindset?”
“I didn’t know it, but Min Tae-yeon seems to have listened to my words very carefully.”
“Of course. Vice President Choi is everyone’s dream guy, after all. So you wanted to become someone like me?”
Tae-yeon shook her head. “I could never even dream of it.”
Hyun-seo reached out and lightly touched the tip of her cheek with one finger. The soft skin he touched was still cool from the car’s air. That contrast sent a jolt straight through her veins. It was an almost painful difference in temperature.
***
“Vice President is here?”
Icheon-daek greeted him with a bright smile. “Would you like iced tea?”
“Yes.”
The two of them, Hyun-seo and Tae-yeon, drank the cool iced tea together. Then, hand in hand, they walked into the bedroom. It was only that, nothing more. Yet from that single moment, their hearts began to race wildly.
The bedroom felt exactly like Tae-yeon’s room, as she had known it would. The previous one had been chosen to suit Hyun-seo’s taste, but this one was chosen by her. As he surveyed the room, his gaze landed once again on her. Tae-yeon met his eyes and slowly placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Was today hard?”
She looked up at him with eyes like black plums and asked in a warm voice. Hyun-seo opened his heavy lips in reply. “What?”
“Just a day.”
“Could you have endured it as much as Min Tae-yeon? Worrying because the transplant might not happen, then cheering when the donor appeared. In short, you must have used up a lot of emotion.”
His words struck straight to the heart, yet Tae-yeon shook her head. “No. I was happy today. There is nothing better than hearing that a donor appeared.”
“You were that happy?”
“Yes.”
His hand stroked the back of her hand. He could no longer pretend to ignore the sensual heat spreading between them. “I’m quite satisfied when Min Tae-yeon likes me like this.”
It was a vague remark meant to stir someone’s emotions. Whether he loved her or not, the words “I like you” were what he wanted. Whatever the exact meaning, they were still a wonderful thing for one person to say to another. “Thank you.”
Yet something felt off about the words, so he asked again, “What?”
“Everything. Being there beside me after my mother collapsed. The generous salary and bonuses that let us pay for her surgery.”
His lips curved ever so slightly. A faint smile crossed them, more intriguing than any open grin. “I see. I was being thanked. So then let me return the favor.”
At his words, Tae-yeon lightly kissed his lips. The brief, fleeting press of their mouths was already too much. The moment they parted, Hyun-seo kissed her properly. Their lips overlapped, tongues pushing in with passion, then suddenly softened. He stroked the tip of her tongue, then the soft flesh inside her, exploring every corner with aching care. Only when their lips finally separated did he speak. “I really wanted to kiss you.”
“Me too.”
The meeting gazes dissolved into smiles. Quick, light kisses followed, then their tongues tangled deeply. Hyun-seo drove his tongue inside and began to suck as if he wanted to take in everything. The breaths they released were pulled in, and the deepening kisses left them both gasping. Small whimpers slipped out, stirring their sensual desire. Hyun-seo gripped her chest. Through the thin sweater the heat of his palm sent waves of pleasure rippling across her skin.
While their lips remained locked, Tae-yeon slid his jacket off. Her sweater followed, and her bra flew somewhere. As his hands moved, she became completely naked in an instant. The sight of her slender body before him made his throat tighten. While Hyun-seo remained half-dressed, his suit trousers still on, he sat at the edge of the bed and pulled her onto his lap. He loosened his belt, then pressed his swollen, hot desire against her body while seated. The simple friction alone made her whole body tremble.
Clearly their bodies wanted each other desperately. Hyun-seo kissed the nape of her neck. The living warmth pulsing beneath the thin skin was exquisite. His hand slid down her waist and cupped her lower back. Tae-yeon moaned. “It’s not fair. We haven’t even started yet.”
Looking at his playful grin, Tae-yeon shot him a sidelong glance. “You know this isn’t the time to talk, right? I know you can do even worse.”
“I know. Director Min.”
The title “Director Min” made her laugh. Today everything felt wonderful. Hyun-seo asked her, watching her smile, “You like it that much?”
“Yes. I like it very much. Thank you so much.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“Even if you say that, I know. You worked so hard. Otherwise this donor would never have appeared out of nowhere. I’m really, really grateful.”
As if returning her thanks, Tae-yeon wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Hmm. If that’s how grateful you are, do it here too.”
He pointed to his lips with one finger. Tae-yeon blushed faintly and immediately pressed her lips to his. The kiss allowed Hyun-seo’s heavy desire to plunge deep inside her. “Huk. Ah… I must admit, it used to be hard for me. Why wouldn’t you tell me properly before? Actually, I was probably even more upset that we couldn’t escape the contract.”
“And now?”
Tae-yeon lifted her eyes at his deep voice. She could read nothing in his black eyes. It was even more unreadable than usual. “Now it doesn’t matter anymore. As long as you’re here with me and I like you, nothing matters.”
It would be better alone, but she could still look at him and depend on him when things got tough. So living only as Yun-woo’s mother and father like this… wouldn’t it be all right?
Holding her slender body, Hyun-seo lifted her and lowered her again, driving his hot desire all the way inside in one thrust. “Ugh!”
Their joined bodies sent a wave of intense pleasure through her. “Then it’s settled.”