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“Furious,” I panted.

I felt his lips curve against my skin before his hands were moving. He removed my hands from his neck and pinned them above my head with one of his, while his free hand dragged down my body to grasp at my thigh. He yanked it up around his waist, pressing me hard against the wall, pinning me in place with his hips.

I bit my lip to hold in the moan that rolled up my throat.

“Are you sure?” he murmured, running his lips along the line of my jaw, pressing hot, tiny kisses along his route.

“Yes,” I gasped, although I could hardly remember what the question was.

“Tell me how much.”

His chest was pressed so close to mine that I felt the words as much as I heard them.

“So fucking much–”

His mouth crashed against mine in a kiss so searing that my lips burned. It was demanding, messy, inelegant and everything.

He released my hands only to drag his palm up the length of my body, rough and unhurried as though reacquainting himself with something that belonged to him. By the time he reached my throat, I was near feral. His thumb pressed my jaw up to tilt my face just the way he wanted while his hips moved against mine in a rolling grind. The friction tore a shudder from me, heat clenching low in my stomach as my body helplessly ground against him.

My hands dropped back around his neck as I groaned, and he seemed to inhale the sound.

Too soon, we pulled apart, panting, still straining towards each other like we were trying to span more than the few inches between our bodies. Space, time, decisions.

He let my leg down gently.

“Can I see you later?” he asked, voice low and rough.

“Joon, it’s so late, you just did a show–”

“Don’t care. You think I’m too tired? Jagiya, please. Please.”

His forehead dropped to mine, the sweet gesture so at odds with the fire that had burned through us moments ago. My fingers curled in the hair at the nape of his neck and I bit my lip. Squeezing my eyes closed, I nodded.

He exhaled shakily and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“Later,” he said, voice full of promise and something darker.

“Go back first. I’ll follow in a bit.” I pushed his chest, and after a moment he relented, pulling away like the only thing he wanted was to bury himself back against my body.

I waited, watching him go, breathing heavily and trying to calm my racing heart.

Chapter 36

Ididn’t see Jihoon on the way back to the hotel, or as I walked up to my room, shadowed by Mr Yoon. He left me at my door, satisfied I had been safely delivered.

Back in my room, I rushed around, shoving clothes in bags, tidying up my scattered papers until I caught myself and immediately felt ridiculous. And then, I had a minor crisis about what I should wear. Should I change into my pyjamas? It’s not like I’d brought anything even remotely sexy with me. And even if I had, could I have convinced myself to wear it? Wrap myself up like a gift offering?

I’d gotten as far as taking my socks off when the knock at my door came. I opened it, not bothering to check the peephole, because who else would be knocking on my door at one am?

Jihoon quickly stepped in, closing the door behind him with a quiet, definitive click. He reached for me, and then faltered.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I squeaked, wiping a damp hand down the front of my jeans.

He took a tentative step towards me. “Kaiya,” he said slowly, his voice curling around my name like a soothing caress. “What’s wrong? Do you want me to leave?”

“No.” My heart thundered in my chest, and I took a breath, trying to articulate what this was. “I just, I don’t know.” I shrugged helplessly. “I want you here, but I’m worried because I think it’ll mean something.”