Hye-jae: Book 2 - New Loves

New Loves Part 61

Morning light played across Hye-won's eye-lids and she lifted them to see...beauty, the brilliant beauty of Seon-jae, sunlight dappling across his blessed face, heightening the ethereal effect.  He gazed intently at her - not moving, not speaking - and she gazed back, drinking in his godly looks.  Not a sound stirred, nothing reached her consciousness but that look, him, how he looked right now, how he looked at her.  She hardly blinked and as he slowly lowered his head - holding her gaze - she felt her heart thumping.  He paused above her, the intensity of his gaze piercing her, then he kissed her so gently, her eyes pricked with tears, at the sweet beauty of it.  He lifted his head and still he gazed and still she gazed and then he lowered his head again and this time, the kiss filled her with joy, hope, desire, it told her that he was hers, he would always be with her and she was his every blessing.

He whispered: 'good morning, angel,' and she whispered back: 'if you could see yourself right now, you would know who was the angel.'  

Her comment seemed to bother him, as he lifted his head, his look troubled.  She could see that something was upsetting him and raised her hand to touch a forefinger to his curving eye-brow before noticing her sleeve.  That's the top I wore yesterday.  She looked down and saw that she still wore all her clothes from the day before and she closed her eyes as she tried to remember going to bed.  She looked up at him: 'why am I still dressed?  What's going on?'

She realised now why he had been watching her while she slept - he was worried and checking on her.  She pulled herself up in the bed, pushing her hair out of her eyes: 'Seon-jae, please tell me what on earth is going on?  The last thing I remember I was curled up in a blanket and the fire was warm and I was looking around at everyone - Ji-soo and In-seo looking so happy to be together, Ciara telling a story, Dieter laughing and you...I was holding your hand and you were beside me and it was...perfect.'

'And then you fell fast asleep and I think you would have slept there all night if I hadn't lifted you and brought you to bed.  You didn't even stir when I did, which shows how exhausted you were.'

He looked so worried: 'honestly, love, we have to stop doing this.  When I thought back over everything we did yesterday - the drive from Dublin, the walk to the church, the walk to the top of Maeve's Mountain.  What were we thinking - for God's sake?  Even going to The Glen afterwards...I was so cross with myself for being so thoughtless.  Sometimes, I think my brain just switches off and goes to the beach - which reminds me, we walked on the beach in the evening too - aish - damn.'

She could see his frustration and though it was her instinct to tell him she was fine, she suppressed it and thought about what he had said.  Then she made a decision and reached for him - laying his head upon her chest - where she knew he would hear her heart-beat and take comfort.  She could feel the tension still within him and she ran her hands through his hair with the slow, pushing strokes that she knew he loved: 'Seon-jaea, you are so hard on yourself.  You are upset that I fell asleep last night and didn't wake, right?'

He nodded against her chest.  Very cute.

'Well, I understand that you want to care for me...and our little stowaway down there.'

He gave a little laugh and reached his hand down to cover his place tenderly and she knew that would also calm him, as it did her.

'So, love, think about it this way.  I felt so well yesterday.  I loved our walk to the church and I wouldn't have missed climbing Maeve's Mountain for anything - she's a warrior Goddess after all, I had to get up there and pay my respects.'  And she certainly worked her magic on us.

She heard another little laugh and felt him make himself more comfortable against her.  Good, it's working.

'And could I have missed The Faerie Glen, in all honesty?  That had to be you and me together - feeling the magic - to know that it was the perfect spot for us.  Am I right?'