The Price of Love

Chapter 7: Conversation

Jin

I stared at my laptop screen, finishing up my research for my global management class, when I came across the name of Kim Worldwide Incorporated. Again. I knew I would never escape references to my father's corporation as long as I was studying business. My assignment involved researching a company to find a project that would fit with their current financial and expansion interests and then put together a hypothetical proposal. My team had decided to pair KWI with another corporation that was making big strides in the entertainment industry.

So far in my college courses, I had avoided working on any assignment that had anything to do with my father's company. Now as I neared the end of my second year in graduate school, it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore KWI's standing in the business world. I had dealt with many classmates' papers and research about KWI, but I had never confirmed my connection to that corporation. And I was not about to.

I remembered Bella's concern about my standing with my family. My mother had never concerned herself with me after she left, and my father had shown me no love or emotion. I owed my family little to nothing. I had learned to make my own way in the world.

I had not told Bella about my father's wealth and influence because I didn't want to scare her off.  I wanted our relationship to progress naturally without the weight of my family bogging it down.  I wanted her to love me so much that my family could not drive her away.

I looked up at the clock and saw that it was seven-thirty five. It was Tuesday. Bella should be here soon, so I quickly finished up what I was doing and closed the laptop. I had a few minutes to get myself ready. I had just finished getting dressed after a quick shower when I heard the knock at the door and smiled. I had told Bella countless times to use the code to come in, but she insisted on knocking.

I threw the door open and pulled her into my arms without talking. I slammed the door shut, pinning her against it, and attacked her with feverish kisses. I felt the familiar stirrings in my body and broke off the kiss. I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bedroom.

Crushing her body to mine, I trailed my lips down her neck. My hands moved underneath her shirt and up her back.

"Uh...J-Jin...w-wait," she whispered when she felt my hands at the snaps of her bra.

I moved back a few inches. "Huh? What? Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No. I just wanted to say hi. You didn't even say a word to me."

I smiled. "Hello, my beautiful darling. I am so glad to see you." I kissed her again and moved her toward the bed. I pushed her down gently and eased my body over hers.

"Jin, wait," she said again. She placed a hand on my chest. "That's it? That's not conversation."

I grinned. "I'll let my body do the talking. I know how much you like that."

She turned her face away. "Stop it," she said softly. "You do this all the time. You just pull me into your room as if that's the only important part of our relationship."

I blinked in confusion then rolled completely off of her. "What do you mean? Are you saying that I only want you for sex? How can you think that?" I felt the pressure in my pants disappear, and I dropped down on my back next to her. "I can't believe you would think that."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just concerned that it will become the most important thing between us, and it's not, is it?" She sat up and looked down at me.

"Of course it's not, Bella," I replied. "You know that I love you, and I think the world of you. You're my ray of sunshine, my happiness, my everything. When I have a rough day, the sight of you makes it all better. I love being with you. I love our conversations. Sex will never define our relationship. Who has been filling your head with these crazy ideas?" I turned to her and saw the look on her face. "Okay. What did you hear this time?"