The Kiss

Chapter 10

After dinner at a fusion restaurant, Lisa walked with Taehyung down streets lined with posh department stores and skyscrapers bearing the names of large banks. Pedestrian traffic—one-part tourist, one-part native city dweller in Windbreakers, one-part young partygoer dressed to the nines— choked the sidewalks and spilled onto the roads, where cars passed at a slow crawl.

This was the Gangnam Daero at night, something she had never cared to experience. Surprisingly, she was having a good time. When it came to escorting, Taehyung was the full package. He was great both in and out of bed. His very public kisses should have embarrassed her, but instead, she'd loved them. Who wouldn't love being kissed by Taehyung where people could see and admire and become green with envy? He held her hand every chance he got, and he was easy to talk to. She didn't usually enjoy new things, but Taehyung made her feel safe. With him at her side, she was a part of this busy Gangnam night, not just an onlooker. There was something novel and wonderful about being in a crowd and not feeling alone.

They neared a set of red velvet ropes where scantily clad women and men in suits waited in long lines. A bouncer raked coldly appraising eyes over Lisa's body and face, making her lean into Taehyung.

"Is this the club?" she asked, feeling her anxiety resurface.

He wrapped an arm around her and nodded. To the bouncer, he said, "We should be on the list. The name is—"

The bouncer tipped his buzzed head toward the entrance. "Go on in."

Taehyung brushed a kiss against her temple, tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, and walked with her toward the front doors of 212 Fahrenheit. A third bouncer held the door open for them, nodding at Taehyung as they passed.

"They let us in because they think you'll be good for business," Taehyung whispered in her ear.

Her cheeks heated, and she tried not to let his words go to her head. She'd gotten her hair and makeup done for tonight. This wasn't really her.

A decent number of people milled about the interior of the club, and she fisted her hands and gave herself a quick pep talk. She'd been to benefit dinners and work galas. This shouldn't be a problem. The din of their conversations mixed with subdued electronic music and filled her ears. Thankfully, neither of those things was particularly loud. She could still think.

The space was one open room decorated in a minimalist modern style with exposed metal beams and sharp edges. A large bar occupied the back, and a DJ controlled the music from a crow's nest on the adjacent wall. Seating was sparse and came in the form of upholstered booths centred around low metal tables. There were only four such arrangements, and two were occupied.

"I want one of those tables." Her voice came out sure and steady, and the sound reassured her, loosened the knots in her stomach. She was doing fine.

"They're not free."

She slipped her credit card out from the top of her dress and handed it to Taehyung, laughing when he stared at her with a surprised grin. "I had nowhere else to put it."

He slid his hands up her back and pulled her close. "What else is in there?" he asked as he peered at her modest show of cleavage.

"My driver's license."

"I have pockets, you know. You could have given me your cards and phone to hold for you."

"I didn't think of that. I left my phone at home because I couldn't fit it in." But now that she knew it was an option... This was why women had boyfriends.

Except he wasn't her boyfriend.

Taehyung's fingertip tucked beneath the bodice of her dress and skimmed across the front. It brushed inadvertently across a nipple, making her blood race and breast swell before he found the license and slipped it free. From the twinkle in his eye, she realized it hadn't been an accident at all.