TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

31

Hani

I was torn from a fitful sleep on the couch by a pounding at the front door. Disorientated, I stumbled around the coffee table and tried to remember where I was.

The 20,000 in cash still tucked away in my apron.

Jeonghan.

Seungcheol.

Mimi's first day of school.

No wonder I'd fallen prey to a nap attack.

I opened the door and found a freshly showered Seungcheol standing on the welcome mat. Kkuma trotted inside, wagging his tail.

"Hey." I croaked.

A man of few words, Seungcheol said nothing and stepped over the threshold. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. He looked tense like he was spoiling for a fight. Well, if he'd come here for a fight, he was going to be disappointed. I was too tired to deliver one.

"How's Jeonghan?" I ventured.

He shoved a hand through his hair. "Long recovery ahead. But he'll be okay. Get Mi off to school this morning?"

His brother had been shot, and the man remembered to ask about Mimi's first day. I didn't know how to reconcile that with the jerk who yelled at me in front of his own customers. If he could settle fully into the thoughtful grump and give up the pissed off bad boy, he'd make some woman very lucky someday.

"Yeah." I yawned. "She slept at Jennie's last night since I didn't get home until late. Jennie, Dokyeom and I made her send off breakfast there. Dokyeom made chocolate chip pancakes even though I told him spikes in blood sugar made kids tired and unfocused at school."

I was tired and unfocused, not because of pancakes but because Seungcheol's appearance was making me nervous.

"Uh, speaking of Dokyeom, him and Mingyu went out to the shops..uh.." I said, grasping for a topic that would warrant some kind of verbal reaction.

But Seungcheol remained silent as he prowled the tiny living room, looking much too big to belong here. He was a man with a lot of feelings locked up tight. Part of me wanted to crack him open. The other part wanted to just go back to bed and forget everything for a few hours.

"Do you want some coffee? Maybe some wine?" I offered, following him ad he moved toward the kitchen, his hands clenching into fists only to release again. Over and over again.

I didn't have any wine, and the hardest alcohol in the house was a cheap rosé I'd been planning to crack open with Seoyeon. But I could sacrifice it for the guy whose brother had just been shot.

He picked up the pretty yellow leaf on the counter. I'd found it in the lane that morning after walking Mimi to the bus. The temperatures still said summer, but the change to fall was inevitable.

Kkuma hopped up on the sofa in the living room.

"Make yourself at home." I told the dog. When I turned to face Seungcheol, he was closing the distance between us.

"Hani."

His voice was rough as it caressed the syllables of my name, and then his hands were on me, yanking me into him. His mouth found mine, and I was lost to sensation. Drowning in desire.

Neither of us wanted to want this. Maybe that's what made it feel so damn good. One hand slid into my hair while the other pressed my lower back until I was flush against him.

"Cheol." I breathed. "This isn't what you want." I reminded him.

"It's what I need." He said before diving back into the kiss. This wasn't the kiss from the waiting room at the hospital. This was different, desperate.