In a need of a break from her demanding job, Carmina seeks refuge in a hidden gem of Italy - Amalfi Coast. But her plans for a peace are thrown off course when a mysterious stranger appears out of nowhere.
Despite Carmina's expertise in unravelling...
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That comforting warmth, that flickering fire with its hues of carrot, suddenly felt distant and chilly, as if winter had arrived in the middle of summer. How could someone be so tender and passionate in their touch, only to bring a freeze to everything around them later? It's as if the heart were akin to a music box, cherished for its sweet melodies, yet discarded when its song ceased, left untouched like a forgotten, broken toy in a corner.
How could this be? Those hands, which mere hours ago lovingly tangled in his hair, now clung to the coffee cup she held alone on the terrace, as if he were a mere phantom in this room. How could those eyes, which just yesterday gazed upon him as if he were the only person in the world, now lack any spark? And those lips, so tenderly whispering his name, now refused to accept their shared feelings? Daehyun's gaze lingered on her form, so close yet impossibly distant.
But who could understand it better than he himself? Even his wealth and fame couldn't heal the loneliness within his four walls and that foolish notion that perhaps he wasn't meant to have everything. Dae knew that feeling all too well: when you deny yourself something willingly, when you scream, cry, and claw, yet it changes nothing. But sometimes opportunities left unseized can burden you for a lifetime. And he definitely had enough of his share of remorseful decisions.
"Carmina?" His hands wrapped around her waist, and his chin rested on her shoulder. She involuntarily nestled her head against him. Dae set the coffee mug on the table before gently turning her face towards him, still cradled in his arms. It was time to confront the truth.
"You can deny it as much as you like. I know you feel the same as I do. I know because I could see it just a few hours ago."
A heavy stone weighed her down, a burden she hadn't expected. She cleared her throat. "Stop confusing a one-night stand with feelings."
A subtle smirk played on his lips. Her resistance was all too obvious, all too predictable. His hands traced a slow path down her arms, slid down to her back, and as he pulled her close, they trailed along her spine with practiced ease. Carmina shivered at his touch. "So, everything we did yesterday... meant nothing to you?"
"Absolutely nothing," she breathed.
He buried his nose in her neck, and as she yielded to his touch, tilting her head back, he peppered her collarbone with delicate kisses.
"And are you certain about that?" he murmured.
"Mh-mhm," she whispered, trying to steady her breath. Memories of his lips on her neck, the gentle kisses mingled with a hint of pain as he left his little marks on her, returned uninvited.
The breathlessness when they both explored each other in the hotel sheets.
His olive-toned body, finally pressed against hers. The firm, defined muscles that felt so wonderfully beneath her fingertips.
Dae slid his hands under her shirt, tracing circles on her stomach.
