Trainwreck

Chapter 5

Hanni followed Minji in a stupor, her feet moving on autopilot: The only thing that grounded her to reality was the feeling of Minji's strong fingers entwined with her own, the Alpha's touch making the fine hair of her forearms stand on edge, as if it was electric.

Inside, the hotel was dazzling in its elegant simplicity, marble and wood meeting seamlessly in clean, functional lines to give the impression that one was growing from the other in a never ending circle.

Hanni had been in her fair share of hotels – most of her summers while growing up were spent following her mother around the country from conference to conference – and she'd hated the aseptic lobbies, and the rooms that, while comfortable, never lost their transient quality, no matter if you were there for two nights or two weeks.

Yet this place somehow managed to evoke safety and coziness, the way it had been planned and built entirely more personal than something designed by a million-dollar firm, apart from the actual building.

Minji gently led her to the concierge, where a smiling brunette greeted the Alpha with a respectful "Ms. Kim" and a smile that spoke of familiarity. They paused long enough for Minji to collect a keycard, Hanni managing to catch the other girl's name as her rescuer murmured instruction, voice pitched too low for her to hear.

Her name was Hyein, and she kept shooting Hanni furtive looks, her face equally divided between curiosity and worry. Hanni dropped her gaze to the counter, resisting the urge to pull her hand free from Minji's and wrap her arms around her own chest. Obviously Hyein could tell what was going on with her and, even though she appeared more concerned with Hanni's wellbeing than the cut on Minji's face, she couldn't help being embarrassed.

When Hanni dared to raise her eyes again, she found Hyein smiling reassuringly, the judgment and disgust she'd been dreading completely absent from her face.

"I'll have everything sent up right away, Ms. Kim." The other girl responded to something Minji had asked, her eyes never leaving Hanni's. "Right away."

When Minji tugged her on, Hanni didn't resist, every last shred of energy she had left geared toward staying upright. She didn't think she'd ever survive the shame of Minji ending up carrying her. To her relief, the Alpha ignored the flight of stairs leading to the hotel's upper floors, instead using the keycard Hyein had provided to access what looked like a private elevator.

Wait.

Fragmented thoughts clicked into place, and the fog that had settled over her mind lifted a little.

Private elevator.

Kim.

What had the cabbie said the hotel was called, again?

He'd called it the Kim Downtown Hotel. That, coupled with the way Hyein had treated them, meant...

"You own this place." The feeble words, no more than a hoarse whisper, were out of her mouth before Hanni could stop them. They were in the elevator now and, while it was big enough to accommodate at least five people, its confined space meant that every breath she took was full of Minji.

Of course, the Alpha was not purposefully trying to woo her, her body simply responding to Hanni's heat, but her scent, as tantalizing as a stick of incense burned just out of sight, made it hard to think further than how Minji's mouth would feel, tongue tangling with her own.

"I do." Minji replied, a blush creeping along her cheeks, "well, me and my sister, Haerin own it, along with a few others around the country."

Her words weren't meant to be boastful, that much was clear from the way she held herself as she spoke. She was simply stating how things were, and had the air of someone who had found themselves into a path they would not have chosen.