The perfume of love (rain-bi)

chapter 42 (final)

Jenna woke up the next morning in a brass four-poster curtained with folds of white muslin tied back with pale blue silk ribbons.

Sunlight enhanced the sheen of a waxed and polished board floor covered, in the centre of the bedroom, by a blue and white needlework carpet. The chests of drawers, chairs and tables were all lovingly cared for antiques, and the room had a

brick-backed fireplace filled with pots of ferns inside a burnished brass fender.

For a while she lay still, enjoying her charming surroundings and remembering the events of last night.
Jihoon had walked her back to Kings Cross to collect her belongings. Then a cruising taxi had brought them across the harbour to this lovely old Hunters Hill house owned by his uncle jung seongha, and his wife Mary.

They had welcomed her warmly, as if there were nothing extraordinary about her arrival. Seongha had opened champagne, then Mary had produced a light after-theatre supper. When they had talked for an hour or so, jihoon had swept jenna upstairs to the room prepared for her and shown considerable reluctance at leaving her to sleep alone.

She would have been happy for him to stay. But eventually he had torn himself out of her arms and muttered a husky good night. She thought it was largely consideration for his relatives' scruples which had made him go to his own room. Certainly jenna herself would not have objected if his tender caresses had led to their rightful conclusion.

She was wondering how long it would be before they could share a bed and spend the whole night together, when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Expecting it to be Jung Mary, she was pleased to find it was jihoon. She sat up, bright-eyed and refreshed after the best night's rest she had had in a long time.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?"

He had obviously just had a shower. His dark hair was still wet. He was wearing a white terry bathrobe.

"On Cloud Ninety," she told him, laughing.
Jihoon sat down on the bed.

"Me,too. I had a lot of sleepless nights to make up. I went out like a light as soon as I hit the mattress." he drew her into his arms and kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose and her mouth.

"I like you like this.... Tousled and cuddly," he murmured, a little while later.

She nestled against him, aware that one ruffled strap had slipped off the curve of her shoulder and the front of her nightie was gaping, exposing the tops of her breasts. Once, she would have hurriedly covered herself. Now she wouldn't have minded if he had pushed it down further. She wanted him to touch her, and to touch him. Her hand, resting on his chest, moved from the rough white towelling to the smooth bronzed skin in the vee between the lapels. It gave her a deep thrilling pleasure to stroke her fingertips lightly on his warm flesh; and it seemed to please him as well.
Jihoon put her away from him. His voice rather ragged, he said,

"I came to suggest we had breakfast together on the balcony, but if we carry on like this......" he left the sentence in the air.

Her hands at the back of his neck, jenna gave him an innocent look. Caressing him behind the ears, she asked, "What will happen?"

"More than my aunt would like," he told her dryly.

"And as we're going to be married almost immediately, I think we can wait a little longer, don't you?"

She considered the question.

"I can.... If you can," she teased him.
Jihoon grinned. "I'd find it easier if you were on the other side of a table and a good deal more covered up! The way you look at the moment is enough to tempt a saint. I'm going down to fix the breakfast."