Fate's Little Bell

Chapter 21

"Princess, are you... even watching it?" Jeongguk asked. As he spoke, I heard him pause the movie.

    "I am," I insisted, peeking at him from the gaps between my fingers. "I just don't want to see the scary stuff."

    He smiled and reached out, taking my hands away from my face one by one. "But... the scary stuff... hasn't even happened yet."

    Nervously, I glanced over at the computer screen where two teenage girls were frozen mid-conversation. "Yeah... but I just want to be ready to block it all out when it does."

    "Well... what if I warn you?"

    I shook my head. "What you find scary is probably different and I don't want to wind up scarred for life because of that."

    He reached out with his right hand to stroke my cheek. "Okay. But I'll... still warn you."

    "Okay," I whispered. My eyes acted on their own and focused on his lips. His hold on my waist tightened and I looked away quickly. "I... I guess we should go back—"

    He leaned closer to me, ducking his head down so he could reach me. I shifted, removing my cheek from where it had been resting against his not-exactly flannel plaid shirt, and sat up.

    "Stop running away," he murmured, pulling me towards him so suddenly I fell forward. I caught myself against his chest, blushing as I realized how close my lips were to his neck. He turned and started kissing my temple. My eyes slid shut with a soft sigh of contentment. His breath was hot against my skin as he worked his way down the side of my face and, as I fidgeted with the fabric of his shirt, I couldn't help but notice how easy it would've been to unbutton it. Finally, he reached the corner of my mouth and brushed his lips against mine. Starting to kiss me insistently, he pulled me closer and I felt my laptop slide off my leg. His hand found my thigh and grabbing it, he dragged me half on top of him. I felt my face heat up and suddenly I was so glad he couldn't see how flustered I was. Rolling back heavily on my right side, I managed to mostly get off of him and felt the risk of me dying of embarrassment greatly decrease. I heard — and felt — him groan with disappointment, but it didn't seem to bother him too much, for a moment later he deepened the kiss, pushing me back into the pillows before shifting his body on top of mine. His hands settled on my hips and, with a rather rough movement, he made them roll against his, drawing a gasp of surprise from my mouth. Fumbling with the buttons of his shirt until it fell open around me, I slid my fingers across his skin, tracing the ridges of his chest and abdomen as if I were trying to memorize them.

    He pulled away just enough to speak. "Your hands are freezing."

    "Sorry," I whispered, letting them drop onto my belly. Squeezing my already closed eyes even more shut, I felt my face heat up. "I... I didn't mean to bother you."

    "Princess, you could never bother me." He rolled off me and took my hands in his, rubbing them together. I giggled and opened my eyes, watching his attempts to warm me up. He was lying on his left side, blowing intently on my hands. I shifted closer to him, turning onto my side, and he looked up at me, instantly cutting me through with how unbearably sexy he looked with his shirt unbuttoned and his hair haphazardly strewn across his face. I blushed and looked away, wondering how this had even managed to happen to me of all people.

    "You know," I whispered, "there are probably a million... no, more than a million girls... who'd die to be this close to you."

    He frowned. "I... I guess...? Why... are you telling me this?"

    I sighed with frustration and embarrassment and rolled away from him, facing the wall. "Lots of other much prettier girls. Ones who would... gladly give you what you want," I mumbled into my hands, wishing I could disappear.