Chapter Four – No, Means No (Part 1)

Chapter Song Suggestion - "Sunny Day by Stella Jang (Instrumental)"

"It's you!" I exclaim, too shocked to care that my jaw is hitting the ground. Damn it. Why does he have to look so good with not a single hair out of place?

"Aera." He repeats my name, breathlessly.

My ears turn red. Why is he saying my name like that?

Hold on. How does he know my name?

"What are you doing here?" I blurt out, then mentally kick myself. Of course, he's here for the party.

"I need to speak with you." The weight of his stare reminds me I don't have make-up on. Unlike my fancy dress, tonight I'm wearing a thick cream sweater and mom jeans. Talk about zero sex appeal.

I forget how tall he is, my head tilting to meet his gaze as he comes closer. Last time, I wore heels, and when we had sex, standing was optional. Seeing him again brings back memories of our night together. "W-what do you want to talk about?"

"Not here," He seizes my hand, and a traitorous spark runs up my arm. "Let's go somewhere private."

Oh no. We're not doing that again.

"Why can't you just say it here?" I insist stubbornly, wary of being alone with him. This man's bad news for my sanity. We shouldn't even be talking.

"Because" He leans down, bergamot spice enticing my senses. "How can I do all those dirty things to you when we're out in public?"

I shiver. My body remembers every ounce of pleasure he wrung from me. I came endlessly, name forgotten. Shaking my head, I break off his spell. "No! There will be no dirty anything." My voice rises. "What kind of woman do you take me for? That night was a one-time deal."

An arch of his arrogant brow and, I know he won't leave me alone until he gets what he wants. Annoying man. I pout immaturely, realizing it's becoming a habit around him. Like an errant youth, I follow him outside to a dark alley. The familiar setting brings out a snort of amusement. I prop my hands stubbornly on my waist, chin hiking up a notch. "I'm busy, so you have five minutes. And it's not fair that you know my name, but I don't even know yours."

Hesitation grips his features, and I wonder what he does for a living to be this cautious around women. I sigh plainly. "Fine, don't tell me. It's not like we'll see each other again. Say what you want and then I'll go."

"This." He cups both my cheeks and captures my lips. Just like that, my defenses collapse. Cutting off my imminent protest, he backs me into a wall. I try to speak, but every time I open my mouth, he plugs me with his tongue.

"Mmhmm!" I beat against his chest, trying to shove him off. He redoubles his efforts by kissing me harder. Heart thrashing beneath my ribcage, I decide to give in. It's not like I haven't dreamt about him since that night. Arms winding around his neck, I kiss him back, tongue curling around his. After what seem like hours, he releases me. We're panting hard, our hot breaths turning into puffs of mist from the cold air. "Why did you do that?" I feel winded, the kiss utterly unexpected.

Unlike his passionate greeting, the cold glare he's giving me now is a slap in the face. I ball my fists. "Why are you looking at me like that?" If he accuses me of something ridiculous again, I won't hesitate to hit him this time. He's the one who called out to me when I was minding my own business.

After a moment of silence, he grudgingly admits. "I can't stop thinking about you."

Oh. Now that's another way to shut me up. I'm at a loss for words. I've never been the recipient of a love confession, not that this is one. Love confessions probably cramp up his style.

"Aren't you going to say something?" He asks sullenly.

Studying him closely, I notice he's uncomfortable and, this gives me the strength to be truthful. "Honestly? I don't know what to say." Shifting from one foot to the other, I sigh, not knowing how to deal with this. "Why don't you tell me what you want? I thought we were just two ships passing by. The fact that I left before you woke tells you how I feel about us."

A mocking laugh rumbles from his chest. "I never had trouble getting any woman I want yet, here you are, telling me that you don't want me."

I frown at his implication. Crossing my arms, I don't bother to hide my ire. "It's not a matter of wanting. I do find you attractive. The fact that I slept with you proves it. But I don't understand what you want from me. Why are you talking to me?"

"And why not?" Now he's irritable, emotions swirling in his eyes.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" I shrug with open arms, going for the aggressive. "We're from different social backgrounds and, the fact that you're so paranoid to the point where you won't tell me your name…how am I supposed to even…make sense of the situation?" I look him straight in the eye. "You obviously don't trust me and the feeling is mutual. I apologize for judging, but you don't look like the kind of man who does relationships. Am I wrong?"

His mouth flattens, a sure sign of his brewing displeasure. "I'm reluctant to tell you my name because if you know who I am, then you might change your perception of me. I like how you treat me. I don't want to lose that." His pure honesty confounds me. It's annoying how easily he disarms me. When I assumed to have him all figured out, categorizing him neatly into a class of men, he jumps at me with a surprise – one after another. It's like arranging a basketful of apples, to find an orange sitting in it.

Aren't men like him tightlipped about their emotions?

My traitorous heart softens. "Let me be the judge of that. Tell me your name." I coax, raising three fingers in a scout's gesture. "I promise, you'll be terribly disappointed."

That earns me a crooked smile. "If it's alright with you, please call me Dae."

He still doesn't trust me. "Fine." I extend my hand. "Hello Dae, my name is Yang Aera. It's a pleasure to officially meet you."

His soft, masculine laugh surrounds the alley, his big hand shaking mine. The warmth of his hand sends waves of fuzziness into my heart. "It's nice to finally put a name to your face." I tell him. "I don't have to keep referring to you as 'the man' or that 'Adonis' anymore."

Dae's smile turns cocky. "Adonis, huh?"

I shoot him a 'you're impossible' look. "Like you don't already know."

When he lets go of our joined hands, I return to our initial topic with a dose of mischief. "So, why did you call out to me? I'm sure it's not just to tell me you missed me?"

Again, he just stares at me with an unreadable expression. Did I tease him too much? The next words out of his mouth render me speechless, like pushing me off a cliff. "Spend the night with me again."

"W-what?" My brows shoot up to my hairline. "You're joking."

He's dead serious. "No, I'm not. I can't get you out of my head. For weeks, I agonized over the need to see you again." Gripping my shoulders, his gaze drills into mine. "I don't like beating around the bush. What I want, I get. And you're what I want. I could have hunted you down, it wasn't hard, but I stopped myself. I don't chase women, and you can call me an ass, but it's the truth." Dae pauses, his knuckles brushing my cheek. "But then I saw you tonight, and I knew I can't let you slip away. If this is fate, then I'm going to seize it. I want you to spend another night with me."

"Wow, you really don't mince words, do you?" I take a step back, not sure I like where this is going. "You're telling me that you want us to fuck until this obsession of yours fades away?"

"It's not an obsession, but yes." His determination doesn't falter. It's like walking into a brick wall you know is right in front of you.

An unbelievable laugh tickles my throat. "You're impossible! Is this how you treat women?" I try to pull away. "Like objects to be discarded. One second you flatter me, and the next, you put me down like I don't have feelings."

Jaws clenching, storms of fury gather in his eyes. Clearly, Mr. Arrogant isn't used to taking no for an answer or being talked back to.

Clasping his cheeks, I surprise him by planting a slow, deep kiss that weakens his grip on me. With a final nudge of my lips, I pull back. "I'm flattered you've been thinking about me, but a man like you doesn't know how to commit. Even if you have a magical dick, my answer is no. I'm not going to spend the night with you again. Unless you're prepared for something more than sex, then it's best for us to say goodbye."

I silence him with my fingers.

It's a gamble, but I know he's not impulsive or reckless – usually. Causing a scene is probably distasteful for him. He's the kind who knows when to pull back and regroup before planning another attack. "You're just not used to rejection. You don't chase after women, so losing me won't hurt you." Disentangling myself from him, I put a safe distance between us. "You don't know me, and I don't know you. Lust isn't enough for me. And clearly, you have trust issues."

We stand at an impasse, his eyes searching mine. Whatever he finds, he calms down considerably. Dare I say he looks defeated?

"You say I'm impossible but you're as stubborn as I am. Clearly, we're still attracted to each other, but we want different things." He doesn't sound upset at all. Suspicion niggles at me. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he asks idly. "Are you really turning me down?"

"Yes, I am. I don't know what kind of women you're used to but sometimes when a woman says no, she really means no." I give him a sheepish smile. "Goodnight, Dae. I hope to never see you again."

As I walk away, I swear, I hear him laughing.