Chapter Thirteen - A Rich Man's Son (Part 2)

"Aera." Dae repeats insistently from behind.

"No," I say firmly. "Please forget what I said. It was stupid."

He remains wretchedly quiet.

The street band starts jamming a groovy beat and my feet taps along with it, spirits lifted. Suddenly I'm snatched back. My shoulders collide into a hard chest, and my bottom cradles between powerful thighs.

A shocked gasp tears from my lips. Oh God, I hope I didn't flash any passers-by. "What are you doing?" I snap, struggling to turn and give him a piece of my mind, but his arms imprison me, forcing me to keep still.

Is it possible for a voice to smirk? Because I hear it distinctly in his, right next to my ear. "It's your fault." He grits his teeth. "You don't want to look at me? That's fine. Now shut up and listen."

I swallow nervously, my heart pounding. The way he's 'cuddling' me is intimate, strong, and heartbreakingly tender. Anyone looking at us will see a couple enjoying the festivities, but we know the truth. I don't deny that I love being in his arms. Dae makes me feel safe and protected, like I matter to him.

"You're my hellcat." His breath tickles my ear, affection saturating his voice. "That's who you are to me. No matter if our thirty days come to an end." The words are gradually being drowned by the music. "You should know that I –" Noise blares and instinctively I know he's telling me something important, but I can't hear a damn word. Whipping around, I demand. "What did you say?"

Pools of midnight search mine. There's not a hint to what he's thinking. With an indecipherable grin, he kisses my forehead and turns me back around to enjoy the show. Just like that, I'm dismissed.

"That's not fair!" My lips pursed in discontentment. "I couldn't hear a word!"

"That's too bad." He replies evenly, like nothing happened. "I can only say the words once."

Argh! Why is he being so cryptic? He did it on purpose! I wasn't meant to hear him over the din. Now it's going to be a notorious thorn in my side. I'll keep thinking about it and I'll imagine all sorts of possible things he might have said. Way to keep a girl guessing.

Our noodles arrive and the shop keeper furtively averts his eyes. Fuming, I try to scoot over but Dae won't release me, so I glare over my shoulder. If eyes could kill, he would be incinerated on the spot.

Unhurried, he slips a pair of chopsticks into my hand. "You know, you're not the only with unfulfilled fantasies."

"Oh really?" My voice heavy with sarcasm. "Now this I have to hear, if you're actually going to say it out loud."

The only reaction I get is a twitch of his lips. "I want you to feed me."

"You're joking." I'm not in the mood. And how the hell am I supposed to feed him in this awkward position?

"Not at all. This is my girlfriend fantasy. I'm giving you a chance to feed me, so hurry up before the noodles get cold and soggy." He's acting like he didn't play me for a fool. My hands itch to wipe that stupid smile off his face. Of course, I'm not truly mad, just extremely annoyed.

I roll my eyes heavenward, indulging him anyway. "Don't push your fantasies on me. If I recall, my fantasies are S-E-X-U-A-L."

"That's right." Excitement has him sitting taller. "Then, how about sex in the back seat of the Benz?" His voice turns husky. "We can try out all the cowgirl positions you want."

As cold as it sounds, sex is a business transaction I can use against him. I may be a novice, but when it's my pussy, it's my rules. "You do realize I'm not in the mood right now?" Twisting sideways, I slide my hand down his abs to his groin. "How about a trade off?" I purr. "If you repeat your words, the ones I couldn't hear, then we can have steamy," I brush over his hardening length. Once. "Hot sex," Twice. "In your car. Public sex is right up there on my kink list." We drown in each other's gazes. "Want to make another memory together? Take it home as a souvenir?"

Dae doesn't move, though his muscles bunch beneath his shirt. He's struggling to put a leash on his desires, and I admit, it's hot seeing him all worked up. "No" He grounds out, decision made. "Absolutely not. I'd rather have blue balls."

My mouth unhinges and I release a preposterous laugh. "Come on, Dae! You're choosing that over sex? Now I'm even more determined to find out what you said." He releases me like I'm on fire, heartily wolfing down his portion of noodles. "One day, I'll get it out of you."

Dae grunts in response.

"I'd say don't choke on your noodles, but I don't feel like playing nice right now." I sniff pettily, picking up my own chopsticks.

He smothers a laugh. "My hellcat has claws."

"Damn right. And don't you forget it."

At midnight, Dae drops me back at the hotel. Before I can get out, he presses a soft object into my palm. Casting a questioning glance, I peek at the doll in my hand. "What's this?"

"Since we couldn't make our other exciting souvenir come true, I got you this." He replies, looking somewhat embarrassed.

My shoulders quake with happy laughter. Staring back at me is a palm size, knitted grumpy cat face. I squeeze it reflexively. I can't imagine a serious man like Dae buying a plushie for anyone.

"It's a handmade souvenir by the locals." Dae explains, rubbing the back of his neck, a sure sign he's disconcerted. "I wanted you to enjoy our time together. If you don't like –"

I pitch across the seat, covering his mouth with mine. "I love it." My gaze softens with my tone. "Because you chose this for me, I'll love it no matter what."

Smoldering eyes delve into mine, and I let him see the effect he has on me.

"Aera," He whispers, and guides my lips back to his.

We've kissed many times, but they were always rough and fueled with carnality. This is our first, real slow kiss. One hand cupping my nape, and the other tangled in my hair, his warm lips shape mine, nibbling and licking. A few minutes pass and I become impatient. My tongue flicks along the seam of his lips, then I suck on his lower lip, seeking entrance. He chuckles at my attempt, finally relenting. Immediately, my tongue brushes against his, and I moan at the delicious contact.

Curving my arm around his neck, I lean into the kiss that changes from lukewarm to hot. Our tongues dance and parry. In. Out. Back. Forth. Around. Under. I can't get enough of his addictive taste. The friction of our lips meeting and moving has me spellbound.

Dae breaks the kiss, his breathing shallow and harsh. "That's enough. If we don't stop now, we're going to end up having sex and I never break my word."

"What if I say I'm willing, right here and now?" I'm utterly breathless.

He shakes his head. "Even if I wanted to, I don't have a condom with me."

I look at him sideways. I thought most men carry a condom in their wallets. Dae flicks my nose. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not that kind of person." He nudges me towards the door. "Now, off you go before I decide to keep you. You have an early flight to catch tomorrow, don't you?"

Nothing on my schedule gets by him. Tightening my grip on his gift, I lean across to peck him another time. "Goodnight, Dae. Thank you for tonight."