13 Kiss Me
"Kiss me," She said, looking at him earnestly as he choked on the Soju he had just gulped down.
"What?" He asked, looking at her wide-eyed. Of all the things he had expected her to say, this wasn't even the least. It simply wasn't among the things he had thought he'd ever hear from her.
"I just asked you to kiss me," She said, moving closer to him. Never in her life had she thought herself to be so bold or daring.
"I don't think I should do that," He said, swallowing hard as he shifted away from her.
"Don't think about it. Just do it," She said as her heartbeat raced wildly against her chest.
'What was wrong with her? Why was she suddenly making such weird demands? Could he do that? Should he?' Take-Joon asked himself.
He leaned forward to give her a light kiss on her cheeks, but before he could place his lips on her cheeks, she turned her face. He sat still, unsure of what to do next. He didn't want to do something he might end up regretting.
Ann parted her lips slightly. She had always dreamt of this, although in a different way. She had never done this before, but it felt so right. She flicked her tongue over his lower lip as she had seen them do in movies. She used her tongue to part his lips as she nibbled lightly on the lower lip, and then she inserted her tongue inside his mouth, making him groan lightly.
He was battling with himself for control. How was he sure she wasn't feeling this way just because of the accident? What if she suddenly regained her memory and things returned to how they were before her accident? Could he bear the thought of exposing himself to her emotionally only to be battered by her?
"Did I hurt you?" She asked when he groaned, looking at him with wide-eyed innocence. Never had he seen her look so vulnerable and sweet. He could tell she had no kissing experience judging by the way she had kissed him and the question she had asked when he groaned.
A touch of simplicity and innocence for him was all it took to make a woman irresistible, and she was a combination of both.
"No, I'm not hurt, and as a matter of fact, you have no idea what your kiss is doing to me," He said, gently holding her face between his palms.
"Grace, I never thought I'd like you or enjoy your company this much. And heaven knows that since this accident of yours, you've transformed into everything I love in a woman. In as much as I am tempted to take you and make you mine... I won't do so. I have to first be sure you're not this way towards me just because of the accident."
"No, I'm not, I promise. I truly love you. I've always loved you from the first time I set my eyes on you," Ann said passionately, covering his hands with her own.
"When and where was the first time you set eyes on me?" He asked, suddenly curious. If truly she had amnesia like her father had said, then she wouldn't be able to remember the first time they'd met.
Ann suddenly kept quiet. She couldn't tell him she had seen him for the first time on television just three years ago. She had no idea when Grace had met Tae-Joon. This whole thing was going to be more difficult than she had thought.
"I don't know. I can't answer your questions yet. But I only want you to know I truly love you," She said, a bit disappointed that her plans had failed.
'That meant she had truly lost her memories,' Tae-Joon thought, looking at her. He could only hope she would remain this way after her memories returned.
"I should take you home now before your parents begin to worry," He said, sitting up and helping her adjust to her seat.
**********
Immediately they got inside the house, Tae-Joon noticed his grandfather sitting inside the living room, causing alarm bells to go off in his head. 'Now what?' He asked himself.
"They're back. See how they look so good together," Chairman said, smiling with approval.
Ann had no idea who the elderly man was, although she could tell from his looks that he was an influential man. She just greeted him with a bow and stood there, unsure what her next action should be.
"How was your outing, my princess? I'm sure you had fun," Chairman Jiang said, smiling at her lovingly.
"Yes, I had a great time," She said, smiling shyly at Tae-Joon.
Tae-Joon greeted his grandfather and Chairman Jiang and then proceeded to sit down with them. If they were going to make decisions concerning him again, he intended to be there when it was made.
"Why are you here, grandfather?" Tae-Joon asked, looking from his grandfather to Chairman Jiang.
'So this was his grandfather,' She thought to herself. She suddenly felt nervous about the meeting. She quickly excused herself and went upstairs to her room.
"You came in right on time. We were just discussing your marriage to Grace," His grandfather said with a serious face.
"You announced our engagement barely a week ago, and now we have to get married? Just like that? This whole idea is preposterous!" He exclaimed.
"Watch your language, young man! I might be old, but I can still whoop your ass, and I'm sure you know it," His grandfather said, giving him a stern look.
"I'm sorry, grandfather. I know I never wanted to get married, but I suddenly don't want a loveless marriage. After seeing Grace today, I feel things might just work out between us. I need time to confirm it before making any commitment. I need her to regain her memories first," He said, pleading with them to understand him.
"On the contrary, you both need to get married before she regains her memory. If you've started feeling things might work out between you both, why not just marry her now? What do you need to confirm?" Chairman Jiang asked, feeling mildly offended that Tae-Joon was reacting in such a manner.
"What if after we get married, she regains her memory, and she hates me?" Tae-Joon asked.
"That would be after you get married. There would be nothing either of you could do about it then. You both will just have to learn to love each other. That's how most of us got married," His grandfather said.
"Your grandfather is right. The rich don't really need to get married for love. We do so for generational wealth and sustainability. Love comes somewhere in between, and I have no doubt that you and Grace would grow to love each other," Chairman Jiang said, giving him a wry smile.
