Oh?

"I'm going to dance. Be back in a bit." Jimin stood with a mischievous grin.

Ignoring my pleading glance, my best friend blew me a kiss and the guys followed him. I watched them all go, my heart racing. After another minute, ignoring Jungkook became ridiculous, as well as impossible.

My gaze slid over him. He wore dress slacks in graphite grey and a black V-neck sweater, the overall effect is one of careless sophistication. I loved the look on him and was attracted to the softness it gave him, even though I knew it was only an illusion.

He was a hard man in a lot of ways. I took a deep breath, feeling like I needed to make an effort to socialize with him.

'After all, wasn't that my big complaint? That he wanted to skip past the getting-to-know-you stage and jump straight into bed?'

"You look..." I paused. 'Fantastic. Wonderful. Amazing. So damn sexy...' In the end, I went with the lame, "I like the way you look."

His brow arched. "Ah, something you like about me. Is that a general like of the overall package? Or just the clothes Only the sweater? Or maybe it's the pants?"

The edge to his tone rubbed me the wrong way, "And if I say it's just the sweater?"

"I'll buy a dozen and wear them every damn day."

"That would be a shame."

"You don't like the sweater?" He was pissy, his words coming clipped and fast.

My hands flexed restlessly in my lap. "I love the sweater, but I also like suits." He stared at me for a minute and then nodded.

"How was your date with B.O.B.?"

'Oh hell. I looked away. It was a lot easier talking about masturbation over the phone. Doing it while squirming under that piercing black stare was mortifying.'

"I don't kiss and tell."

He brushed the backs of his fingers over my cheek and murmured, "You're blushing."

I heard the amusement in his voice and swiftly changed topics. "Do you come here often?"

'Shit. Where did that clichéd line come from?'

His hand dropped to my lap and caught one of mine, his fingers curling into my palm.

"When necessary." A quick stab of jealousy made me stiffen. I glared at him, even though I was mad at myself for caring either way.

"What does that mean? When you're on the prowl?"

Jungkook's mouth curved into a genuine boxy smile that hit me hard. "When expensive decisions need to be made. I own this club, petal."

'Of course, he did. Jeez.'

A pretty waitress set two pinkish-coloured iced drinks in square tumblers on the table. She looked at Jungkook and gave him a flirtatious smile.

"Here you go, Mr Jeon. Two Dirty Strawberries. Can I get you anything else?"

"That'll be all for now. Thanks."

I could see that she wanted to get on the pre-approved list and I bristled at that, then I was distracted by what we'd been served. It was my beverage of choice when clubbing and what I'd been drinking all night. My nerves tingle. I watched him take a drink, swirl it around in his mouth like a fine wine, and then swallow it. The working of his throat made me hot, but that was nothing compared to what the intensity of his stare did to me.

"Not bad," he murmured.

"Tell me if we made it right." He kissed me. He moved in fast, but I saw it coming and didn't turn away. His mouth was cold and flavoured with alcohol-laced strawberry milk.

'Delicious.'

All the chaotic emotion and energy that had been writhing around inside me abruptly became too much to contain. I shoved a hand in his glorious hair and clenched it tight, holding him still as I sucked on his tongue. His groan was the most erotic sound I'd ever heard, making the flesh between my legs stiffen, my hole puckered and tighten savagely.

Shocked by my reaction, I wrenched away, gasping. Jungkook followed, nuzzling the side of my face, his lips brushing over my ear. He was breathing hard, too, and the sound of the ice in his tumbler clinking against the glass skittered across my inflamed senses.

"I need to be inside you, Taehyung," he whispered roughly.

"I'm aching for you."

My gaze fell to my drink on the table, my thoughts swirling around in my head, a clusterfuck of impressions and recollections and confusion.

"How did you know?"

His tongue traced the shell of my ear and I shivered. It felt like every cell in my body was straining toward his. Resisting him took an impossible amount of energy, draining me and making me feel tired.

"Know what?" he asked.

"What do I like to drink? What Jimin's name is?"

He inhaled deeply and then pulled away. Setting his drink down, he shifted on the sofa and drew a knee up onto the cushion between us so that he faced me directly. His arm once again draped over the sofa back, his fingertips drawing circles.

"You visited another of my clubs earlier. Your credit card popped and your drinks were recorded.

And Park Jimin is listed on the rental agreement for your apartment."

The room spun. 'No way... My cell phone. My credit card. My fucking apartment. I couldn't breathe.'

Between my mother and Jungkook, I felt claustrophobic.

"Taehyung, you're white as a ghost." He shoved a glass into my hand, "Drink." It was Dirty Strawberries. I drained the whole thing. My stomach churned and the knots that instantly formed started to loosen up and then settled.

"You own the apartment building... that I live in?" I gasped.

"Oddly, yes." He moved to sit on the table, facing me, his legs on either side of mine. He took my glass and set it aside then warmed my chilled hands with his.

"Are you crazy, Jungkook?"

His mouth thinned. "Is that a serious question?"

"Y-yes... it is. My mom... she stalks me, too, and she sees someone. Do you have a shrink?"

"Not presently, but you're driving me crazy enough to make that a possibility."

"So this behaviour isn't normal for you?" My heart was pounding. I could hear the blood rushing past my eardrums. "Or is it?"

He shoved a hand through his hair, restoring order to the strands I'd missed when we'd kissed.

"I accessed information you voluntarily made available to me."

"Not to you! Not for what you used it for! That has to violate some kind of privacy law." I stared at him, more confused than ever.

"Why would you do that?" He had the grace to look disgruntled at least.

"So I can figure you out, damn it."

"Why don't you just ask me, Jungkook? Is that so fucking hard for people to do nowadays?"

"It is with you." He grabbed his drink off the table and tossed back most of it.

"I can't get you alone for more than a few minutes at a time."

"Because the only thing you want to talk about is what you have to do to get laid!"

"Taehyung!" he shouts as he's squeezing my hand.

"Keep your voice down!" I replied.

I studied him, taking in every line and plane of his face. Unfortunately, categorizing the details didn't lessen my awe even a tiny bit. I was beginning to suspect I'd never get over being dazzled by his looks.

And I wasn't alone, I'd seen how other people reacted around him. And he was crazy rich, which made even old, bald, and paunchy guys attractive. It was no wonder he was used to snapping his fingers and scoring an orgasm. His gaze darted over my face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm thinking."

"About what?" His jaw tightened.

"And I'm warning you, if you say anything about orifices, preapprovals, or seminal emissions, I won't be held accountable for my actions." That almost made me smile.

"I want to understand a few things because I think I'm not giving you enough credit."

"I'd like to understand a few things myself," he muttered.

"I'm guessing the 'I want to fuck you' approach has a high success rate for you." Jungkook's face smoothed into unreadable impulsivity.

"I'm not touching that one, Taehyung."

"Okay. You want to figure out what it's going to take to get me into bed. Is that why you're here in this club right now? Because of me? And don't say what you think I want to hear." His gaze was clear and steady.

"I'm here for you, yes. I arranged it."

Suddenly the threads the street hawker had been wearing made sense. We'd been hustled by someone on JGC's payroll.

"Did you figure that getting me here would get you laid?" His mouth twitched with suppressed amusement.

"There's always the hope, but I expected it would take more work than a chance meeting over drinks."

"You're right. So why do it? Why not wait until Monday lunch?"

"Because you're out trolling. I can't do anything about B.O.B., but I can stop you from picking up some asshole in a bar. You want to score, Pretty, I'm right here."

"Stop calling me 'Pretty,' and I'm not trolling. I'm burning off tension after a stressful day."

"You're not the only one." He fingered one of my silver chandelier earrings.

"So you drink and dance when you're tense. I work on the problem that's making me tense in the first place." His voice had softened, and it stirred an alarming yearning.

"Is that what I am? A problem?"

"Absolutely." But there was a hint of a smile around his lips.

I knew that was a lot of the appeal for him. Jeon Jungkook wouldn't be where he was, at such a young age, if he took no gracefully.

"What's your definition of dating?" A frown marred the space between his brows.

"Lengthy social time spent with people during which we're not actively fucking."

"Don't you enjoy the company of people you fuck?" The frown turned into a scowl.

"Sure, as long as there aren't any exaggerated expectations or excessive demands on my time. I've found the best way to steer clear of those is to have mutually exclusive sexual relationships and friendships."

There were those pesky exaggerated expectations again. Those were sticking points with him.

"So, you do have friends?"

I had a vicious hangover on Saturday morning and figured it was no less than I deserved.

As much as I'd resented Jungkook's insistence on negotiating sex with as much passion as he would a merger, in the end, I'd negotiated in kind. Because I wanted him enough to take a calculated risk and break my own rules. I took comfort in knowing he was breaking some of his own, too.

After a long, hot shower, I made my way into the living room and found Jimin on the couch with his netbook, looking fresh and alert. Smelling coffee in the kitchen, I headed there and filled the biggest mug I could find. With my much-needed dose of caffeine wrapped between both palms, I joined Jimin on the couch.

"Morning my baby boy!" Jimin says cheerily.

"That came for you while you were in the shower." He points at a box on the end table.

I set my mug on the table and picked up the box. It was wrapped with a pretty hologram paper and had my name handwritten diagonally across the top with a decorative calligraphic flourish. Inside was an amber glass bottle with 'Good Morning' painted on it in a white old fashioned font with a note tied to the bottle's neck that states, "Drink me." Jungkook's business card is nestled in the cushioning tissue paper.

As I studied the gift, I found it very apt as I keep feeling as if I'm 'Alice' in wonderland. Since meeting Jungkook I'd felt like I'd fallen down the rabbit's hole into a fascinating and unknown world where few of the known rules applied.

I was in uncharted territory that was both exciting and Jimin. I glanced at Jimin, who eyed the bottle dubiously.

"Cheers." I pried the cork out, drank the contents without thinking. It tasted like sickly sweet cough syrup.

"Ugh..." My body shivered for a moment then felt my stomach heated. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, shoved the cork back into the empty bottle.

"What was that?" Jimin asked.

"From an eekie after taste, either hangover cure or... a love potion?" His nose wrinkled and I tried to bite my lip to stop it from smiling.

"Effective but unpleasant." And it was working, I already felt a little steadier.

Jimin picked up the box and dug out Jungkook's card. He flipped it over, then held it out to me. On the back Jungkook had written, "Call me" in bold slashing penmanship and jotted down a number.

I took the card, curling my hand around it. His gift was proof that he was thinking about me. His tenacity and focus were seductive. And flattering.

There was no denying I was in trouble where Jungkook was concerned. I craved the way I felt when he touched me and I loved the way he responded when I touched him back. When I tried to think of what I wouldn't agree to do to have his hands on me again, I couldn't come up with much. When Jimin tried to hand me the phone, I shook my head.

"Not yet. I need a clear head when dealing with him and I'm still fuzzy."

"You two seemed cosy last night. He's definitely into you."

"I'm definitely into him." Curling into the corner of the couch, I pressed my cheek into the cushion and hugged my legs to my chest.

"We're going to hang out, get to know each other, have casual-but-physically-intense sex and be otherwise completely independent. No strings, no expectations, no responsibilities."

Jimin hit a button on his netbook and the printer on the other side of the room started spitting out pages. Then he snapped the computer closed, set it on the coffee table, and gave me all his attention.

"Maybe it'll turn into something serious."

"Maybe not," I scoffed.

"Cynic."

"I'm not looking for happily-ever-after, Jimin, especially not with a mega-mogul like Jungkook. I've seen what it's like for my mom being connected to powerful men. It's a full-time job with a part-time companion. Money keeps Mom happy, but it wouldn't be enough for me."

My biological dad had loved my mom. He'd asked her to marry him and share his life. She'd turned him down because he didn't have the hefty portfolio and sizable bank account she required in a husband.

Love wasn't a requisite for marriage in her opinion and since her sultry eyed, breathy-voiced beauty was irresistible to eyed, breathy-voiced beauty was irresistible to most men, she'd never had to settle for less than whatever she wanted. Unfortunately, she hadn't wanted my dad for the long haul.

Glancing at the clock, I saw it was ten-thirty. "I guess I should get ready."

"I love spa day with your mom." Jimin smiled and it chased the lingering shadows on my mood away. "I feel like a god when we're done."

Jackson drove us straight to Lotte Hotel Seoul Executive Tower is where the relaxation began from the moment one walked in the door. Crossing the entrance threshold was like taking a vacation on the far side of the world. Every arched doorway was framed by lushly vibrant striped silks, while jewelled pillows decorated elegant chaises and oversized armchairs.

Birds chirped from suspended gilded cages and potted plants filled every corner with lush fronds. Small decorative fountains added the sounds of running water, while stringed instrumental music was piped into the room via cleverly hidden speakers.

The air was euphoric with a mix of exotic spices and fragrances, making me feel like I'd stepped into Arabian Nights. It was this-close to being too much, but it didn't cross the line. Instead, it was exotic and luxurious, an indulgent treat for those who could afford it. Like my mother, who'd just finished a milk-and-honey bath when we both arrived.

I studied the menu of treatments available, deciding to skip my usual in favour of the "passionate pampering." I'd been waxed the week before, but the rest of the treatment "designed to make you sexually irresistible" - sounded like exactly what I needed.

I'd finally managed to get my mind back into the safe zone of work when Jimin spoke up from the pedicure chair beside mine.

"Mrs Suh, have you met Jeon Jungkook?"

I gaped at him. He knew damn well my mom went nuts over any news about my romantic and not-so-romantic, as the case may be - relationships.

My mother, who sat in the chair on the other side of me, leaned forward with her usual girlish excitement over a rich, handsome man. "Of course. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world. Number twenty-five or so on Forbes's list, if I'm remembering correctly. A very driven young man, obviously, and a generous benefactor to many of the children's charities I champion. Extremely eligible, of course, I believe he's bi, Jimin. He's got a reputation."

"Well, my loss. I'm already taken." Jimin grinned and he ignored my violent head shaking. "But it'd be a hopeless crush anyway since he's digging on Taehyung."

"Taehyung! I can't believe you didn't say anything. How could you not tell me something like that?"

I looked at my mom, whose scrubbed face appeared young, unlined, and very much like mine. I was very clearly my mother's son, right down to my surname. The one concession she'd made to my father had to name me after him.

"There's nothing to tell," I insisted. "We're just... friends."

"We can do better than that," Myung-hee said, with a look of calculation that struck fear in my heart. "I don't know how it escaped me that you work in the same building he does. I'm certain he was smitten the moment he saw you. Although he's known to prefer blondes... Hmm... Anyway.

He's also known for his excellent taste. The latter won out with you."

"It's not like that. Please don't start meddling. You'll embarrass me."

"Nonsense. If anyone knows what to do with men, it's me."

I cringed, my shoulders creeping up to my reddened ears. By the time my massage appointment came around, I was in desperate need of one. I stretched out on the table and closed my eyes, preparing to take a catnap to get through the long night ahead.

I loved dressing up and looking pretty as much as the next boy, but charity functions were a lot of work. Making small talk was exhausting, smiling nonstop was a pain, and conversations about businesses and people I didn't know were boring.

If it wasn't for Jimin benefitting from the exposure, I'd put up a bigger fight about going.

I sighed. 'Who was I fooling? I'd end up going anyway. My mom and Kyung-bae supported abused children's charities because they were significant to me. Going to the occasional stuffy event was a small price to pay for the return.'

Taking a deep breath, I consciously relaxed. I made a mental note to call my dad when I got home and thought about how to send a thank-you note to Jungkook for the hangover cure. I supposed I could email him using the contact info on his business card, but that lacked class.

Besides, I didn't know who read his inbox. I'd just call him when I got home.

'Why not? He'd asked—no, told—me to; he'd written the demand on his business card. And I'd get to hear his luscious voice again.'

The door opened and the masseuse came in, "Hello, Taehyung. You ready?"

'Not quite. But I was getting there.'

After many lovely hours at the spa, my mom and Jimin dropped me off at the apartment then they headed out to hunt for new cufflinks for Kyung-bae.

I used the time alone to call Jungkook. Even with the much-needed privacy, I punched most of his phone number into the keypad a half-dozen times before I finally put the call through.

He answered on the first ring. "Taehyung."

Startled that he'd known who was calling, my mind scrambled for a moment.

'How did he have my name and number in his contact list?'

"Uh... hi, Jungkook."

"I'm a block away. Let the front desk know I'm coming."

"What?" I felt like I'd missed part of the conversation. "Coming where?"

"To your place. I'm rounding the corner now. Call the desk, Taehyung."

He hung up and I stared at the phone, trying to absorb the fact that Jungkook was moments away from being with me again. Somewhat dazed, I went to the intercom and talked to the front desk, letting them know I was expecting him and while I was talking, he walked into the lobby.

A few moments after that, he was at my door. It was then that I remembered I was dressed in only a thigh-length silk robe, and my face and hair were styled for the dinner.

'What kind of impression would he get from my appearance?'

I tightened the belt of my robe before I let him in. It wasn't like I'd invited him over for seduction or anything.

Jungkook stood in the hallway for a long moment, his gaze raking me from my head down to my manicured toes. I was equally stunned by his appearance. The way he looked in worn jeans and a T-shirt made me want to undress him with my teeth.

"Worth the trip to find you like this, Taehyung." He stepped inside and locked the door behind him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good. Thanks to you. Thank you." My stomach quivered because he was here, with me, which made me feel almost...giddy. "That can't be why you came over."

"I'm here because it took you too long to call me."

"I didn't realize I had a deadline."

"I have to ask you something time-sensitive, but more than that, I wanted to know if you were feeling alright after last night."

His eyes were dark as they swept over me, his breath-taking face framed by that luxurious curtain of inky, curly hair.

"God. You look beautiful, Taehyung. I can't remember ever wanting anything this much."

With just those few simple words I became hot and needy.

'Way too vulnerable.'

"What's so urgent?"

"Go with me to the advocacy dinner tonight."

I pulled back, surprised and excited by the request. "You're going?"

"So are you. I checked, knowing your mother would be there. Let's go together."

My hand went to my throat, my mind is torn between the weirdness of how much he knew about me and concern over what he was asking me to do. "That's not what I meant when I said we should spend time together."

"Why not?" The simple question was laced with challenges. "What's the problem with going together to an event we'd already planned on attending separately?"

"It's not very discreet. It's a high-profile event."

"So?" Jungkook stepped closer and fingered a curl of my hair.

There was a dangerous purr to his voice that sent a shiver through me. I could feel the warmth of his big, hard body and smell the richly masculine scent of his skin. I was falling under his spell, deeper with every minute that passed.

"People will make assumptions, my mother in particular. She's already scenting your bachelor blood in the water."

Lowering his head, Jungkook pressed his lips into the crook of my neck. "I don't care what people think. We know what we're doing. And I'll deal with your mother."

"If you think you can," I said breathlessly, "you don't know her very well."

"I'll pick you up at seven." His tongue traced the wildly throbbing vein in my throat and I melted into him, my body going lax as he pulled me close. Still, I managed to say, "I haven't said yes."

"But you won't say no." He caught my earlobe between his teeth. "I won't let you."

I opened my mouth to protest and he sealed his lips over mine, shutting me up with a lush wet kiss.

His tongue did that slow, savouring licking that made me long to feel him doing the same between my legs. My hands went to his hair, sliding through it, tugging.

When he wrapped his arms around me, I arched, curving into his hands. Just as he had in his office, he had me on my back on the couch before I realized he was moving me, his mouth swallowing my surprised gasp.

The robe gave way to his dexterous fingers then he was nipping my nipple, kneading them with soft, rhythmic squeezes.

"Jungkook-"

"Shh." He sucked on my lower lip, his fingers rolling and tugging my tender nipple, "It was driving me crazy knowing you were naked beneath your robe."

"You came over without- Oh! Oh, God..."

His mouth surrounded the tip nipple, the wash of heat bringing a mist of perspiration to my skin.

My gaze darted frantically to the clock on the cable box, "Jungkook, no."

His head lifted and he looked at me with stormy obsidian eyes. "It's insane, I know. I don't- I can't explain it, Taehyung, but I have to make you come. I've been thinking about it constantly for days now."

One of his hands pushed between my legs. They fell open shamelessly, my body so aroused I was flushed and almost feverish. His other hand continued to plump my cock, making them heavy and unbearably sensitive.

"Your precum is dripping for me," he murmured, his gaze sliding down my body to where he was parting me with his fingers.

"You're beautiful here, too." He circles my hole, "Plush and pink. So soft. You didn't wax today, did you?"

I shook my head.

"Thank God. I don't think I would've made it ten minutes without touching you, let alone ten hours."

He slid one finger carefully into me. My eyes closed against the unbearable vulnerability of being spread out naked and fingered by a man whose familiarity with the rules of Brazilian waxing betrayed an intimate knowledge. A man who was still fully clothed and kneeling on the floor beside me.

"You're so snug." Jungkook pulled out and thrust gently back into me. My back bowed as I clenched eagerly around him.

"And so greedy. How long has it been since the last time you were fucked?"

I swallowed hard. "I've been busy. My thesis, job-hunting, moving..."

"A while, then." He pulled out and pushed back into me with two fingers. I couldn't hold back a moan of delight. The man had talented hands, confident and skilled, and he took what he wanted with them.

"Are you clean, Taehyung?"

"Yes." My hands gripped the edges of the cushions. "Of course."

"I'll prove I'm clean and you'll do the same, then you're going to let me come in you."

"Fvck, Jungkook."

I was panting for him, my hips circling shamelessly onto his thrusting fingers. I felt like I'd spontaneously combust if he didn't get me off. I'd never been so turned on in my life. I was near mindless with the need for an orgasm. If Jimin walked in right then and found me writhing in our living room while Jungkook finger-fucked me deep in the ass, I didn't think I'd care. Jungkook was breathing hard, too. His face was flushed with lust. For me. When I'd done nothing more than responding helplessly to him.

His hand at my ass moved to my waist then my cheek and brushed over it softly. "You're blushing. I've scandalized you."

"Yes."

His smile was both wicked and delighted and it made my chest tight. "I want to taste your cum when I fuck you with my fingers. Next time, I want you to feel my cum in you, do you think about how I looked and the sounds I made when I pumped it into you. And while you're thinking about that, you're going to look forward to me doing it again and again."

My cock stiffened further, my ass rippled around his stroking fingers. Jungkook constantly hits on my prostate as the rawness of his words pushes me further to the brink of orgasm.

"I'm going to tell you all the ways I want you to please me, Taehyung, and you're going to do it all... take it all, and we're going to have explosive, primal, no-holds-barred sex. You know that, don't you? You can feel how it'll be between us."

"Yes," I breathed, clutching my chest to ease the deep ache of my hardened nipples. "Please, Jungkook."

"Shh... Petal, I've got you." The pad of his thumb rubbed and pressed my slit in gentle circles. "Look into my eyes when you come for me."

Everything tightened in my core, the tension building as he pumped my cock and pushed his fingers in and out in a steady, unhurried rhythm.

"Give it up to me, Taehyung," he ordered then "Now."

I climaxed with a thready cry, my grip white-knuckled on the sides of the cushions as my hips pumped onto his hand, my mind far beyond shame or shyness. My gaze was locked to his, unable to look away, riveted by the fierce masculine triumph that flared in his eyes.

At that moment he owned me. I'd do anything he wanted. And he knew it.

Searing pleasure pulsed through me. Through the roaring of blood in my ears, I thought I heard him speak hoarsely, but I lost the words when he hooked one of my legs over the back of the couch and covered my cleft with his mouth.

"No—" I pushed at his head with my hands. "I can't."

I was too swollen, too sensitive. But when his tongue touched my cock's slit, fluttering over it, the hunger built again. More intense than the first time.

He rimmed my trembling hole, teasing me, taunting me with the promise of another orgasm when I knew I couldn't have one again so quickly.

Then his tongue speared into me and I bit my lip to bite back a scream. I came a second time, my body quaking violently, tender muscles tightening desperately around his decadent licking.

His growl vibrated through me. I didn't have the strength to push him away when he returned to my slit and sucked softly, up and down on my cock... tirelessly... until I climaxed and cum again, gasping his name.

I was boneless as he straightened my leg and still breathless when he pressed kisses up my belly to collar bones.

He licked each of my nipples, and then hauled me up with his arms banded around my back. I hung lax and pliable in his grip while he took my mouth with suppressed violence, bruising my lips and betraying how close to the edge he was.

He closed my robe gently then stood, staring down at me.

"Jungkook...?"

"Seven o'clock, Taehyung." He reached down and touched my ankle, his fingertips caressing the diamond anklet I'd put on in preparation for the evening.

"And keep this on. I want to fuck you while you're wearing nothing else."