Chapter 14: THE AROUSING TOUCH

The Guljeon were excellent, crunchy and served with sweet, hot sauce. The Bulgogi that followed were grilled, very spicy, thin, mildly sweet and it was accompanied with fried rice, pickled onions and matchstick veggies. The desert was a colorful pepero cake and the chocolate was dripping seductively. It was not November 11th yet, but Min-hee didn't mind stuffing her face with the mouth-watering chocolate meal in front of her.

Every dish that was brought to their table were elegantly dressed and made with perfection.

Ki-Woong, who had been a connoisseur that afternoon, acknowledged and appreciated the cook's ability to put in exquisite details.

He admired the way his guest ate, feeling a certain pride that he could get a woman to fill her belly in front of him. "Still prefer your kimchi ?" he grinned at her.

She recognized that look and smile—the smile he gave her before ordering the Guljeon. It was warm, sweet and inviting. The kind of smile that was incredibly difficult not to smile back. But with Min-hee, nothing is impossible and instead of reciprocating, she took another sip of the wine poured into her glass in a reverent manner by the wine steward.

Her plan is to ignore whatever stunt and game he is going to pull from his playboy's handbook and not to be charmed, enticed and seduced by someone whose nickname is 'the dark Lord', there is a reason for that name which she was not interested to know why. So, she rolled her eyes as she put down her glass.

Of course, Min-hee couldn't deny that the ambience of the place was getting to her. The pristine linen and crystal on the tables. The gleaming chandeliers. The hushed voices and occasional soft laughter from the other diners. And, the expert and deferential waiters, who were treating her delicately like a princess even though she must have been wearing the cheapest dress in the room.

But she looked towards her host—a companion who was certainly the only man in the room that didn't observe the dress code.

"I bet you're the only man in the country allowed in here without a tie," Min-hee said, picking up her glass again and trying as much as possible to suppress the desire to drink much.

'goodness me. This drink is so good!'

Woong turned his face. He was confused.

Noticing the confused look on his face, she continued. "Don't you ever worry that people wouldn't want to serve you? Or is your presence seen as divine that they overlook a lot of details?"

"No."

"No? No to what?"

"The answer to both questions is no," he replied, frowning. "I had my tie once. I'll have to check if I can find it. Since it matters so much to you."

"Nothing like that," Min-hee answered quickly. "I'm just saying."

"Hmm. On the contrary," he said, leaning intimidatingly in his chair. "I see it as you ushering in a new sheet for the both of us. Now it's my turn." He paused. "I glanced through the pages of the book your father gave to me this afternoon. The Manor seems to have had a pretty checkered history, conquered by succeeding generations."

"I think so."

He noticed that her lips tightened. " But it's in safe hands now," he looked lovingly at his companion. "I wish you'd believe that, my darling."

"It's okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes. It's really none of my business," she answered stiffly. "And I have no right to speak as I did earlier. I—I'm sorry."

"But you still wish you hadn't been cornered into coming here tonight."

"Well—naturally."

"Because you were hoping not to set your eyes on me again."

She flushed. "That too."

"And you also want us both to forget about our first encounter. Or act like it never happened."

"Yes." She nodded. "Yes I want us to."

"Very understandable . . . for you. But for me, I doubt it. Quite impossible. The memory of you walking into the water and rising like Venus from the waves will always be treasured." He paused. "And I like your hair loose."

A burning feeling overtook Min-hee. It wasn't just what he had said, but the way he was looking at her across the table, as if her dress—her underwear—had ceased to exist under his gaze. As if those little hairs hanging over her that couldn't be fastened with a hair clip were her only covering.

And it was as if the Dark Lord knew that her nipples in an execrable way were hardening into aching peaks inside the lacy confines of her bra.

Even with the unexpected heat on her body that was coming from the person sitting across the table, Min-hee's voice was as cold as ice. "Your preferences are irrelevant to me."

"For now though." He signaled to a waiter. "Would you like to have coffee or in the drawing room?"

She bit her lip. "Here, perhaps. Wherever you go, there will be people staring at you. Watching every move you make."

"Waiting for me to raise a ruckus and start breaking the place up, I think. They'll be shamefully disappointed. Besides, I'm not the only one attracting attention. At the other side of the room, there's a trio who can't get themselves to stop staring at you."

She glanced around and stiffened, her lips parting in a gasp of sheer disbelief. Shock and doubt.

"Geun?" Her eyes called out the name before her mind registered it. "And his mother, Madam Ji-yeon. Even Mi-jung?"

How? It was not possible—it couldn't be possible. Geun can't afford to eat there—she has heard him say so. And Madam Ji-yeon wouldn't pay for them. So what was going on? And why was Mi-jung sitting on the same table with them?

As Min-hee's astonished gaze met theirs, they all turned away immediately and began to talk.

"Your friends?"

"My boss," she answered quickly. "Her son. And my . . . a neighbor's daughter."

"They are not in a hurry to come over," he said. "They've been here for over half an hour."

"Oh my," Her voice sounded hollow. "It seems I will be job hunting on Monday."

His brows lifted. "Why?"

"I think it's called fraternizing with the enemy," she answered tightly. "Because that's how the villagers truly see you."

"Funny. Some perhaps," he said. "But not all. Tae Junsu, for example. The guy thinks I'm a genius in landscape gardening."

"I'm sure. As long as it makes you feel good." She reached for her bag. "I won't be staying for coffee, after all. I'd like to leave, please, if the reception will get me a taxi."

"No need. Won-chul is available to take you home."

"I'd rather sort myself out," she answered quickly.

"Even if I inform you that I have work to attend to, and I won't be coming with you?" He asked, not even trying to conceal the mockery in his voice.

Lacking the words to talk, she just held onto her bag and stared at him. Ki Woong nodded as if she said something and then reached into his pocket and produced his mobile phone.

"Won-chul, Miss Jeon is ready to go," he said into the phone.

Aware of the peering eyes on her, she followed Ki Woong, walking beside him as they left the dining room and crossed the atrium. The car was already outside, with Won-chul holding the rear passenger door open.

She halted, shivering a little as a sudden cool breeze seized her. She looked up at the sky and saw the clouds darkening which meant the weather was about to change. Like everything else.

Reluctantly, Min-hee turned to the silent tall man at her side, fixing her eyes on one of the golden buttons that fastened his shirt, she drew her breath."That was an amazing meal," she said meekly but politely. "Thank you."

"Hmm. Then the pleasure was all mine," he said. "But it won't always be that way, Min-hee."

She only noticed that it was the first time he had said her name to her and it felt good—comforting actually. But then, he was so close to her that her chest was almost touching his. She could've sworn that he didn't move. She didn't notice if he did, but yet they were too close.

She was burningly conscious of the scent of his skin, intensified by the warm musky fragrance he was wearing. Her mind told her to step back, but her flesh rooted her to the spot, looking up into the handsome dark face, highlighting the intensity of his gaze and the firm line of his thin fine lips.

She wondered—dreaded what his next action would be.

"No, my darling. I'm not going to kiss you. That's a sumptuous delight I will put back until you're in a more receptive mood."

Relieved, she answered in a voice she hardly recognized, "Then you'll wait forever."

He removed the hair from her face. "If that's what it takes," he said. "I will wait."

Then he lifted his hand again and touched her earring, fiddling with her earlobe. She didn't—wasn't expecting herself to quiver from the arousing sensation his hand gave. It was as if his fingers had brushed—cupped—her breast. As if she would know exactly how that might feel. And want it . . .

"Goodnight. Miss Jeon," he said and left her.