Chapter 7

Shin tried to focus on the road, but the sun streaming through the windshield brushed the rich highlights in Mei's hair, and the memory of her thin body pressed against him all night replayed in his head.

It was difficult because She wore red panties with lace dangling down her waist—it was easy to imagine the scraps of scarlet lace visible on her lightly tanned skin. He grabbed the steering wheel tight, stomped hard on her accelerator, eager to come back and leave all this experience behind. He dropped May at her apartment and drove to her parents' home in Morning Her View, Kansas.

Back home, surrounded by my belongings and busy running Shei Industries, it's easy to forget the three days I spent with Mei. I'm sure he'll forget how perfectly her body fit him when she first woke up and how her eyes looked sexy and dark.

Surely he would soon forget the smell of her hair, the smell that seemed to belong to her as much as her blue eyes. Hearing her reasons for her fear of the dark revealed a side of her he was unaware of. The death of his parents, the virtual death of his own family, left a huge hole in Shin's heart, and he had yet to meet the woman he believed would help fill that hole.

One thing he knew for sure was that it couldn't be Mei, especially if Roy was contemplating reconciliation. he looked at her again. She was very beautiful with her delicate features and luscious hair. She looked petite, but Shin knew her looks were deceptive. She was emotionally stronger than any woman he had ever known. "Why were you with Roy so much? You must have realized in the first few months, the first year, that things didn't work out for you two," he said.

She frowned. "I was young and pregnant with Roy's child. At first I thought he would change and grow. I thought the time would come when he would care more about me than his peers, and would strive for the future instead of living in the present.

We knew from the beginning that it was going to be against us, but we really wanted it to work out for us." "But you stayed too long. Nine years." She looked out the windshield and didn't answer for a long time. I got The time had not yet come. " "I have always admired your strength." Her gaze met him, and in her blue depths he saw a glimmer of wonder and gratitude.

She laughed and her purring sound echoed deep inside her car. Shin realizes that she has rarely heard her laugh in the past. "I don't know if it's strength, stupidity, or more than my stubbornness. Her smile faded and the small wrinkles on her forehead reappeared. "Shin, you mentioned the other night that I grew up in foster homes.

I've had some great foster parents and some not so good, but when I was younger I didn't have the consistency or sense of family. She ran her hand through her hair again, picking up a cascade of honey-coloured silk. "When I got pregnant, I promised myself that my child would have the family I didn't have: a mother and father and maybe a few siblings.

It was the hardest thing I had to do." He nodded and turned her attention back to driving. He wondered what thoughts were swirling in her head. Did she still love Roy? Did she regret breaking up with him? If Roy wants reconciliation, will she agree to it, will she give him her second chance to find the happiness she once sought?

Knowing that what she thinks and feels isn't really his business, she dismisses his idea. She was his ex-sister-in-law, and her only real connection was with his nephew, his son. Still, Shin suddenly wanted to erase his frown. He wanted to hear her laugh again, to see her twinkle in her eyes. The conversation was heavily veiled and he was looking for ways to lighten things up. "It's not all bad," she said as if she had read his mind, trying to lighten her up. She gave him a smile.

"Do you remember the picnic we went to for Andrew's third birthday?" He replied, Felt her smile curl his lips.It was a magical day. The weather cooperated to make him one of those early spring days with no hint of winter and the air smelling of summer. The food was delicious, Andrew was as charming as her 3-year-old, and Roy played her father-husband role brilliantly. "What was the name of your date that day?"

she asked, her eyes shining with evil. "Cinnamon sugar?" "Honey," he replied, knowing she remembered her name well. He laughed and shook his head dryly. "She was very attractive." he nodded. "Yes, it was." My smile kept getting worse. "And she was so innovative with her picnic dress. Who would have thought she would wear heels, a leather miniskirt and a bustier to her 3rd birthday party?"

"She was the only woman I ever met who thought the bald spots on the old man's head were pasty." He was rewarded with her laughter. Rich and thirsty, it filled the car and he joined as each memory evoked that crazy, glorious day. "Every time she bent over to see the cake, I was afraid she'd blow her, uh, luck," May continued. Shin laughed again. "I don't know which was worse, bending down to look at the cake or trying to play Frisbee with those shoes."

"She may not have been particularly smart, but she is sure she had a good heart," May defended. "No, she didn't," he protested. "She thinks children are 'disgusting' and animals are dirty, and she gives a humanitarian award to Coco Chanel for finally developing clothes that women with breasts can wear. She felt she should." "But it was a nice party, wasn't it? Have you seen her often since that day?" "That was my first and last date with Honey. I liked her until she spoke, but unfortunately beautiful Honey loved to talk. Mei laughed again, and as she calmed down she felt her eyes on him.

"Why didn't you get married, Shin?" The woman I wanted, because she had already been taken away by her brother. He pushed aside his unwanted thoughts. "I don't know. I was so busy building my business that I didn't have much time for romance. Also, I think it's probably best to be alone. " "No one does their best alone," she quietly protested. He gave her a sharp look.

"What about you? Why didn't you remarry?" She let out a dry laugh. "Who has time? Besides, I'm not alone. I have Andrew. In between work and all of Andrew's activities, I find myself coming and going. " Shin concentrated on the road again. They had reached the Kansas City border and there was heavy traffic, he protested and wanted to tell her that having her son in her life was not the same as having a man.

Instead, they both fell silent as Shin fought traffic and tried to focus on his driving instead of Mei. Shin has always found that familiarity actually breeds contempt with women he has dated in the past. But in May's case, she seemed to breed something very different.

A car accident caused by his parents when he was 21 instantly killed his mother, but his father spent two long days in the hospital. When I begged him to fight, he said, "Promise me you'll always protect Roy. He's not as strong as you." Shin made a promise. Even before his parents died, Shin felt more like Roy's father than brother. When Shin drove to the apartment building Mei used to live in, he pushed his past thoughts away. He stopped in front of her building and shut off her engine, startled by the vague disappointment that swept over him.

"I think the adventure is over," he said. "Yeah, I guess." For a moment he thought he heard the same disappointment in her voice. "Would you like to come in?" "No, I have to go home. You need to talk to Roy." He got out of the car while she did the same. Grab a suitcase and give it to her, then walk her a short way to the door. "Thank you for looking after me, Shin," she said. he smiled. "Thank you for your help. If you were alone in the woods for a week, I would bet on you." "I'm glad I'm not alone... I wish I could be with someone in the dark." Her cheeks blushed. There was a deep pain in his heart and he needed to touch her one last time. "Tell Roy I'll see you again at Morning View."

He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He wasn't sure what had happened--whether he had misplaced his aim or had she turned her head at the last moment--but suddenly his lips were on hers.