Shin Hye caught herself looking at the clock for the umpteenth time. It was now 6:47 PM and Jong Suk hadn't come in to check on her yet. Not that she was disappointed or anything.

Right?

Just as she sighed and put down the book the she had been editing, the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" she yelled. Gingerly, she slid off the couch and hopped to the door on her good foot.

"Hiya    woah." Shin Hye blinked at the huge bouqet of daisies that popped out at her face. It wasn't Jong Suk at the door, after all, and she had to quietly squash down the signs of disappointment that threatened to show on her face.

"Hi, Shin Hye." It was Lee Kyung, the man she had gone out on a blind date a couple nights ago. He held out the flowers towards her and sheepishly grinned. "I hope you aren't too busy to go out for dinner again with me? Oh, and you left your business card on our date last time. It had your address, in case you wanted to know." 

Shin Hye's first thought was creeper. Although Lee Kyung seemed to be a decent person, she wasn't too much into him to eat out with him again. 

"Oh, um, that's very sweet of you but    "

"Shin Hye, ready for dinner?" 

They turned to see Jong Suk, who Shin Hye was never more glad to see in her life. He carred some sort of soup pot in his kitchen mittened hands.

Both men now looked suspiciously at each other, inspecting the other up and down and sizing the other up. Lee Kyung wasn't too bad in the looks department, but Shin Hye found she rather preferred Jong Suk's gentle and soft handsomeness to the sharper looks of Lee Kyung. 

"Ah, so you already have dinner plans. Perhaps tomorrow night then."

"Um, perhaps. Maybe then," Shin Hye bit her lower lip.

Lee Kyung smiled politely and walked off but not before another curious look at Jong Suk.

Jong Suk snorted before coming inside SH's apartment and setting the crockery pot on her dining table. He seemed irritated.

"You should have just told him no outright and not give such answer." 

Shin Hye's eyebrows raised up. "Why should I do that? I really don't have a reason to refuse him."

"Because it's so obvious that you don't want to."

"Well, that shouldn't matter to you. It's not like you're my boyfriend or anything," she fired back. Uh oh. Big mistake.

Immediately, the look in Jong Suk's eyes darkened as he started walking towards her. Was it from anger? Amusement? Shin Hye couldn't tell.

She took a step back as Jong Suk advanced and winched when she nearly lost her balance as she forgot her left ankle was sprained. Jong Suk caught her in his arms before she could fall.

His predatory eyes searched her face, and her breath hitched and chest tensed. His eyes narrowed.

"Hmm. Looks like you're right about that. Why should I be bothered when other guys look at you?" His dark eyes still held her gaze as he reached to tuck a place of stray hair behind her ear. He left his hand near her face and cupped her cheek,

"Tell me why. Tell me why I'm irritated when you're with other men and when you don't look at me?"

"Huh?" Shin Hye felt a bit too dazed to reply. His nose was just brushing hers and his lips centimeters away. She could feel his breath blowing soft whispers on her skin. If she wasn't careful, she could drown in his scent and voice and be happy forever. He was just so close. So close that their lips could touch and she could lose herself in his heat.

Jong Suk gauged her reaction, lips slowly curling over his bright white teeth in a soft smirk. "Are you expecting something, Shin Hye?"

He chuckled when her eyes flew