~TAEYEON~
 

From the moment the doorbell rang announcing Yoona and Seunghyun’s arrival, followed a few minutes later by Yuri and Soohyuk, I knew the evening would be a success.

As I’d predicted, Hayi woke soon after our guests arrived and when Jiyong brought his daughter downstairs, his face beamed with pride as he accepted congratulations from his friends.

Yoona and Yuri took turn feeding Hayi her bottle. I shooed the men onto the garden, where they cooked dinner and argued over the prospect of Hayi and Nayeon becoming cheerleaders or basketball players.

I put Hayi to bed around seven and it wasn’t long before we were all seated at the dining room table enjoying the delicious barbecued salmon.

Conversation flowed easily during the meal and while I was careful to keep my contribution to a minimum, I soon got over my nervousness, silently acknowledging Jiyong’s friends were warm, wonderful people.

I especially noticed the chemistry between Yoona and her husband, Seunghyun, their shared smiles and secret glances.

While the women cleared away the dishes, the men wandered through to the living room and it was when I asked Yoona how she and Seunghyun had met.

Yoona related an extraordinary tale, confessing to having had a crush on Seunghyun, a lieutenant commander in the Republic of Korea Navy and favorite nephew of her father’s new wife, from the first moment she set eyes on him.

When her father and Seunghyun’s aunt perished in a plane crash, Seunghyun had come to Seoul to attend the funeral. During the highly emotional and heartbreaking weekend, he and Yoona had made love.

The next day, Seunghyun had been called back to his base and as he neared Gyeryong he’d been involved in a car accident, resulting in a total loss of memory.

Nearly nine months after the accident, Seunghyun, following the only lead he had to his past, a letter he’d received from Jiyong regarding his aunt’s will, had returned to Seoul in the hope of jarring his memory.

He’d come face-to-face with Yoona, pregnant with his child, but he hadn’t recognized her. Through the strength of her love for him and the birth of their child, Seunghyun eventually recovered his memory and they’d found each other again.

After hearing Yoona’s wonderfully romantic story, I found my thoughts turning to Jiyong. All evening I’d had the feeling he might be seeking to reconcile with Taerin, to put their relationship on a more intimate level.

He’d been more attentive than usual, more considerate, drawing me into conversations, gently teasing me and finding excuses to touch me. I tried to tell myself it was all for the benefit of our guests.

But when we rejoined the men in the living room, Jiyong instantly rose from the easy chair to cross to my side. When I felt his arm go around me to pull me against his lean frame, in a lover like gesture, my legs threatened to give way.

For the next hour as we sat chatting to our guests, I grew increasingly aware of Jiyong’s slow yet deliberate seduction.

Sitting next to him on the love seat, I could feel the pressure of his thigh against me, a pressure that sent the blood humming through my veins.

And when his fingers deliberately skimmed my shoulder, and his breath fanned my cheek as he leaned over to make a point, I was aware only of the ripple of desire that chased through me, making me weak with longing.

Jiyong’s smile told me he knew exactly what he was doing and the effect he was having on me. And the fact that this subtle but deliberate seduction was taking place in full view of his friends made it impossible for me to do anything to stop him.

“It’s been a lovely evening.” Yuri said some ten minutes later. “But I think it’s time I took my husband home. We don’t want to be late for the baby-sitter. Otherwise she might not sit for us again.”

“We’d better hit the road too.” Seunghyun said, rising from the easy chair.

“Thanks for a great dinner. The company wasn’t bad either.” Soohyuk said, giving Jiyong’s arm a friendly punch.

“It’ll be your and Yul’s turn next time.” Jiyong countered.

“Deal.” Soohyuk replied then turned to me. “Thanks, Erica, for everything. I have a feeling your husband is anxious to have you to himself.” He teased gently, sending the blood rushing to my cheeks.

“You got that right.” Jiyong answered softly. Putting his arm around me, he drew me against him, dropping a featherlight kiss on my lips.

Dizzy from the senstaions suddenly spiraling through me, I had little memory of the next ten minutes. All I was aware of was Jiyong’s arm around me, of his body pressed against mine, of the tingling warmth lingering on my lips and of the desire slowly building inside me.

The sound of Jiyong closing the front door brought me out of my daze. My first instinct was to escape, to run for the sanctuary of my room because though it broke my heart to admit it, Taerin was the one Jiyong thought he was seducing. Taerin was the one he wanted.