The force of his soft voice command hammered a wedge into Sora's veneer of polite civility. No man dared issue orders to her. Across the safe distance of the coffee table, she prepared for a real battle.

"I beg your pardon - "

"And well you should," he interrupted smoothly. "Apology accepted."

"Hah!" Sora barked. She stomped to the door and flung it open. "You have something to say as you leave..."

She let her words dangle leadingly, and did one of her mother's favourite tricks, gestured to the open door. He did not bother to rise, not even move his hand to put this cup down on the table.

"I never repeat a command, Miss Kang."

Diamonds could have fractured in his glare. Sora wasn't the one to be intimidated easily, but Leeteuk look more dangerous at very moment than when he turned apologetic on the air flied on discovering that his father wasn't on board her Vixen. Danger pulse in the air, yet the man hadn't move a muscle. Only the growing coldness in those dark eyes indicated that Sora had passed the line of what insult he would tolerate. Shrugging in mock carelessness, she eased the door shut with soft click.

“Suit yourself,” she said bravely.

Actually, that god-awful fight she’d left brewing between herself and this arrogant man seemed imminent. Passing restlessly, not wanting to occupy the same planet he did, she prowled the large room, circling the sofas.

Her fingers itched to slug him, to pick up any number of priceless vases and throw them at him. She needed a physical release from the knotting tension threatening to cripple her.

She had to do something with her hands quickly – before the temptation to clobber him with a lamp overcame her.

She attached the ice bucket, filling a glass, splashing water on polished tray. She wipe it with square of spotless folded linen. Then Sora circuited the entire room one more time, aware she was on the brink of making a complete fool of herself. She cast a sideway look at him. His expression was brutal; mouth tight and grim above the clench jaw that showed no sign of relaxing anytime soon.

What she had done? What hadn’t she done? Hell, a veritable list of never-dones seemed to float in Sora’s active mind. The mere thought of going to the mat against a man of his ilk filled with her dread. She couldn’t win. Why would she even bother to try.

To give in to him without questioning any of the things he’d told her was anathema. She wasn’t a naïve child. To continue challenging his natural authority served no further purpose, either. What should I do?

Finally, she came back to the coffee table where she’d started this minor revolt, took cup and saucer in hand and salt down on the sofa to his right. She tried very hard not to look sullen as she pointed the pot of coffee. “May I have some more coffee, please?”

He raised his right hand and turned his palm over in a sweeping gesture that invited her to help herself, all without speaking word. 

Sora sat forward to fill her cup and held the pot a loft in a mute signal of inquiry regarding refiling his empty cup. He made the finest acknowledgement, a flick of his eyes, no more, in the direction of his cup.