The limo pulled up to the restaurant and satisfaction filled Taeyong when he saw the sidewalk lined with cameras. Pictures of his new fiancé would be everywhere by tomorrow.
Nari jumped when a movie star and his wife walked by and Taeyong said, "If you want pictures taken in Seoul, this is where you eat. Music and movie campaigns, rumors of a breakup that need defending, rumors of an engagement you need to confirm." He smiled at her. "Come here, give them some pictures, and they leave you alone the rest of the time. Usually."
"You live in a strange world."
"I've learned to work around it. Now show me your happily engaged face."
She looked at him.
He said, "Come on, you're supposed to be happy. After five long years, we'll finally be together."
"You wore me down, remember? You're supposed to be happy. I'm supposed to be horrified by all this attention."
"You've certainly got that look down. But you can't go out scowling like that. Everybody wants to see us happy."
Nari looked skeptical. "Just who is everybody? And why do we care what they want?"
"Everybody is everybody. And I care because if I wake up to one more quote from an ex maligning my bedroom technique I will have to go into hiding with my mother and grandma. I'd rather go into hiding with you." He glanced at her attempt at a smile. "Just barely. Now, smile."
"I am."
"That is not a smile. That look will send my mother running."
Nari let out a puff of air and tried again. "There. Is this better?"
He looked at her dubiously. "I know I've seen you smile before. This is just baring your teeth."
Taeyong pulled out his wallet and took out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to her and she gingerly opened it. "See, you were smiling here."
"Why do you have a copy of the National Enquirer in your wallet?"
"Look at us, Nari. Just look."
"I would really rather not."
He scooted over to sit next to her. "This is what people want to see. Whatever 'it' is, we've got it. I'm getting hot and bothered just looking at the pictures."
"Stop it." She the paper back at him.
Taeyong took the paper, holding on to her hand. "You know what I've never done before? Kissed my fiancé."
Nari reared back in alarm. "Yes, you have. Right before you announced to the world I was engaged to you. And then right after we signed the pre-nup."
He her hand and murmured, "Oh, yes. How did I forget those? Maybe because neither was a real kiss."
"There won't be any real kisses. This is all fake, remember?"
"It's not all fake." He looked into her eyes. "Here's the deal. You can come out of the car with me, smiling. Or you can kiss me."
"I'm smiling!"
He shook his head. "Sadly, that is not a smile."
Taeyong hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her towards him, and she flattened her hands against his chest. She said, "This was not in any part of our agreement."
"I don't know why we didn't address it then. I tried, if you'll remember."
"There was nothing to address, then or now."
His lips touched hers and she jerked her head back.
He slid his hand up her back and into her hair, and he held her head still as his lips touched hers again. His tongue tickled the seam of her lips and she kept them firmly shut. He looked at her through lidded eyes and found her looking back at him. He trailed kisses across her cheek to her ear.
He whispered, "You look beautiful. But I liked your hair brown."
Nari whispered back, "It's your mother's fault."
"Try not to listen to my mother, would you?"
"I could probably do that."
"Good. Now can we stop talking about her?"
Nari leaned back slightly. "You're the one who brought her up."
"I did? My mistake."
She laughed and he took advantage of her open mouth. She tasted like chocolate and smelled like woman. It was kryptonite to his self-control and when she stopped fighting and let his tongue enter , he forgot where they were.
She mumbled against his lips. "This is a bad idea."
"The worst I've ever had."
She sighed slightly and leaned into him. "As long as you realize that."
"Oh, I do. I really, really do."

Nari gave a breathy chuckle and Taeyong gripped her thigh, pulling her leg over his hip until she was nearly straddling him and her dress was riding dangerously high.
He circled the back of her thighs with his hands, his fingers grazing the apex of her legs.
Her breath whooshed out and he doubled down, one hand moving up to cup her and pull her even closer. He slid his other fingers lightly up and down.
She murmured, "I'm pretty sure this counts as ual harassment."
"Absolutely. Be sure and tell the judge that you like to be on top."
Nari leaned against him heavily, fighting his for dominance. He bit her lip, then lightly, easing the sting.
Her hands fisted in his hair, pulling slightly, and he grinned against .
He gripped her hips, pushing her down onto his lap, rubbing his against her, and her breath caught. Taeyong's fingers tightened, digging into her flesh, and then moved north.
His hands roamed higher and higher, searching for the top of her , until her dress was pushed to her waist. He tore his mouth from hers and looked down at what his fingers had been trying to tell his brain. He wasn't getting into this woman's underpants.
He growled, "Goddamn Spanx."
He thought about trying to rip the offending garment off but even in his lust-induced haze he realized the futility of that. He looked around wildly. His keys? Could he hack it off with his keys?
Nari dropped her head onto his shoulder and whispered, "Taeyong."
He damn near exploded right then.
He tipped his head back and took a deep breath. Then another.
She tried to climb off him and he wrapped an arm around her waist, securing her to him while he breathed. In and out.
A paparazzo sidled up to the limo and tried to look through the window, and Taeyong remembered where they were and what they were supposed to be doing.
Taeyong ran his hand down her arm and tangled her fingers with his own.
After a moment spent getting himself back under control, he pulled back and looked at her critically. He pulled her dress back down, swiped a thumb under her lips and wiped away the remnants of her lipstick, then nodded, satisfied.
He said, "Okay, forget the smile. Looking dazed and ruffled will work just fine."
And he opened the door and pulled her out into the flashing cameras.

*-*-*-*--*-*-*

 
Nari sat in her car with Lisa, watching the circus that was now her street. Lisa whistled. "So, what's the plan?"
"Run them all over?"
"Could work, but then you'd go to jail. You probably would have to give Mr. Lee his million back for nonperformance. You need some bodyguards."
"Dinner last night was supposed to make them all go away and leave me alone."
"I'd say it didn't work."
Nari blew her breath out. "What if we went through my neighbor's yard and snuck in the back door?"
"Might work."
"Or we go in pedal to the metal, horn blaring, and see how many don't get out of the way in time."
"I vote sneaking in the back."
"Yeah." Nari reversed the car. "This might not work but I don't think they can come onto the property. Right? Trespassing, right?"
"This could end with a picture of you climbing the fence in tomorrow's papers."
"God. Do you know how much I hate Lee Taeyong at this moment?"
Lisa looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "Mm-hm."
They parked in front of her neighbor's house, sneaked through the gate, and headed for the back fence.
Lisa looked around. "They don't have a dog, right?"
"Pretty sure."
"Oh, you're a riot."
They stopped at the fence and looked up. Lisa said, "If this doesn't work, we are calling Taeyong and telling him to send some bodyguards. Deal?"
Nari clenched her teeth. "I am not calling him. So you'd better get yourself over this fence."
Nari jumped, grabbing the top and pulling with all her might, her feet trying to run up the side of the fence.
Lisa yelled, "Stop flailing and I'll push you over!"
She gave an almighty push and Nari went over the top and landed with a thud.
A shout rang out from the front and Lisa yelled again. "Go, go, go! Don't stop! Zigzag!"
Nari raced to the back door, her key in her hand, and flung open the door. She looked behind her to find no Lisa and slammed and locked the door.
She leaned against it, laughing. Then groaned. 
A loud ringing made her jump. It took her a second to realize it was her new cellphone.
She answered and Lisa said, "I can't get over the fence. I'm going to try the front. Watch for me, will you?"
"They're going to eat you alive."
"We'll see. Just be ready for me."
"Okay."
Lisa said, "You know, you'll have to thank Taeyong for the cellphone. It's handy being able to just call you up