When Nari walked into Taeyong's office, he did a double take, then laughed at himself. Even after dinner last night, the blond was catching him off guard.
"I'm not used to your hair yet."
"I'm starting to like it. I hardly recognize myself."
"I wish it worked on the paparazzi."
Nari said, "Yes. Wasn't dinner last night supposed to appease them?"
"They must not have gotten the memo. I'll send another." He looked her over carefully. "Any problems getting out of your house?"
"Not once your driver showed up." She crinkled her nose. "There may or may not be some photos of me climbing my fence."
He raised an eyebrow at her and she sat down. "It wasn't my finest moment. But your very kind driver advised me that as long as they weren't intruding on my personal space, it was usually better to just let them take the pictures."
Taeyong grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and handed it to her. He should have realized earlier that her paleness wasn't a symptom of her new hair color. The most seasoned star could be overcome by hordes of shouting "journalists" and their cameras.
He said, "Do I need to sue some asses? Please say yes."
"Because that always works so well?"
"Because I feel impotent and that enrages me."
She shook her head. "This happens to you all the time."
He sat down. "And I'm used to it. And I know how it feels. And I'm sorry."
She took a long drink, then looked at him thoughtfully. "A half million sorry?"
He smiled slightly. "Probably not."
"Well, I was talking about the impotence anyway."
He opened his mouth to remind her of last night and she said quickly, "Tell me it will be better."
"It will be better. Really. Probably."
"I don't think you have a handle on the paparazzi like you think you do."
"Makes me want to sue them even more."
She laughed, her cheeks gaining back their color. He smiled at her.
He said, "Are there going to be any pictures of you flipping them off?"
"Only with my eyes."
"It's what I hired you for."
Nari sat back, relieved. "Mission accomplished, then. I guess I can go back home."
"I prepaid for six weeks. I've got five weeks, five days of death glares left."
She sighed loudly. "My work is never done. But where exactly will I be living for the next six weeks? I assume you've got me in some swank hotel where I can run up the room service bill when I'm mad at you." She looked like she was looking forward to it.
"You're living with me."
Her forehead wrinkled. "I can't live with you."
"You're my fiancé. Where else are you going to live?"
"I'm sure there are places to rent if a hotel is no good. If I live with you, everyone will think we're sleeping together."
He raised an eyebrow. "I think most people already think that."
Her face turned a delightful shade of red. "Has no one ever heard of waiting for the wedding?"
He just looked at her. "No one is going to believe that."
"Oh, God. Can't you leave me with a shred of dignity?"
He walked around his desk and started rubbing her shoulders. "I am not so bad, you know. I think you overestimate how much damage I'm going to do to your reputation."
She tried to get up and he pushed her down. She glared at him over her shoulder. "My reputation before you was a hardworking, sensible woman. There is no way bringing you into the equation is going to make my reputation go anywhere but down."
"It'll be fine. You can have the extra bedroom all to your lonesome. And we'll pretend that we're not going to sleep together."
She stood up, wrenching her shoulders out of his hands. She turned to yell at him, and snapped shut when she saw him laughing silently, his shoulders rising and falling in silent wheezes.
He gasped, "Prude."
She folded her arms. "You keep kissing me."
He held up a finger. "Once."
"Three times!"
"They didn't count. It was really only one."
"They all count. If your lips touch mine, it counts! If I can taste the chocolate you ate, it counts!"
He laughed again, thinking there was no one he liked messing with better than Nari. "What you're saying is you're sensitive and I need to keep my mouth to myself."
"Half of that is true, at least. The last half. I don't want your germs."
"Oh, yes? It's that you're a germaphobe?"
She raised her eyebrows. "You have had a lot of girlfriends."
"Perhaps you would like to see a bill of health?"
"No. Because there will be no more kissing!"
He propped his hip against the desk, still smiling, and nodded at her. "Okay, okay. There will be no more kissing."
Taeyong didn't feel even a little bit bad about lying to her. Her lips were still imprinted on his from last night. It was a pleasant memory for him. He wasn't taking it personally that she didn't seem to feel the same. He had evidence to the contrary, and if there was anything he knew about Nari it would be that she would fight him with her last breath. Just on principal.
He was looking forward to getting her to that last breath. And then beyond.
She stared at him, then sat down slowly.
He said, leaving himself an out, "Except for an occasional photo-op."
Nari narrowed her eyes at him and he pinched his fingers together. "Very occasional."
"Try none."
"I'm not making any promises."
"Then how about a thousand bucks per photo-op."
Taeyong tapped his chin. "Hmm. I'm trying to decide if you're worth it."
"I'm not. I would strongly advise against putting your lips anywhere near mine."
"Okay, deal again. I'll pay a thousand dollars every time I feel the need to kiss you in public."
She shook her head and stood up. "I'm going home."
"You want to go back home after all the trouble I went to get you out?"
"What trouble? You sent a driver. And I'll go to Lisa's."
"Why? I'm done here. You're packed. Let's just go to my home."
Nari jerked her head back. "Right now?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"I just wasn't expecting. . ."
"To have to go at all?"
She looked sheepish. "I was hoping I was going to wake up soon."
He reached out and pinched her arm.
"Ow!" She slapped his hand.
"Yep, you're awake. So let's go tonight."
Nari took a deep breath and said, "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Taeyong hung his head. "If you must think of it that way."
"I do. And I d