The feel of his smooth lips softly gliding over hers was so sweetly familiar that she couldn’t help but revel in the feeling. The warmth and the sweetness of it made it impossbile for her not to be taken away by the whirling sensations that she is being pulled under. He was merely kissing her, softly nibbling on her lips, tasting it and she is so undone by it.

He lifted his face a little, his forehead touching hers as he breathed heavily through his mouth. She could hear his breath in the silence… feel his breath.

And she’s pretty sure Donghae can hear the loud pounding of her heart.

He was trying to control himself. With too much difficulty. He thought just a kiss wouldn’t hurt. A soft touch.

But he was wrong to think he would be satisfied with just a kiss. He knew what’s going to happen if he wouldn’t stop now.

Mustering all the self-control he had, he straightened up to move away from her intoxicating scent. Her eyes opened and her bright, innocent eyes laced with evident yearning is enough for his undoing. He didn’t realize he was already gripping the armrest with his hand and he pressed his lips together to keep his control under. “Do you want some dessert?” he asked, his voice sounding a little hoarse.

Dara was a blank for a second as she stared up at him. “Dessert?” she asked stupidly.

Donghae stepped away from her and reached over for a fork to get a bite of the cake leaving Dara looking mystified.

“Hmmm, this tastes really good,” Donghae muttered as he resumed his seat on the stool.

Un.Be.Lie.Va.Ble.

He really was talking about dessert. Literally. When is she ever learn?? What dessert are you thinking of anyway you… you… ! She got to really stop reading romance novels with too much ual innuendos that she is ending up thinking the same with every goddam innocent words. She could feel that embarassment creeping up on her neck up to her face and she can’t even turn her head to look at him. She was pretty sure he would see that disappointment written all over her face. Oh my gawd. I’ve become such a tramp.

“Something wrong?” Donghae asked sounding a littlee hesitant.

You had to ask?! Her mind snarled at him but she lifted her chin and tried to smile while fixing her eyes at the painting on the wall. “No, there’s nothing wrong.” But her nostrils are flaring. She was mad at herself and mad at him. She knew it. If this is not gonna happen tonight, it’s never going to happen. She’s like the female version of Steve Carrell. Only she’s the 33 year old . But who knows? In a years time, the 40-year old would finally suit her.

Is there something wrong with her?

There it is. That rush of insecurity.

Is she not… good enough? Not desirable enough? Or maybe he found himself bored with the way she’s practically throwing herself at him thinking there’s no more challenge with her?

She knew she’s being irrational, stupid, and childish but she really can’t help it. Right after he like that? If that is really what teasing is. And she knew that insecurity is going to consume her tonight if she didn’t address her irrationality, stupidity, and childishness now. Right here.

“Donghae,” she firmly called him as she turned her stool to face him.

He was looking at her with wide questioning eyes as he chewed slowly. This prick doesn’t even have any idea what is going through her mind right now.

“I just realized that I have never felt so much insecurity in my lifetime until less than 12 hours today,” Dara said sharply.

His chewing slowed even more until it stopped. And god, he looked so clueless she wanted to smack him with a plate. Thankfully, he was saved from her when her phone buzzed inside her pocket. It was still on silent mode but she turned the vibration on earlier while Donghae was cooking.

She took it from her pocket and answered. “Hi mom.”

“You have been going home really really late recently. Don’t think I didn’t noticed,” her mom said. “What have you been doing?”

“Mom. Have you realized I’m already an adult?” Then Dara sighed. Now is not the time to argue with her mom of her being old enough to stay as late as she wants. And it’s not like staying late is a choice for her anyway. She tried not to glare in Donghae’s direction. “Anyway, I know it’s already late. I’m going home now. Bye mom.”

She ended the call and stood up abruptly. “I need to go home. Thanks for dinner.”

“I’ll take you home,” Donghae said.

“No, that’s okay,” Dara said curtly trying not to look at him because she would just end up giving him the glare of death. “I have my car. Good night.”

Donghae was probably wondering what is up with her sudden mood but she didn’t care. She can be childish as she wants tonight. She’ll just apologize tomorrow for her crabby attitude.

If she felt like it.

“Let me walk you to the elevator then,” Donghae said quietly who is noticing her bad mood.

“Suit yourself,” Dara just said as she marched over to the door and pressed that button a little too hard for it to open then strode over to where the elevator is, pressing the Down button. Donghae was just beside her and silence filled the already silent hall. Dara sighed through her nose and pouted. Okay, that remorse for acting childish came a little too early. She should apologize now. It’s not like Donghae did anything wrong other than… not doing anything wrong.

“I’m sorry if I acted a little… cranky,” Dara started quietly. She sighed and lifted her head to look at Donghae to give him a smile. “Thank you for dinner.” Then tried to joke the tension away. “Think about my offer of setting up a restaurant business.”

Donghae chuckled and they heard the elevator dinged open.

“Good night,” Dara said feeling better now as she stepped inside the elevator but she felt him suddenly grab her arm and pinned her on the elevator’s open door and his mouth fully settling over hers before she could even take a breath. His hot mouth moved against hers, his tongue invading and coaxing her response. It was nothing like that sweet, gentle kiss he gave her earlier. Neither is that intense one they shared inside her office when they were reviewing the contract. This was hot, passionate, all consuming.

He was overwhelming… possessing.

His hands went up to the back of her head, his fingers threaded through her hair as his mouth slanted over hers again and again that Dara could literally feel the fingers on her toes curling as deep shivers ran up her spine. She felt so frozen that she didn’t know what to do. She could feel him. All of him. And it made her knees buckle but thankfully, Donghae had his arm wounded around her waist and prevented  her from falling into a heap on the floor without breaking the kiss.

Her hands automatically rested on his arm to grip as she tentatively kissed him back and he growled low on his throat. She feels like melting right now and only when the elevator door made a sound of protest after being open for far too long did he broke contact.

She was literally hanging onto him as his eyes roved on her face, his breathing hard and labored just as much as hers is. The protesting sound of the elevator was insistent but he ignored it. “You have no idea how much I want you to stay,” he whispered raggedly. “If it were up to me, you’ll never get home until the sun rises.”

She didn’t understand what he was talking about because her head is still all fuzzy.

“But I don’t think you’re ready yet,” Donghae continued as he removed his hand from around her waist after making sure she can already stand on her own. “And I want you to want me for the right reasons. Not just because you wanted to lose your ity.”

Dara blinked at him. What? She really can’t think right now.

Donghae felt a sense of satisfaction over her befuddled look and without thinking touched her swollen lip with his thumb.

Which is not a good idea as he could still feel his blood raging. He dropped his hand and gently pushed her inside the elevator. “Now get home before I changed my mind of trying to protect your virtue.” This is about the hardest and the most challenging thing he had ever done in his entire life. “Good night and get home safe.” He removed his arm from blocking the elevator door and watched as it silently closed on Dara’s face still looking dazed.

“Dara? Dara. Ya!”

Dara looked up from her monitor and saw Bom standing in front of her desk with a dry expression on her face. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t notice you were there.”

“I figured,” Bom said taking a seat. “Do you realize you have staring at your monitor with a weird smile on your face? Since I stepped into your office?”

“Really?” Even with her answer, she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “No, I didn’t realize that.”

“Uh huh.” She gave Dara a calculating look.

“So what’s up?” Dara asked.

Bom rolled her eyes. “Oh my god. The smile. You’re smiling so wide I feel like it’s gonna split your face in half.”

“What? Is that a crime?” Dara returned her eyes on her computer and tried to focus with the stress on the word tried. The memory of what happened last night is still swimming in the surface of her mind—eventhough the ending isn’t what she had expected—that she couldn’t sleep a wink last night. The words that Donghae told her kept playing on repeat inside her brain.

I want you to want me for the right reasons. Not just just because you wanted to lose your ity.

She didn’t understand what that is about or why he said that… though she had a vague recollection of mentioning that once—she couldn’t remember when, how, or why she said that—but she realized that yes, maybe she wanted him because she wanted to know how it felt like.

Yes, his effect on her is so inexplicable for her because she had never been this close enough with any man but maybe… she really was rushing it.

She tried not to scoff at that thought. Her. Rushing to get laid.

Wow. That is so hilariously funny.

And so pitiful.

Darn Donghae for being right.

And for being that frustrating, unbelievably, sweet gentleman that she had never thought he would be.

She usually woke up feeling so drained after suffering from a night of insomnia but she woke up so energized and so light that her brother took advantage of it again asking for additional allowance. 

Which of course she only protested a little before giving in. She is in a terrific mood today. If anyone had told her exactly how it feels to have a lovelife, she would’ve done it so much earlier.

But of course, Lee Donghae might have made the difference.

Aish. That man, That… really cute, hot man. Gosh, she couldn’t entirely fathom his effect on her.

Click.

Dara squinted at the sudden flash on her eyes and she looked at Bom with her forehead creased. She had her phone facing Dara. “Ya.”

Bom snickered as she looked at the picture she had just taken. “Your smile is sooo creepy.”

She showed the photo to Dara and it made Dara laugh at how she looked. God, she looked so weird with a half-assed smile on her face while looking like in a trance in front of her computer.

“Seriously, don’t daydream about Donghae in front of other people,” Bom said as she put her phone back inside her pocket.

Dara patted her face a little too hard and then shook her head. “Okay.” She stretched her neck right and left before exhaling in a big breath and throwing her shoulders back. “I need to focus.” But then a smile broke into her face again and she cupped her face with her hands as  she rested her elbows on her table looking at Bom with her bright twinkling eyes. “But I can’t help it.”

“Oh my god,” Bom said pretending to be disgusted. “Where is that workaholic and serious Sandara Park? What have you done with her??” Then she narrowed her eyes at Dara. “Have you finally did it with him?”

Dara reddened at that. “No.”

“Admit it! I can see it written all over your face.”

Dara scowled. “Seriously, I haven’t.” Then pouted. “And it’s not my fault.”

It took a moment for Bom to process what Dara had said and she laughed. “Okay, okay. Soooo…  he wasn’t interested? Are you sure he’s not gay?”

Dara glared at her. “No. He just… he’s too much of a gentleman. And… it’s not like… you know… that is  the only thing important in a relationship.” She kept glaring at Bom who is still laughing. “And we’re not rushing. I’m not ready yet.” At least that’s what Donghae said.

“Right,” Bom said. “I thought you said it wasn’t your fault that you haven’t done it?”

Dara scowled at her as she still continue trying to defend her relationship with Donghae. “ isn’t the main reason to define a relationship!”

“I can’t wait to tell CL and Hye Sun!”

“Don’t you dare gossip about my lovelife!”

Their bickering stopped when there was a knock on the door and her secretary peeped in. “Ms. Dara, Chairman is asking for you to call him.”

“Okay. Thank you.” Still glaring at a chuckling Bom, she pressed the chairman’s extension and he immediately answered.

“Set up the meeting,” Chairman said. “We need this going. Set it up at 1 this afternoon.”

“Yes, sir.”

Bom watched as Dara placed the receiver down. “Good news?”

Like what Bom said, Dara could feel her smile so wide it is splitting her face in half. “Not for me.”

Needless to say, it has been such a very busy day that Dara was thankful she woke up in such a good mood otherwise, today would be a total Hulk-day for her. Endless and endless of meeti