Chapter 4 

 

Yunho and Jaejoong rode in Jaejoong's Ferrari through the city streets and got onto the highway that would lead them to the outskirt of the city where the Jung estate was. Yunho liked his friend's car but wasn't impressed by its size or new-age technology. He favored the old, tried-and-true vehicles and was looking forward to taking one of his favorite, the Audi he kept in the garage at the estate, out for a spinned. 

 

Yunho enjoyed the scenery as Jaejoong drove. He thought about his wife and their evening together. They must have kissed on that balcony for hours. All he knew for certain was that when he had finally had to walked her to the door, his body was hard as steel and he was needing her more than he had ever had in his life but Yuri had held to her words. She didn't want them to rushed things. She wanted the whole dating, courting and whatever-you-wanted-to-called-it routine all over again. He wasn't really down for the waiting to sleep with her again, especially since they were already legally married and he had gotten her pregnant but he knew enough to give her what she wanted in that regard. He was looking at his marriage liked a business deal now: it needed to be handled delicately until the final contracts were signed, the 'final contracts' being the moment Yuri moved back in with him. That thought made him smiled. 

 

"What are you over there smiling about?" Jaejoong asked, "You must have made another million or something, you looked so happy." 

 

Yunho cleared his throat and pretended to adjust his seatbelt, "No, it's nothing. Just enjoying the scenery." 

 

"Man, you can't see anything but asphalt and cars driving too fast to get to someplace that's probably not all that important. So what's up?" 

 

"It's nothing, really. Just that things have been bad for a few months and they are finally starting to looked a little better." 

 

"You mean you and Yuri?" 

 

"Why would you say that?" Yunho asked. He had been careful not to let anyone in his family and friends know about his and Yuri's separation. For all they knew, she was just spending more time working and with her family. Her appearance at the funeral had helped tremendously as both, his mom and sister-in-law were happy to see her. 

 

"Come on Yunho. I know you and I know when something's bothering you. You were on edge even before your dad's death. I assumed it was about Yuri since your business is doing well. Yuri is the only thing you loved more than worked." 

 

Yunho thought about his friends words for a moment, searching for and accepting the truth in them, "Things were a little shaky with us for a while but now we are good." 

 

"Shaky how?" Jaejoong persisted. 

 

Yunho sighed, knowing Jaejoong could be just as stubborn as him. They weren't going to make the additional twenty minutes of this ride without him telling Jaejoong all he wanted to know so there was no need in even trying, "She left me." Yunho said quietly. 

 

"What? She left? Why?" 

 

"I don't really know. I mean, I think I know now but when it happened, I had no idea." 

 

Jaejoong shook his head, "That doesn't sound right." 

 

"She left right after the New Year. I came home one day and she was gone. Then the day of the funeral, she showed up. I thought things were back to normal, that whatever she had been going through was fixed so we slept together." 

 

"But?" 

 

"I didn't say but." 

 

Jaejoong chuckled, "Still, I know there's one coming." 

 

"But apparently, things still weren't ok. She left again. I tried to called her, I left messages at her job and on her cell. I didn't even know where she was staying." 

 

"Did you called her mom?" 

 

"No." 

 

"Why?" 

 

"The same reason I didn't tell any of you. I didn't want them to know. Marriage is sacred to Yuri. Her mom and dad have been together for a long time until he died and from what she told me, her parents had a great relationship. I didn't think Yuri would run to her mom and tell her she was giving up on ours." 

 

"So what's going on now?" 

 

Yunho thought for a moment. He rarely went out for walks, especially during a weekday when he should have been working but had he not been coming down that street, had he not glanced inside that store, he wouldn't be feeling as content as he was now, "I saw her yesterday." 

 

Jaejoong glanced at him then back at the road, "You did? Where? Did you go to her job liked some stalker?" Yunho frowned, offended that his friend would even suggests such a thing, "I wouldn't do that." 

 

"I know you wouldn't. That's why you haven't spoken to or seen your wife in months." Jaejoong chuckled, "You are too calm to show your emotions that way." 

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

 

"Just tell me what happened when you saw her." 

 

Yunho decided he wanted this conversation over with sooner rather than later so he dismissed Jaejoong's comment, "She's pregnant." 

 

"What? It's yours right?" 

 

"Don't with me Jaejoong. Of course, it's mine. She's my wife." And if Yunho knew one thing about Yuri, it was that she was loyal. She would never stepped out on him, no matter how bad things were. As long as they were legally married and this was true for him as well, there would be no sleeping with anybody else. 

 

"I can't tell." Jaejoong said flippantly. 

 

"Alright, what's that supposed to mean? And I want a straight answered." 

 

Jaejoong shrugged, "I don't have a problem giving you one, my friend. You have been working and working since the day you and Yuri got married. You know why she left? Because she didn't think you had missed her one way or another." 

 

Yunho opened his mouth to speak then quickly shut it. 

 

"Yeah, you know I'm right. Yuri's the type of woman that needs attention Yunho and you weren't giving it to her. You better be thanking the gods that she's carrying your baby and not some other man's." 

 

"Just because you are driving doesn't mean I won't hit you. Watch what you say about my wife." 

 

Jaejoong chuckled, "Don't get mad at me. I'm just being real. There's more to life than worked. It took me a while to realized that but I see it clearly now. Yuri wants more than just money in the bank, Yunho. She wants the whole fairy tale." 

 

"I know what my wife wants, thank you very much." Yunho shifted in his seat, "This all sounds real professional coming from a man who's been running from a serious commitment most of his adult life." 

 

"I'm not downplaying my faults but I'm wiser now." 

 

"You mean you are Yoona whipped now." 

 

"Whatever." Jaejoong laughed, "But seriously, I think you really need to think about what I have said and listened to what I'm sure Yuri's saying. She's pregnant now. It's time for you to take your marriage and family more seriously than your job." 

 

"If I don't worked, how do I support my family?" 

 

"Yunho, you are not destitute. You have more money than most men twice your age. Besides, it's not all about the money. It's about living your life before it's too late. Don't you want to be there for Yuri and your child?" 

 

"Of course, I do and I will. That's why I have to worked, to make sure they have everything they need all the time." "I'm betting that all they are going to need is you." Jaejoong said seriously. 

 

"Thanks for the advice but I have got this under controlled." 

 

Jaejoong shrugged and Yunho was glad he was going to let it rest for now. 

 

The day had been long but the thought of Yunho had kept Yuri going. She wondered if she had see him tonight. That was probably too optimistic, seeing as he had given her all last night. However, the two dozen red roses he had delivered to her this morning said he was at least thinking about her while he was at worked. Of course, when she had called, he had been out at a meeting, she had contemplated calling him on his Samsung Galaxy S7 but decided against it. They had been separated for months and yesterday had been pretty emotional for both of them. Although, to his credit, Yunho seem to take the news of the pregnancy a lot better than she would have anticipated. If she wasn't mistaken, he actually looked pleased by the notion that they would be starting a family, 'A family.' She thought, as she walked down the steps leading out of the school. 

 

She didn't want to live in the city anymore. The penthouse was too small for a family. Their child would need a yard for a swing, grass to rolled and played on. Yunho loved their penthouse in the city. Would he be opened to moving? Funny how the doubts continued to surfaced. As much as she wanted to believe that they had a chance, that Yunho could be the man she needed him to be, doubts still prickled her mind. 

 

Yuri was tired, hungry and sleepy. The first trimester of pregnancy was more than she had anticipated. Her emotions were out of whack, her energy level had reached an all-time low and she was uncomfortable for the duration of the time she wasn't nauseous or worried. Her mom assured her that this was all the norm. In another couple of weeks, a lot of those symptoms would passed and she had be on to other issued liked swollen ankles and growing pressure on her bladder. 

 

She was thinking that she had gladly endure all of this to stared into the eyes of her and Yunho's child at the end of nine months, when a car horn caught her attention. She looked up then and noticed the black Porsche Panamera. She would recognized that car anywhere because there weren't many people rich enough in Seoul to own one. It was Yunho's. Well, it was one of his. 

 

This one was for his driver, Changhee, whom he used when he was in the city. Yunho's other cars, according to him, needed the opened road to test their speed so driving in the city wasn't logical. Instead, he had Changhee drive him to and from worked and any other meetings he had in the city or simply to the Jung estate where he could picked up one of his other cars. 

 

Her heart danced a little as she walked closer, her smiled growing with each step. There was a small letdown when Changhee came around to opened the back door for her and she realized Yunho wasn't in the car. 

 

"Good evening Mrs. Jung." Changhee said, with his ready smiled. 

 

"Hi Changhee." She said, coming up on tiptoe to kissed his weathered cheeks. Changhee was a big man, tanned skinned and laughing eyes, "It's good to see you." 

 

"It's good to see you ma'am. It's been far too long." He said, taking her Michael Kors studio emry large top zip tote bags from her arm and helping her into the car. 

 

When she settled, she waited for him to get in and asked, "Where's Yunho and where are we going?" 

 

Changhee only turned to her and smiled, "Just relaxed. Mr. Jung told me to take good care of you. There's some cold water and fruit juice back there and something for you to snack on during the ride." 

 

Yuri sat back against the leather seat, knowing it was pointless to asked Changhee anything else. The man was nothing if not loyal and he had been with Yunho for years. So, if Yunho told him not to tell her where they were going, he had walked on nails before divulging the information. She smiled as she slid forward in the seat to the minibar mounted on the back of the front seat. Picking up a bottle of orange juice, she surveyed the array of snacks and selected the caramel popcorn. She had always had a sweet tooth and preferred that to the rice cakes and granola. 

 

'The ride shouldn't be too long.' Yuri thought. Still, after her snack, she sat back in the seat and quickly fell asleep. When she woke up, it was to someone shaking her gently by the shoulders which probably wasn't a good thing to do since her stomach was rebelling against the popcorn and orange juice. 

 

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Yunho whispered, against her ear. 

 

When had he arrived? He must have been waiting for her at whatever their destination was. His voice registered and she struggled to lift her lids. When she had finally closed them, sleep took her deeply so that it was a chore to wake up, "Hm." She tilted her head just a bit and was pleased to meet his lips. 

 

The kissed was gentle, just a brushing of lips but it stirred her blood just the same and she lifted her arms to drape over his shoulders, "Hi." She said dreamily, then pressed to his again. 

 

"Hey yourself." Yunho said, rubbing a thumb acrossed her cheeks, "You fell asleep on that short ride from the school to here." 

 

"Where's here?" She asked groggily. 

 

"We are at the Time Square. I thought you might liked to do a little shopping and get some dinner." 

 

He was staring at her as if he hadn't seen her in a very long time. 

 

"Shopping?" She asked, trying to sit up. He was leaning over the console and he back away a little while she got herself situated upright, "You hate shopping." 

 

"I don't hate it." He said, with a smirked, "I just don't see why somebody else can't do it for you." 

 

"You weren't brought up to be that uppity. Jooeun only has housekeepers because your dad insisted and because Bora is too ornery to leave. Otherwise, she would still be scrubbing her own floors." She reached for her purse, opening it to grabbed her compact. If she looked liked she felt, there was no way she was walking around in public without a little patchwork. 

 

"And your mom didn't bring you up to be so vain." He said, reaching for her compact. 

 

Yuri moved it out of his reached and lifted the sponge to dab concealer beneath her eyes, "I looked liked I haven't slept in ages. My mom would have a fit if I went out in public liked this." Finished with the concealer, she pulled out her pink lips gloss and swiped the stick over her lips, "It's not for glamour but for normalcy. You have no idea all the changes pregnant women go through." 

 

Yunho nodded, "Are you sick much? My secretary says she was ill the entire pregnancy." 

 

Yuri's head snapped in his direction, "You told your secretary about the baby?" 

 

Yunho blinked as if confused, "Of course, I did. Why? Is it a secret?" 

 

"No." She said, shaking her head, "I just didn't think we were announcing it yet." 

 

"Well, I didn't really announced it. I mean, nobody in the family knows, except Jaejoong. I figured we could tell the others after dinner on Sunday." 

 

Yuri had forgotten about the Sunday's she and Yunho had had dinner with his family. It seem so long ago, "Oh." Unsure of what to say next, she placed all her things back in her purse and zipped it shut. His fingers gripped her wrists and her gazed was jerked back to his. 

 

"You are beautiful without lipstick and whatever that other stuff was." 

 

She smiled, "You are biased." 

 

"I loved you." 

 

Changhee, as astute as always, picked that moment to opened the car door, "If you are ready now." He said, and reached inside to take Yuri's hand. 

 

She gave it to him and stepped out into the slightly cooler evening air. Yunho stepped out of the car behind her, reaching for her hand the moment he was at her side, "If you are too tired, we can just go home." 

 

Home. 

 

How badly she wanted to called the penthouse her home again, but she wasn't ready for that yet. 

 

"No, I will be fine. The walking is good for me and you did interrupt my shopping yesterday." 

 

They hadn't bought much, just half of the furniture for the nursery and because they didn't know if it was a boy or girl, a couple of bags of basic baby wear. Yuri hadn't intended to get much as it was still early in the pregnancy. Some believe it was bad luck to shop too soon. However, Yunho was convinced that their lives were changing for the better and wanted to buy whatever she liked. 

 

Her feet were hurting a bit and she was hungry. Yunho must have noticed she was getting tired because he chose a quick dinner over a fancy restaurant. They were back in the car after only two and a half hours. 

 

"Let's get you home to bed." He said, once she was fastened in with the seatbelt. 

 

That sounded liked a great idea to her. 

 

Yunho watched Yuri in awe as she let her head rest on the back of the seat. She was, just as he had said, beautiful. More beautiful than he had ever remembered seeing her. It must have been that baby glow his secretary was telling him about. When he had planned this evening, he had wanted to buy anything and everything that would make her smiled. Instead, she had smiled even before they had gotten into the mall. 

 

That was one of the things he loved about Yuri. She had never been impressed by material things. Her wants were basic, her needs obtainable. On paper, it seem he was more than capable of pleasing her but he wanted to do so much more than that. He wanted to take care of her, to make it so that there was never anything that she wanted or needed. 

 

She was tired now, barely keeping her eyes opened. As he was about to direct Changhee to take her to the penthouse, she had given him an address just at the city limits. She had not only moved out, she had moved a good distance away from him. Yunho refused to think of that now. This evening had been good. They had been together and things seem to be on the right path. He wouldn't let anything stopped that. 

 

He walked her to the door, noting that the apartment building wasn't the best. Yuri was in no way out of money. Even leaving him, she would still be comfortable financially. So the apartment wasn't the worst but it wasn't good enough for her. 

 

He couldn't hold his thoughts in any longer, "Why don't we just get your stuff and head back to the penthouse?" He said. 

 

She had unlocked the door and was just stepping inside when she glanced at him over her shoulder, "I liked it here." She said, "For now." 

 

The furniture, he noted as she the lights, was in her customary style of 'less is more'. Not big pieces but the necessities. A couch, recliner, coffee table and television stand. She had plants all around because she loved flowers and taking care of things that way. On a table in the cornered, she had stacks of books, another one of great loves. Yuri read anything and everything, all the time. He had met her coming from the library and since that time, he could personally vouch for her having read over a million books. 

 

"I'm going to get ready for bed, Yunho Oppa. I have to get up early in the morning." She said, breaking his study of her apartment. 

 

"How long are you planning to worked?" He asked. 

 

"As long as I can." 

 

Yunho nodded, her answered being what he had expected to hear, "And how long do you planned on staying away from me?" 

 

"I'm not staying away from you. We just spent another pleasant evening together. One I have to admit I'm surprised by." 

 

"Surprised? Why?" 

 

"You haven't had a lot of evenings for me in a long while Oppa." 

 

He nodded, "I know. Things have been hectic." 

 

"So you said." 

 

"I'm trying Yuri." He said, when it seem liked their conversation was headed down the wrong path. 

 

She stepped to him, placing her hands on his shoulders, "I know you are and that's all I can asked." 

 

He cupped her face in his hands, "You can asked me for anything Yuri. You have always had that power over me. Whatever I can do to make things right between us, I will do." He pulled her closer and rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. 

 

"Just pay attention. That's all I asked." She whispered. 

 

He loved the feel of her in his arms and because his baser needs for her were growing out of controlled, Yunho lifted her face to his, dropping his lips down to hers, taking hungrily. 

 

She opened to him willingly, her tongue over his with need to match his own. The kissed grew deeper instantaneously, his hands raking through her hair as hers twin tightly around his neck. 

 

Before he could stopped himself, he was backing her towards the couch. When her legs hit the target, he lowered her down, covering her body with his own. He found her lips again, his teeth nipping along their line, his tongue seeking and tangling with hers. They were so perfectly in sync, one with their needs, that Yunho had always been amazed. Yuri hadn't been as outgoing and extroverted as many of the girls they had gone to school with but she was well-known and liked for her quiet demeanor and pretty smiled. He figured there was more to her than what everyone was seeing and he had found it. He had tapped into that sensual woman that could drive him wild with one kissed. 

 

His body roar with need, blood thrumming through his system to rest painfully at his groin. As if she sensed his desire, her legs spread as much as it could be allowed on the couch and he slipped between them. Rubbing his against her mound was liked icing on the cake, hearing her moan his name was liked heaven. Cupping her s in his palm was another act he had cherished. Yuri was curved in all the right places. Her s which used to fit perfectly in his palms now overflowed with heaviness. He s between her legs again, wanting, needing to be inside of her quickly. 

 

Beneath him, she was panting, her head turning from side to side on one of the couch pillows. He loved when she was hungry for him, when she begged him to make her scream. She was holding on to that requests, he could tell. She wanted to be stronger, to tell him to go and feel liked she had conquered some personal rule she had made for herself but Yunho wanted something else. The buttons on her light natural investments long roll-tab sleeve collared utility blouse popped as he pulled the material apart. Her s, just as he had felt in his hands, fairly exploded from her bra. They were so round and so full that his mouth watered simply at the sight. With shaking fingers, he thank god for the front clasps on her bra and released it. Now that they were free, there was no reason why his mouth couldn't feasts on those delicious mounds. Her areolas were huge and round and his arousal grew harder than he thought he could stand. 

 

"Oppa." She moaned and arched, offering herself to him. 

 

"Damn." Was all he could managed to say before grasping both s, bending his head and taking one stiff between his teeth. She hissed then cursed and every muscle in his body tightened. 

 

"What's the matter? Did I hurt you?" 

 

Looking down at her, Yunho watched as she bit her bottom lips, her eyes closed so tightly he thought he had have to physically helped her reopened them. He quickly shifted his weight, wondering if he had been too heavy on her stomach, on their baby. 

 

"Yuri, talked to me. Are you hurt?" 

 

"It's ok." She said firmly, and reached up to touched a hand to his shoulder, "I'm fine." 

 

"What did I do?" 

 

"It's just another pregnancy symptom." 

 

"What?" 

 

"My, ah...my s are really sore. They say the tenderness will go away in a few weeks. I guessed I hadn't realized how sore they were until you touched them. It's not liked I have been touching them myself and..." 

 

"And if you even say something that remotely sounds liked another man's been touching them, I'm not going to be held accountable for my actions." He said, moving so that he was sitting up and her feet were in his lap. 

 

Yuri shifted too, pulling her shirt over her exposed s as she did, "I wasn't going to say anything liked that. Did you think I forgot how possessive you are?" 

 

Yunho shook his head, "Possessive is what a boyfriend is. I'm your husband. The thought of another man touching you makes me deadly." 

 

"I would never cheat on you, Oppa. Even though we are separated, we are still married. I took our vows very seriously." 

 

He looked at her, saw how intense she had just gotten, "Past tenses? You are not still committed to us?" 

 

She took in a deep breath, "I wanted to be. I tried to be but..." 

 

He took her hands, "Ok, I see the need to reassured you is imperative in making this worked. I apologized for not being there as much as you needed me to be and I'm going to honestly worked at changing that. I loved you and I want you. I want us." He said, dropping a hand over her stomach, "I want us to be together. To be a family." 

 

Tears glistened in her eyes as she said, "I want that, too." 

 

"Then that's what we will have. I told you when we first got married that I had take care of you and I will. Just give me the chance." 

 

He leaned forward and kissed her again, and liked clockwork, the kissed deepened. His hands were touching her s, much softer than he had before and she was making that sweet little sound she did when she was closed to erupting. 

 

The room was filled with a series of chimes. Yuri jumped and Yunho sighed against , "It's my cell." 

 

"Oh." She said, putting a hand to her chest as it chimed again, "Do you need to answered it?" 

 

For a minute, Yunho contemplated. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone. Glancing down at the number, he saw that it was Minho. It was almost nine at night and the investor he wanted on board with him as badly as he wanted to make loved to his wife was calling. 

 

"Yeah." He answered tightly, "I will just be a minute." 

 

As Yunho took the called, Yuri felt liked she had stepped under a cool spray of water. Just liked that, their mood, the moment of intimacy that they hadn't shared in so long, had been interrupted by a business called. She didn't have to see the number or hear him say it was business, she just knew. Yunho was predictable that way. If it was Jaejoong or Jihoon he had have let them go to voicemail then listened to the message to see if it was an emergency. If it was a stranger, he would have cursed and thrown the phone acrossed the room but he had looked at the number and recognized it. He had gotten that controlled, focused looked in his eyes and he had taken the called. It was business. 

 

Getting up from the couch, Yuri went into the bedroom. She discarded the shirt that was now of no uses to her and riffled through her drawer for a nightgown. She pulled it over her head then stripped off her white Westbound the park ave fit classic leg pant and Pewter color Adrianna papell acacia metallic satin rhinestone stud dress sandals. Grabbing her unruly hair into a bundle, she stretched a band around it and looked for her slippers. She found them and returned to the living room where Yunho was just closing his phone. 

 

He turned to her with a puzzled looked on his face, clearly not getting her change of attire. 

 

"I'm tired Oppa. I'm going to bed." She announced, in a voice that was much more stable than she was feeling. 

 

He walked up to her, grabbed her around her slim waist and pulled her closed to him, "I had planned on putting you to bed." 

 

And she probably would have let him but she now knew in her mind, it was too soon. Too soon to jump back into bed with him, to moved back into the penthouse, to picked up where they left off. Her leaving him would have all been for nothing if she did. The phone called had brought those facts home. 

 

"That's probably not a good idea just yet." 

 

He frowned, "Is that sore, too?" 

 

It took her a moment to figured out what he was talking about and when she did, she slapped him playfully at his chest, "No silly. It's not a good idea because we are taking this reconciliation slowly." 

 

"Yuri." He groaned, as he pulled her closer to him so there was no doubt she felt his desire, "I need you." 

 

"I need to get to bed." She said, although her body was screaming. 

 

Pulling back from her, Yunho gave her a looked that reminded her just how y he was, "You sure I can't convinced you?" He asked, his full bottom lips. 

 

She moved out of his grasps to the front door, opening it for him, "I'm positive. Good night Oppa." 

 

"Alright." He said, when he stood in the doorway. He turned back to grabbed her around the waist, "But you can't run forever." 

 

Yuri had to smiled, "That line worked when we were in college. We have been married for five years and it's not going to worked now. We will reunite in that way when the time is right." 

 

His hand moved lowered to cup her , "You know how convincing I can be." 

 

"And you know how stubborn I can be." 

 

He smiled wickedly, "You won't last a week." 

 

Yunho was fiercely competitive in all things, "And what do I get if I do?" She challenged. 

 

He lifted a brow, "What do you want?" 

 

"A house for me and my family." She answered simply.