"Joohyuk, I'm fine," Suzy whispered. Emotion clogged at the hungry way his eyes roamed her face. He seemed to have difficulty believing , even now, that she was unhurt.

"It was so real," he continued, his chest heaving. He hid his face as if to block out the vivid images the dream had induced. Making room in the large bed, he pulled her down beside him. His hand her hair as he released several jagged breaths. "We were at the ocean," he told her, "and although I'd warned you against to, you decided to swim. A huge wave knocked you off your feet and you were drowning. Heaven help me, I tried, but I couldn't get to you fast enough." He shut his eyes briefly. "You kept calling out to me and I couldn't find you. I just couldn't get to you fast enough."

"Joohyuk," she whispered, so close to his that their breath mingled, "I'm right here. It was only a dream. It wasn't real."

He nodded, but his eyes still seemed troubled, refusing to leave her face. Then ever so slowly, as thought he expected her object, he moved his mouth even closer to hers. "I couldn't bear to lose you. I'd rather die myself."

Helpless to deny him anything, Suzy turned her face to received his kiss.

His hands tangled in her thick dark hair, effectively holding her captive, while his mouth seized hers in a kiss that sent her senses swirling. nothing mattered except his touch. Overcome for a moment by the fierce tenderness she felt in him, Suzy eagerly fed his need.

"Suzy, oh, my dear Suzy. I couldn't bear to lose you."

"I'm here... I'm here." Melting against him, she molded her body to the unyielding contours of his, offering her lips and her heart to his loving possession. Again and again, he kissed her. Suzy slid her hands up his chest and twined them around his neck. This was what she'd longed for from the first, the knowledge that he needed her, and she gloried in the sensation.

With a groan, he reluctantly pulled his mouth from hers. He held her firmly to his chest, his breathing harsh and rapid. Peace combined with a delirious sense of happiness, and Suzy released a deep sigh. Pressing her ear to his chest, she listened, content, to the heavy pounding of his heart.

"Did I scared you?" he asked after a minute.

"No," she whispered.

He resumed her hair as she nestled more securely in his arms. Joohyuk had made her feel wondrous, exciting things every time he kissed her, but the way he held and touch her now went far beyond those kisses. She'd experience a bonding with Joohyuk, a true joining of spirits that had been missing until now. He had told her he'd cherish her, but she hadn't believe it until this moment. Tears clouded her eyes and she struggled to restrain them.

For a long while neither of them spoke. But Suzy didn't need words. Her eyes were closed as she savored this precious time.

When Joohyuk did speak, his voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. "I had a sister who drowned. Her name was Julie. I'd promised I'd always be there for her—but I failed her. I couldn't bear to lose you, too."

Suzy tightened her hold, knowing how difficult it must be for him to speak of his sister.

"I never forgave myself." His body tensed and his fingers dug roughly into her shoulder. "Losing Julie still haunts me. She wouldn't have drowned if I'd been with her. She—"

Lifting her head slightly, Suzy's misty gaze met his. "It wasn't your fault. How could it have been?"

"But I was responsible for her," he returned harshly.

Suzy suspected that Joohyuk had rarely, if ever, shared his sorrow or his guilt over his sister's death with anyone. A low groan worked its way through him and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. "For years, I've drummed out the memories of Julie's death. The nightmare was so real, only this time it wasn't her—it was you."

"But I'm safe and sound. See?" She pressed her hands to both sides of his face, smiling down at him.

He sighed and smiled back, a little uncertainly. "I'm all right now. I shouldn't have burdened you with this."

"It wasn't a burden."

His arms tightened around her, and he inhaled deeply as if absorbing her scent. "Stay with me?"

She nodded, grateful that he needed her.

Within minutes, Suzy felt herself drifting into drowsiness. From Joohyuk's relaxed, even breathing, she knew he was already asleep.

When Suzy next stirred, she was laying on her side, and Joohyuk was cuddling her spoon fashion, his arm about her waist. At some point during the night, she'd slipped under the covers, but she had recollection of doing so. A small satisfied smile touch the edges of . She rolled carefully onto her back so as not to disturb Joohyuk, and wondered what she should do. When Joohyuk woke and found her in bed with him, she was afraid he might regret what had happened, regret asking her to stay. He might feel embarrassed that he'd told her about his sister's death and the guilt he still felt.

Closing her eyes, Suzy debated with herself. If she left his bed and returned to her own room, he might think she was rejecting him, shocked by his heart-wrenching account of Julie's death.

"Suzy?" He whispered her name, his voice husky with sleep.

Her eyes flew open. "I... we fell asleep. What time is it?"

"Early. The alarm won't go off for another couple of hours."

She nodded, hoping to disguise any hint of disappointment in her voice. He didn't want her with him, she was sure of it. He was embarrassed to find her still in his bed. "I'll leave now if you want."

"No."

The single word was filled with such longing that Suzy thought she'd misunderstood him. She tipped her head back to meet his gaze. The light from the hall allowed her to see the passion smoldering in his dark eyes. Turning onto her side, Suzy lovingly traced the lines of his face.

"I'm sorry about the way I behaved over... Maria," she whispered. "I was jealous and I knew I was being ridiculous, but I couldn't help myself."

The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile. "I'll forgive you if you're willing to overlook the way I behaved when you got home last night."

She answered him with a light kiss, and he hugged her to him. Suzy surrendered to the sheer pleasure of being in Joohyuk's arms, savoring the rush of warm sensations that sprang to life inside her.

"I don't know how to say all the words you deserve to hear, but I know one thing, Suzy. I love you. It happened without my even being aware of it. One day I woke up and realized how important you'd become to me. It wasn't the grand passion you wanted, and I'm sorry for that. The love I feel for you is the quiet steady kind. It's buried deep in my heart, but trust me, it's there. You're the most important person in my life."

"Oh, Joohyuk, I love you so much."

"You love me?"

"I have for weeks, even before we were married. That's what bothered me so much when I learned about Maria. I wanted you to love me with the same intensity that you felt for her... that I feel for you."

"It is like that. It never was. Maria was as brave as she was beautiful, but what we shared was never meant to last. And she was smart enough to understand that. I fell in love with her, but she was too much of a professional to involve her heart. She was the kind of person who thrives on excitement and danger. It wasn't until you and I met that I realized if I were ever to marry, it would be to someone like you."

"Someone like me?"

He kissed her briefly. "A woman who's warm and gentle and caring. Someone unselfish and—" he hesitated "—desirable."

tightened with emotion, and it was all she could do to meet his gaze. Joohyuk found her desirable. He wanted to make love to her. He didn't need to say it; the message was there for her to red in his eyes. It wasn't the desperate passion she'd once craved, but his love, his need to have her in his life, was far more potent than any action he could have taken, any words he could have said.

"Love me, Joohyuk," she whispered simply.

Joohyuk's mouth touched hers with a sweet desperate ardor. If she had any lingering doubts they vanished like mist in the sun as his lips took hers, twisting her into tight knots of desire.

His arms locked around her and he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. His hands outlined her face as though he half expected her to stop him.

"Make me your wife," she said, bending forward to brush her moist mouth of his.

Joohyuk groaned, and then he did the strangest, most wonderful thing. He laughed. The robust sound echoed across the room and was infectious that it made Suzy laugh, too.

"My sweet Suzy," he said. "You've changed my life." And then he kissed her again, leaving her with no doubts at all.

For a long time afterward, their happiness could be heard in their sighs and gasps and whispered words of love...

☆*: .｡. o(≧ _ ≦)o .｡.:*☆

The buzzing sound refused to go away. Suzy moaned softly and flung out her hand, hoping to find the source of the distraction. But before she could locate it, the noise ceased abruptly.

"Good morning, wife," Joohyuk whispered.

Her eyes remained closed as she smile leisurely. "Good morning husband." Rolling onto the back, she held her arms open to him. "I had the most marvelous dream last night."

Joohyuk chuckled softly. "That wasn't any dream."

"But it must've been," she said, slipping her arms around his neck and smiling lazily. "Nothing could be that incredible in real life."

"I didn't think so, either, but you proved me wrong." He kissed her tenderly, and then so thoroughly that by the time he lifted his head, Suzy was breathless.

Slowly, almost again against her will, here eye drifted open. His were dark with desire. "You'll be late for work," she warned him.

His smile was sensuous. "Who care?"

"Not me," she murmured. And with a small cry of pleasure, she willingly gave herself to her husband.

Joohyuk was already an hour late for the office when he dragged himself out of bed and headed for the shower. Wearing her husband's pajama top, Suzy wandered into the kitchen and prepared a pot of coffee. She leaned against the counter and smiled into space, hardly aware of the passage of time.

A few minutes later—or perhaps it was longer—Joohyuk stepped behind her and slid his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck.

"Joohyuk," she protested, but not too strenuously. She closed her eyes and cradled her arms over his, leaning back against his solid strength. "You're already late."

"I know," he murmured. "If I didn't have an important meeting this morning, I'd skip work altogether."

Turning in his arms, Suzy tilted back her head to gaze into his eyes. "You'll be home for dinner?"

"Keep looking at me like that and I'll be home for lunch." Suzy smiled. "It's almost that time now."

"I know," he growled, reluctantly pulling away from her. "We'll go out to dinner tonight," he said, kissing her again. His mouth was hot on her own, feverish with demand and passion and need. He raised his head, but his eyes remained closed. "Then we'll come home and celebrate."

Suzy sighed. Marriage life was beginning to agree with her.

At precisely five, Joohyuk was back. He stood by the door, loosening his tie, when Suzy appeared. A smile traveled to his mouth as their eyes met. Neither moved. They stared at each other as if they'd spent years apart instead of a few short hours.

Suzy was feeling distinctly light-headed. "Hi," she managed to say, shocked that her voice sounded more like a hoarse whisper than the cheery greeting she'd intended. "How'd the meeting go?"

"Bad."

"Bad?"

He nodded slowly and stepped forward, placing his briefcase on the desk. "I was supposed to be listening to an important financial report, but unfortunately all I could do was wonder how much longer the thing would take so I could get home to my wife."

"Oh." That wasn't the most intelligent bit of conversation she'd ever delivered, but just looking at Joohyuk was enough to wipe out all her normal thought processes.

"It got to be almost embarrassing." His look was intimate and loving as he advanced two more steps toward her. "In the middle of it, I started smiling, and then I embarrassed myself further by laughing outright."

"Laughing? Something was funny?"

"I was thinking about your definition of romance. The tryst on the moors was supplied by your grandfather. The walk along the beach, hand in hand, was supplied by me after the wedding. But the desperate passion, my dear sweet wife, was something we found together."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"I love you."

The moved toward each other then, but stopped abruptly when the doorbell chimed. Joohyuk's questioning eyes met hers. Suzy shrugged, not knowing who it could possibly be.

The second Joohyuk answered the door, Woohyun flew into the room, looking more determined than Suzy had ever seen him.

"All right, you two, sit down," he ordered, waving them in the direction of the sofa.

"Halabeoji?"

"Woohyun?"

Suzy glanced at Joohyuk, but he looked as mystified as she did. So she just shrugged and complied with her grandfather's demand. Joohyuk sat down next to her.

Halabeoji paced the carpet directly in front of them. "Suzy and I had lunch the other day," he said, speaking to Joohyuk. "Two things became clear to me then. First and foremost, she's crazy in love with you, but I doubt she's told you that."

"Halabeoji—" Suzy began, but her grandfather silenced her with a single look.

"The next thing I realized is that she's unhappy. Terribly unhappy. Being in love is difficult enough but—"

"Woohyun," Joohyuk broke in, "if you'd—"

Halabeoji cut him off with the same laser-eyed look he'd sent Suzy.

"Don't interrupt me, boy. I'm on a roll and I'm not about to stop now. If I noticed Suzy was a little melancholy at lunch, it was nothing compared to what I've been noticing about you." Suddenly he ceased his pacing and planted himself squarely in front of Joohyuk. "All week I've been hearing complaints and rumors about you. Folks in the office claim you're there all hours of the day and night, working until you're ready to drop." He paused. "I know you, Joohyuk, probably better than anyone else does. You're in love with my granddaughter, and it's got you all tangled up inside."

"Halabeoji—"

"Shhh." He dismissed Suzy with a shake of his head. "Now, I may be an old man, but I'm not stupid. Maybe the way I went about bringing the two of you together wasn't the smartest, or the most conventional, but by golly it worked." He hesitated long enough to smile proudly. "In the beginning I had my doubts. Suzy put up a bit of a fuss."

"I believe you said something about how it's easier to pluck a live chicken," Joohyuk inserted, slanting a secret smile at Suzy.

"True enough. I never knew that girl had so much spunk. But the fact is, Joohyuk, as you'll recall, you weren't all that keen on the idea yourself. You both think because I'm an old man, I don't see things. But I do. You were two lonely people, filling up your lives with unimportant relationships, avoiding love, avoiding life. I care about you. Too much to sit back and do nothing."

"It worked out," Suzy said, wanting to reassure him.

"At first I thought it had. I arranged the trip to Scotland and it looked like everything was falling neatly into place, like in one of those old movies. I couldn't have been more pleased when you announced that were going to get married. It was sooner than I'd expected, but I assumed that meant things were progressing nicely. Apparently I was wrong. Now I'm worried."

"You don't need to be."

"That's not the way I see it," Halabeoji said with a fierce glare. "Tell him you love him, Suzy. Look Joohyuk in the eye and put aside that silly pride of yours. He needs to know it. He needs to hear it. I told you from the first that he wasn't going to be an easy man to know, and that you'd have to be patient with him. What I didn't count on what that damnable pride of yours."

"You want me to tell Joohyuk I love him? Here? Now?"

"Yes!"

Suzy turned to her husband and, feeling a little self-conscious, lowered her eyes.

"Tell him," Halabeoji barked.

"I love you, Joohyuk," she said softly. "I really do."

Halabeoji gave a loud satisfied sigh. "Good, good. Okay, Joohyuk, it's your turn."

"My turn?"

"Tell Suzy what you feel and don't go all arrogant on me."

Joohyuk reached for Suzy's hand. He lifted her palm to his mouth and brushed his lips against it. "I love you," he whispered.

"Add something else," Halabeoji instructed, gesturing toward him. "Something like... you'd be a lost and lonely soul with her. Women are impressed by that sort of thing. Damn foolishness, I know, but it necessary."

"I'd be a lost and lonely soul with you," Joohyuk repeated, then looked at Suzy's grandfather. "How'd I do?"

"Better than most. Is there anything else you'd like him to say, Suzy?"

She gave an expressive sigh. "I don't think so."

"Good. Now I want the two of you to kiss."

"Here? In front of you?"

"Yes," Halabeoji insisted.

Suzy slipped into Joohyuk's arms. The smile he shared with her was so devastating that she felt her heart race with anticipation. Her eyes fluttered closed as his mouth settled on hers, thrilling her with promises for all the years to come.

Gently, provocatively, Joohyuk moved his mouth over hers, ending his kiss far too soon to suit Suzy. From the shudder that coursed through him, Suzy knew it was too soon for him, too. Reluctantly they drew apart. Joohyuk looked into her eyes, and Suzy responded with a soft smile.

"Excellent, excellent."

Suzy had all but forgotten her grandfather's presence. When she turned away from Joohyuk, she discovered Halabeoji sitting across from them, his hands on the arms of the leather chair. He looked exceeding prod of himself. "Are you two going to be all right now?"

"Yes, sir," Joohyuk answered for them both, his eyes hazy with desire as he smiled at Suzy. She could feel herself blushing, and knew her eyes were foggy with the same longing.

"Good!" Halabeoji declared, nodding once for emphasis. A slow grin overtook his mouth. "I knew all the two of your needed was a little assistance from me." He inhaled deeply. "Since you're getting along so well, maybe now would be the time to bring up the subject of children."

"Woohyun," Joohyuk said, rising to his feet. He walked across the room and opened the door. "If you don't mind, I'll take care of that myself."

"Soon?" Halabeoji wanted to know.

Joohyuk's eyes met Suzy's. "Soon," he promised.

☆*: .｡. o(≧ _ ≦)o .｡.:*☆

And that's it! Thank you all for reading, hope you enjoyed the plot.

Until next time, see you on the next story.