Warm sunrays welcomed Soomin’s attention to the pots of roses outside the entrance of her apartment. She’d ignored it for a month. A loud screech against the cement rang in the air as she dragged the pot a third of her size from one side of the entrance to the other. She strengthened her back then leaned a little further back to stretch the stiffness down her spine. When she heard a crack, she smiled.

Ever since the return of Mark, the jerk who still couldn’t understand her feelings, her self-care negligence piled like a stack of dirty laundry. She told herself she did well for holding herself back. She did well for not jumping into his arms and claiming him as hers again. The truth her like thunder. It numbed and paralyzed her, but it brought stars and rainbow. For all she knew, she only wanted to forget Mark. But her heart beat as if his truth revived her, her damn heart betrayed her. It pumped a rush of adrenaline spreading warmth throughout her body. She’d awakened. Reawakened.

She wanted another chance with Mark. She needed and wanted him back. He brought out her darkest desire—for him to come apologize and she’d accept him back. He made it happened. He returned and redeemed himself. There was no reason to deny him when her heart longed for him. But for abandoning her…Soomin kicked the pot of flower. The jerk who dared abandoned her deserve a little suffering. She huffed, toughing it out hurt liked hell.  He never came for her after telling her the truth. That damn—

Her thought came to an end when a hand gripped her arm, spun her around and lips crashed onto hers. A kiss that came with force, yearning and determination. Her eyes widened, but once the familiar touch, the family pair of closed eyes registered, her eyelids shut. She savored the electric sparks brought by his hand on her nape and on her waist pulling her closer against him, and his kiss that connected them.

Soomin grinned against his kiss and drew herself away. Her hand lightly placed on his chest, keeping him arm length away. His lips parted, heavily breathing from the kiss or from running she couldn’t tell. Though she was elated that his heart raced for her.

“Devil.” Mark grinned letting a chuckle out. He felt that mischievous grin while his lips were on hers. As always, she was such a tease. Soomin raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him.

“Don’t tell me that’s how you teach your clients to be romantic?”

Soomin brought her eyebrow down and puckered her lips. “You did a little digging into my job, didn’t you?”

“Right after I met you again,” Mark confessed.

Soomin grinned and took a step forward. She placed her hand flat directly on top of his chest. She pressed and lightly squeezed his chest muscles before pressing her index fingers there. Her toe touched the tip of his working boot and she glanced upward. Her breath hot against his neck.

“This…” she whispered and started drawing circles against the white cotton of his muscle tee underneath his black mechanic overall. “…is how I teach my clients?”

Mark scoffed didn’t miss the playfulness in her eyes when she obviously tempted him. He placed his fingers behind her nape and gave it a tug to tilt her face upward for him to catch her in another bre