Persuasion

Take a risk. Live a little.

Suddenly the world opened up in front of her and Ji’s words thundered in her chest. “I am not going to get with you!”

“If the water is as cold as I suspect it’s going to be… you’ve got nothing to fear from me Nurse Park” he said coyly and smiled. “Come on!”

Dara was stunned when Ji reached for her jacket’s zipper and pulled it down. “If you’re so scared, you can keep your undies on.”

Her eyes widening, she felt her face heat up when Ji gently pulled her jacket off, exposing the sports bra she had underneath.

“What the?!?” she immediately reached for her jacket but failed when Ji threw it where he had left his clothes.

“Don’t think about it” Ji told her immediately – stopping her train of thought before she could even exclaim her shock and suddenly lifted her off the sand to stand with him “Just go with it. Do what you want to do for once.”

Ji then hooked his thumbs on her jogging pants and pulled them down.Reddening like a tomato at Ji’s forwardness, she found herself without her sports gear except for her rubbers. “Oh my god!”

“Come on Dara!” Ji insisted who was now sliding off her rubber shoes and socks so fast that she shivered.

She knew she should stop him but she couldn’t, and when he closed his hand firmly over hers and dragged her down to the water’s edge – she lost everything she was thinking and knew that she could not resist.

The water touched their feet and she stopped dead. “Goodness! That’s cold!”

“Don’t be a wimp!” he jerked her forward “You just told me you swim very early in the mornings! Anyway, what are you complaining about?” Ji kept walking, taking long strides to take the both of them deeper into the sea. “It’s like bath water. I can’t imagine why people want to travel so far into the beaches in South America when we have this on our doorstep.”

He gave her no choice but to wade in with him and she gingerly picked her way through the dark, swirling water, catching her breath as the waves her legs higher and higher.

“I’m not sure if I like doing this in the middle night. Don’t you think there might be jelly fish?” she asked worriedly, completely forgetting her trepidation at being undressed by him.

“No. It is way past their bed time and I bet they’re all curled up with hot bottles.” The water was half-way up his thighs now and as a big wave crashed against the both of them at waist level, he cursed fluently. “I think we’ve just discovered a whole new non-surgical procedure for vasectomy. If any of my survive this, it will be a miracle.”

Dara laughed at him helplessly and had to wonder what had come over her. What was she doing? She was standing in the sea in the middle of the night with the most unsuitable man she was ever going to meet… and she was having the time of her life!

“This is freezing” she admitted to him “I don’t think I can go any further.”

“The only way to do this is quickly” he told her “If you do this every morning then I have new respect for you Dara. You’re twice the women I thought you were, flat chest and all.”

“It’s bracing. It wakes me up.”

“I wouldn’t wonder. You’d have to be dead if this didn’t wake you up.”

“It’s colder tonight though” She clutched at his arm, afraid that the waves would knock her over, and he steadied her then released her hand.

“Here I go!” he shouted to the night and dived into the water.

She saw powerful legs and muscles before he disappeared from sight and rubbed her hands over her face and arms to control the shivers, knowing that the goosebumps had nothing to do with the cold but with standing next to him and being held.

How is it possible to feel this hot when I’m standing waist deep in freezing sea water, she asked herself.

She followed Ji into the waves and wondered why she had never swum in the night before? She had lived here for almost half of her life and never had she thought of dipping into the water at night. She was thankful that she was able to do it now because it was absolutely beautiful.

The moon and the stars shone so clearly high up the sky and their light reflected down on her as though blessing her.

She was so enchanted by her surroundings that she gasped with shock when Ji’s head emerged next to hers.

There was just enough light for her to see the outlines of his face and the faint glitter in her eyes as he reached out to her to pull her closer. “I can’t believe I’m skinny dipping with Park Sandara. Looks like I’ve finally corrupted you.”

Expelling the breath that had caught itself in when Ji had pulled her closer, she looked at him with a condescending smile “It does seem that you have… but I’m not ok?”

“Not yet.”

“Ji…” To keep her balance, she placed her hands on his arms and felt the smooth swell of hard male muscles under her fingers.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

THINKING?!? How could he think???

“What did I say?”

“That you were the only girl in school that I haven’t kissed.”

“I was wrong” she answered immediately, so aware of him that she could barely speak “I – I - I’m sure you didn’t kiss the Lunch Lady, Mrs. Im and a few of our elderly teachers may have escaped too.”

“Good point” he lifted his hands to cup her face as Dara heard a volcano inside her brain explode with his nearness “However, I do have to warm you that I might corrupt you just a little bit more.”

“What do –“

“You might want to run towards the beach now… I’m going to give you a three-second headstart” Ji cut her off – a trait he had seemed to suddenly develop.

Her heart pounded like cannon balls landing on enemy territory. “Three seconds doesn’t sound enough.”

Ji took both her hands. “That’s all you’re going to get” he whispered to her, not breaking eye contact as his hands slid down her arms. “Take it or leave it.”

She couldn’t take her eyes from his and the anticipation was agonizing. “I’ll leave it” she told him boldly “I can’t run in these waves.” I can’t run away from you.

“If you can’t run then you’re trapped” he told her, his head moving oh so close to hers, the expression in his eyes knowing and wickedly y as he prolonged the torture for both of them. “I’ve been thinking of this since this afternoon…” he said to her in exquisite anguish and finally brushed his lips against hers. His lips were cool and the tip of his tongue gently caressed her lower lip.

Heat exploded inside her and she made a soft sound in and leaned against him, seeking more. Her eyes closed but she still saw stars as everything inside her erupted with excitement.

“Hell Dara” Ji muttered as his mouth came down hard on her this time, sending bolts of electricity throughout the both of them that she had to clutch to his arms for support as he drew the fire deep inside her with the skillful of his tongue.

And she kissed him back, her tongue toying with his in a kiss that was both intimate and . His hands dropped from her face to slide down her back, pulling her against him in a move that was unmistakably possessive.

It was a kiss with a promise and purpose and before she could drink it all in, he lifted his head from hers and began to trail her smooth skin from her jaw to her neck.

“Oh my” she exhaled as she felt Ji come alive against her waist.

“Still not running away?” Ji asked her as he worked his way back to her lips, drowning in the pleasure of having her close.

“I don’t think you want me to” she answered weakly and felt – rather than saw – Ji’s smile against her lips.

“Of course I don’t –“ and he was about to say something more when the sound of a loud mega phone calling out his name broke through the water.

“Dr. Kwon Ji Yong!”