Just Barely

“Dr. Kwon is that you??? This is Mr. Yuri and a few of the lads. We wanted to buy you a drink.”

“Oh my god!” Dara shrank in embarrassment “It’s so dark. They can’t possibly see us, can they?”

Ji stared down at her for a moment, his lashes lowered, his eyes as cool and defiant as ever “Do you care?”

With a thud, a big wave crushed against the two of them and Dara found herself remembering where she was, what she was doing, and who she was with.

How could she answer that question really? Of course she cared. She lived in this island, worked here, knew almost everyone on it. How could she not care???

But his kiss had changed everything. It was as if she was suddenly put in a crossroad and she didn’t know which path to take – the dangerous route of the safe one?

“Dara?” Ji asked her again, his voice becoming even once again and she wondered how he could go back to normal after that kiss that had shattered almost all of her senses.

“I – I don’t know Ji” she answered uncertainly “They’re people I know… people I’m still going to see even after you leave and I – I don’t know…”

“Of course” he told her and dropped his hands from her sides, his profile totally changing. “Stay here. I’ll get them away from you and you can get home before anyone is the wiser. I guess that’s more chivalrous than escorting you home.” He spoke with a careless indifference and she felt desperation as she sensed his withdrawal and felt her new self slipping away.

Suddenly, she wished desperately that she hadn’t spoken at all.The woman that spoke up was the woman she had been all her life. And after that kiss, she wasn’t sure now whether she still wanted to be that woman.

She wanted to be daring and careless of the sequences like him. She wanted to live in the moment and not give a damn about what other people think. She wanted to kiss Kwon Ji Yong and enjoy every second of the excitement.

Ji began to walk back towards the beach, turning his back on her as another wave crashed against her, making her stumble – symbolizing what was happening now.

It’s over.

Her moment of wildness had passed and she was back to being “Mother Hen Dara”. Sensible Dara. A woman who would never swim almost- with an unsuitable man.

But did she really want to be that woman?

“Ji, wait” she grabbed his arm “I don’t care about them. I don’t care if they see us.”

It took him a moment to reply and when he finally did, his voice was rough. “Yes you do, my dear butterfly. And quite right too. How are you going to have a proper conversation with any of your nurses when they learn that you have been cavorting in the waves with Jeju’s DRAGON? Be grateful to the locals. You’ve been rescued from corruption by the persistent and brave citizens of Jeju-do.”

She didn’t know what to say about the rescue situation that she just tried to joke about it. “Isn’t it typical? The first time I try to be wild and I have an audience.”

He laughed, then lifted a hand and drew his thumb slowly over her lower lip, the intimacy of the gesture belied by his words. “I’ve had more excitement being shot in the desert” his tone was sarcastic but the look in his eyes made her dizzy.

“I’m sure.”

His smile left his lips and he shifted his body to fully face her again. “You’re not made for this Dara and we both know it. You need a man you need not be ashamed of and someone you can show to everyone. Let’s end this before we do something that will be the talk of the locals for years. I’ll swim over to the other side and you stay here until we’re all gone so they won’t be able to see you. Can you make it home on your own?”

“Of course I can. Do I look helpless?”

“No, you look y” he smiled wickedly and brushed his lips against hers, his tongue weaving seductive magic on her as he lingered longer than he had actually planned. He lifted his head reluctantly and gave out a defeated sigh “I’m sorry about that… I just couldn’t help myself. It does seem that once you’re bad, you always will be. You’ve had a lucky escape Nurse Park. Five more minutes and we would have been in the middle of a practical scientific experiment involving frozen body parts and libido.”

Without giving her a chance to reply, he turned towards the men on the shore. “Back off guys! I’ll be with you in a minute” and he plunged back into the water and swam away from her with very powerful .