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Chapter 9
“Thank you for dropping me off, Team Leader.”
Yujin deliberately bowed politely to Heejae. At her prim courtesy, he leaned lazily against the steering wheel and chuckled.
“Our Im Yujin has suddenly become very polite.”
He said it mockingly, but Yujin refused to rise to the bait. She knew all too well that if she engaged him, she would only dig herself deeper into embarrassment.
“Aww, of course not. I’m only showing respect to my superior.”
“Respect, huh.”
The word itself seemed amusing to him, his laughter spilling out in soft chuckles.
Truthfully, she had wanted to head home alone today. But just before she could escape, Kang Heejae had summoned her, and as always, she had no choice but to follow. A guilty prisoner had no freedom but to obey.
“Then… please drive safe, Team Leader.”
She kept her gaze carefully averted, not daring to look him in the face. Not when she still burned with shame at the memory of that night.
Their kiss. Or rather—kisses. Long, heated, dizzying. So heated that just recalling them made her cheeks flame again.
“Shouldn’t you at least look at me when you’re speaking?”
His large hand reached out, cupping her chin, gently forcing her to meet his gaze.
Why is skinship so natural to him?
Her eyes widened in shock.
“And besides…”
His thumb grazed over her lips, teasing.
“Where do you think you’re going, when we haven’t even kissed yet?”
Her pupils trembled wildly.
“…Again?”
“Do you think once is enough to know?”
“Once?” she squeaked.
He nodded, as if it were obvious.
“Once? You practically sucked—no, I mean, you kissed my lips for two hours straight!”
“Sucked, huh? That’s what you meant, right?”
He caught her slip immediately, as always, and she wanted to crawl into a hole.
It was a kiss. Sweet, soft, and melting, until her brain had felt like syrup. The first time in her life she’d experienced such a wicked, addictive sensation. That night, she hadn’t been able to sleep a wink.
Yujin pushed his hand off her chin, glaring.
“Do you even know how swollen my lips got, thanks to you?”
“What can I say? You said I was bad at kissing. I had to prove you wrong. A man’s pride was on the line.”
“I—I never said you were bad…” she protested, her voice strangled.
Click.
He undid his seatbelt. The sharp sound made her jolt, pressing herself back against the car door as if she could escape.
“Are you seriously going to do it again?”
“If kissing isn’t enough, should I take it a step further?”
“What? W-what do you mean, a step further?”
Was Kang Heejae always like this? So relentless, so shameless? He looked so impeccable in his suit, and yet—was he secretly a beast inside?
“What do you think I mean? You were worried about my ‘problem,’ weren’t you? You know exactly what step comes next.”
“…!”
Before she could respond, he yanked her slender waist toward him. The sudden proximity left her eyes wide in shock.
“T-Team Leader—no, oppa—”
“Team Leader oppa. Works for me.”
“I—I already know you’re good at kissing. You showed me everything that night!”
She really had learned that kissing could be so dirty. She’d almost begged him to touch her, to keep going. But Heejae had stopped, holding back at that razor’s edge.
Well, except for the way his hand had trailed up and down her spine, sending bolts of lightning through her body.
“I didn’t show you everything. That was only the beginning.”
“Wait—hmmph!”
His lips swallowed hers, hot and commanding. Unlike the first time, there was no hesitation. His tongue slipped inside, curling around hers, leaving her breathless.
She’d said no more. She’d begged him to stop. But now her mind dissolved into sugar, sweet and intoxicating.
“Mm—ahh—”
She thought she might cry from how good it felt.
Sweet. Too sweet. Like her brain was drowning in honey. His muscled arm held her tightly, his tongue exploring, teasing, consuming. Every flick, every pull made white sparks burst in her vision.
The wet heat of their breaths tangled. Saliva slid down her throat again and again. Her heart pounded wildly—thump, thump, thump—loud enough she was sure he could feel it.
He pulled back, lips grazing hers as he laughed low.
“You okay?”
“Haa… haah… W-why?”
His eyes, raw and hungry, made her dizzy all over again.
“Because Im Yujin’s heart feels like it’s about to explode.”
She froze as his hand settled over her chest, directly above her racing heart. The contact made it pound even harder.
The air between them grew thick, sticky.
“You must like this a lot.”
His grin curled, wicked and satisfied. He nipped her lip playfully, then captured her mouth again.
Scratch, scratch.
His fingers slid over her clothes, then beneath, grazing her skin through thin fabric. Her body burned hotter at each brush, the new sensations strange but not unwelcome.
Maybe… maybe a little more.
“Ahh—opp—oppa…”
When his hand slipped under her bra, cupping her breast, she trembled violently. The rough squeeze sent a tingling pleasure all through her. His palm traveled lower, past her flat stomach, toward her hips.
And then—inside.
She flinched, curling instinctively.
Shhh. It’s okay.
His voice soothed at her ear, coaxing her to relax. But her mind was already slipping, overwhelmed.
And then—
“…!”
Yujin’s eyes flew open.
“Haa… haa…”
A dream. It had been nothing but a dream.
“God, Im Yujin, you’re insane.”
She squeezed her eyes shut again, trying to calm down. Ten years she’d carried a torch for him, and not once had she dreamed this. Until now.
‘Suck my lips, Yujin.’
‘Harder. Use your tongue.’
His voice was still echoing in her head, dark and erotic.
No wonder. Yesterday, they’d made out in his car for over an hour without realizing the time. When she’d gotten home, it had been nearly nine o’clock.
So this was what people meant when they said they could kiss for hours. At twenty-five, she finally understood.
“What am I going to do with myself…”
She groaned, burying her face in her pillow. One careless word, and now she was stuck with kisses every day.
Her phone buzzed against the nightstand. She reached out blindly, checking the screen.
[Yujin-ssi, should I come pick you up?]
From Kang Heejae.
She had only thirty minutes until she had to wake up anyway. With a sigh, she sat up.
Another buzz.
[The team leader’s office would be a good place today.]
Her jaw dropped.
What? In the office?
No matter how good he was, no matter how much she liked his kisses, doing it there? Absolutely not.
She typed frantically:
[That doesn’t seem appropriate, Team Leader. And I’ll come separately. See you at work.]
Sending the message quickly, she left her room. As she dragged herself toward the bathroom for a shower, she bumped into her younger brother, Yuhyun.
“Oh, wow. What’s this? You’re awake already?”
He grinned at her dazed expression, then leaned down, peering at her face.
“Only a few days into your new job, and you already look like that?”
“Move. I need to wash up.”
He chuckled, clearly amused by her state—until his laughter cut off abruptly.
“Hey. What’s wrong with your lips?”
At his sharp observation, Yujin gasped, immediately raising her hand to cover her mouth.
