Page 44 of A World Apart
“Yes?” he whispered against my cheek, the heat of his body burning me through the thin fabric of my clothes.
“Yes.” The word was barely out of my mouth before his hand trailed up my neck, his thumb tipping my chin up to meet his mouth as he pressed his lips to mine.
I groaned into his mouth as the touch ignited something inside me. His lips were soft as they moved against mine, insistent and hungry and I met him with my own insistence, parting my lips slightly. He tilted my head back further, deepening the kiss, pushing me more firmly into the wall. His body was hard against me, all the firmness of his body pushing into the softness of mine.
He tasted of whiskey and warmth, his tongue teasing along my bottom lip. It was like I was falling into him. My head swam with the intensity of the need I felt, and I had to physically restrain myself from pawing at him.
When he finally pulled back, he was panting as he leaned his forehead against mine and I realised I was tightly clutching the front of his t-shirt in my fists. I let go,embarrassed and he grinned. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as I looked up at him, still breathing heavily.
“I have a free day tomorrow and I want to spend it with you. Will you come?” he said softly, not making any effort to move away from me, seemingly quite comfortable with his hand still resting on the wall above my head.
Not even taking the time to think it through, I nodded and said, “yes.”
Jihoon smiled and kissed the tip of my nose, the action so sweet and unexpected that I felt my eyes prick but I blinked away the sensation as I looked over his shoulder towards the door that led back into the restaurant.
“We should go before someone comes looking for you.”
Jihoon sighed, but didn't refute the idea. His hand fell away from the wall, and he took a step back. I immediately missed the warmth of his body as a chill breezed over my skin, making me shudder and I unconsciously swayed towards him. I wished he could put his arm around my shoulder, but heading back into the party like that would be ill advised.
I silently sighed to myself, feeling a confusing mix of elation and melancholy.
We decided it would be best if we went in separately, so Jihoon went in first, the idea being that everyone would be focused on him so that when I went back to my table, no one would notice.
While waiting a couple of minutes to give Jihoon time, I went over to the balcony to look out over the block. Emporia was in a trendy, downtown spot surrounded by other bustling nightlife, but across the street was a small park that seemed out of place surrounded by concrete, thumping music and neon lights. It wasn’t big, just a handful of trees in a grassy square with a meandering path lit by quaint streetlights. I watched for a few minutes, seeing a couple strolling through, hand-in-hand, completely unaffected by the idea that someone might see them.
I sighed and turned away, heading back inside.
The rest of the night was a blur of noise, loud talking and stolen glances and before long, the restaurant was closing, and we were being herded out.
Looking down at my phone I saw it was just past 2;00am. It was amazing we hadn’t been kicked out hours ago, but then I imagine that’s what being a VIP got you.
Most of Pisces was amassed on the sidewalk, laughing raucously and calling rides and so almost no one noticed when a black SUV pulled up to the kerbside and Jihoon and his team piled in. I was watching though, I saw him scan the crowd once, twice before his eyes found mine. He smiled and I waved back.
Becka was quiet next to me, practically falling asleep standing up and when our Uber turned up, the driver got out and shouted our names over the hubbub of the crowd, I had to pull her along and shove her in the backseat where she proceeded to lean her head back on the seat and fall asleep.
“Good night?” The driver asked amiably.
“The best,” I replied, looking out of the window as the lights sped past, smiling the whole way home.
Chapter 18
My alarm went off, almost unnecessarily, as I’d barely slept.Dozing,my mum would have called it.I knew the second we got home, and I got ready for bed that I wouldn’t be able to sleep. My mind had raced, replaying our kiss countless times, and I’d wavered between joy and anxiety, making sleep impossible.
I sighed as I got up, knowing I’d probably catch grief for calling off work, but I didn’t care enough to reconsider. I ‘pffed’ to myself just thinking about it,as if.
I shuffled from my bedroom into the lounge as I dialled Jeremy’s mobile number, knowing full well he wouldn’t pick up at this time in the morning.
“Hi Jeremy, I’m really sorry to do this to you, but I’m not feeling well enough to come in today. I’ve got a banging migraine, and I need to take the day to rest up. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I hung up and turned to see Becka standing in her bedroom doorway, black makeup smeared across her eyes.
“You look fresh,” I quipped.
“You’re playing hooky?” she yawned, running a hand down her face and smearing last night’s makeup even further down her cheeks.
“Yes.” I walked over to the coffee pot and began to prepare a fresh pot. “Want one?” I asked over my shoulder.
“Desperately,” she croaked, “but after my shower. Why are my toes muddy?”
