Page 64 of When Worlds Collide
He had a fair point. And like a scab I couldn’t seem to not prod, the words fell out of my mouth before I had a chance to moderate them. “Where did you take them?” I turned away to avoid meeting his eyes. Stupid question.
“Is that really something you want to know?”
“I guess not,” I muttered, opening my eyes. I was looking at his bed, which in accordance with every boy cliché known to mankind, was made up with black satin sheets, and despite the land mine I’d dropped behind me, I couldn’t help but smirk.
“What are you laughing about?” He reached for me, running his fingers lightly down my arm to band gently around my wrist.
“Your sheets.”
“My sheets?”
“It’s just so…” I looked for the word past the sudden awareness of his body heat. “Textbook.” I finished.
“Textbook?” Jihoon lifted a brow. He didn’t release his gentle grip on my wrist.
“Yeah,” I went on, “it’s like you read a manual on how to decorate your bedroom. The young, hot, single guy’s manual.”
Somewhere in that sentence, he’d moved closer to me. I swallowed.
“Jagiya, I haven't been single for months.”
His words made my stomach erupt with butterflies. When did simple facts become so outrageously hot? It might have been the sheets, but I think it had more to do with the way he was so close he was almost looming over me, his dark eyes focused so completely on me that I couldn’t see anything around him.
“You’re the only girl I’ve ever wanted in my bedroom.”
“You might have thought differently a few years ago,” I said breathlessly.
“Only because I didn’t know you then.”
My lips parted as he leaned down, a slow tease, a masterclass in anticipation as he held my gaze, his face inches from my own. My head tilted slightly to the side just as my eyes slid shut.
“Annyeong!” Voices loudly bounced through the apartment, pushing us apart as thoroughly as a physical shove. The shout was followed by the unmistakable sound of several different people talking in loud, fast Korean.
Jihoon puffed out a breath and leaned his forehead against mine. “Ready?”
Was I? I mean… “Not really,” I muttered.
“If they upset you, I will beat them.” He assured me with a deadpan expression, earning a wry grin from me.
“Caveman.”
“Your caveman.”
“Hyung- oh! Mianhaeyo!” Sungmin apologised from the doorway, obviously feeling like he’d interrupted us, and judging by the look of annoyance that flashed over Jihoon’s face, he agreed. Though I might not have admitted to it out loud, I secretly enjoyed the way he angled his body to hide me fromview, as though I was somehow undressed, or in a compromising position. It was cutely possessive and it made me feel… precious.
Sungmin retreated, leaving Jihoon and I alone, and though he didn’t make a move towards me again, he held my eyes like he was looking for something. Then he held out his hand for me to take, and without hesitation, I slid my palm against his, and together, we walked out of Jihoon’s bedroom and into the communal living room, my heart pounding harder with every step.
The plastic bags littering every available surface was what I noticed first, and then the coats hanging off every chair. But then, as four equally stunning, but so individually different men stopped what they were doing to stare at me, I froze. Literally, my feet planted themselves to the floor and refused to move. As my arm went taut, Jihoon turned to look back at me. I don’t know what he saw on my face, but without missing a beat, he moved back to my side and stood there with me, while the other four members of GVibes stared at me, and I stared back.
Chapter 20
How is it possible to know someone so well, but not know them at all?
That was the thought that went clanging through my head, a persistent and echoing question as four curious faces focused on me.
Only Seokmin was grinning at me, the others had politely curious expressions that ranged from small smiles to downright shyness. Sungmin waved at me, but between Woojin and Minjae, the word I’d have to settle on was ‘guarded’.
As my body refused to move, my mind was whirring with busy thoughts as it tried to catch up. It was like watching a movie in the cinema, only to suddenly stand up from your red velvet chair and walk straight into the scene on the screen. That strange middle ground where real life merges with something you’ve only ever seen on TV.
