“Okay, start again. You’re living where?” Tyler croaked.
“With my boss,” Joon Gi said, shocked by the words coming out of his own mouth. “With Sky.”
“The one you’re crushing on?”
“I’m not crush—” He grunted. “You should know that you’re part of the reason I got busted. My cell phone started blaring with your call the moment Sky walked in. I couldn’t even bother hiding or anything.”
“So she caught you in the shower—”
“I’d just gotten out of the shower.”
“—and instead of reporting your butt to the police, she invited you to her place instead? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Sort of.” Joon cleared his throat.
“Are you two hooking up?”
He almost pulled the cell phone away. “What?”
“Why else would she react like that? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Sky’s a nice person. That’s why.”
“Please. She must want a taste of that Korean fire.”
“Tyler, no one talks like that.”
“Don’t act all innocent. I know you’re feeling her too. You said yourself. She’s as beautiful as Hanna.”
An image of Sky in those heels and that flared skirt flashed through his head and his pulse sped up. Joon Gi dragged his entire body around as if physically shunning the thought. “I said she was different.”
“You said she was a black Hanna Park. Don’t take back the words. I’ve already got a fantasy about it.”
“Damn you and your dirty mind, Ty. It’s not like that.”
“Whatever it’s like, you’re in prime position to get some action. Think of it. The two of you, alone in a tiny house, a warm fire crackling nearby. For some reason, she calls you into her room because she’s scared and needs you to hold her—”
“You and those damn romantic comedies.”
“Is that your version of a ‘thank you’? That doesn’t sound like a ‘thank you’.”
“Why would I say that?”
“Because I’m part of the reason you get to live with your boss.”
“You’re insane. This isn’t what I wanted.”
“Sometimes what you want and what you need are two different things.”
“I need my business and my reputation back. I need a plane ticket to Korea. That’s it.”
“All in good time,” Tyler said laughingly.
Joon Gi growled.
“Look at it this way, bud.” Joon Gi could feel Tyler grinning even though he couldn’t see his face. “Things worked out so that you found a new place to live and you get to spend more time with your cru—I mean boss.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”
“You had no ethical problems breaking into her shop, but now that you’re invited you’re riddled with guilt? Come on!”
It didn’t have to make sense to Tyler. Joon Gi had lost everything except his pride. Squatting in Sweet Treats was wrong, but at least then he wasn’t begging anyone for anything.
Now, he was relying on Sky and it rubbed him the wrong way. He had no problems engaging in mutually beneficial exchanges with women, but something inside him resisted the thought of relying on her.
Relying on Sky.
“Joon, if you waste this opportunity, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Just keep the rest of my stuff in the guestroom until I can pick it up, alright?”
“Hey, before you go, I reached out to some of my contacts at the commissioner’s office. They said they can find a way to trace the call of the person you’re looking for, but it’ll just reveal a number. It might not even link to Sun Gi.”
He rapped his knuckles on the table. Once. Twice.
“Do you still want me to go forward?” Tyler asked.
“It’s a start. I’ll need concrete evidence if there’s any hope of making something stick. I don’t have to ruin him legally, just in the eyes of the country.”
“I’ll keep you updated.”
“Thanks, Tyler.”
“Just a tip,” his friend added, “walk out of the bathroom in a towel with the steam rising behind you. Make sure she sees. It gets them every time.”
“I’m hanging up now!” Joon Gi smacked his thumb against the END button.
Crazy Tyler.
How did that guy ever pass the bar?
Joon Gi pocketed his phone and headed back to the kitchen. Sky was stirring something that smelled delicious. His stomach rumbled again.
Sky glanced up at that moment and saw him loitering in the hallway. A small, welcoming smile beamed on her beautiful lips.
You can totally get that.
Joon Gi waved away Tyler’s voice. He didn’t plan on returning Sky’s generosity with anything but respect and gratitude. Besides, he was in no position to engage a woman, even if all they did was hookup.
A man had to have some boundaries.
“Need any help?” he asked.
“It’s almost done. I made white rice and stew beans with stewed chicken. Do you eat that?”
The tremble in her voice told him it would crush her if he said no. Joon Gi leaned against the doorway and crossed his ankles. The more he tried to figure Sky out, the less her actions made sense.
Only a few hours ago, she caught him sneaking into her shop. Now here she was, welcoming him into her home and worrying about whether he ate rice and beans.
Why was she so concerned about someone like him?
“Yeah, I eat Belizean food.” He tilted his head and teased her. “You thought I only ate dumplings or something?”
She ducked. “Not exactly.”
“Oh yeah, you did.”
Sky laughed. The sound trembled in the air, as light and airy as the rays of the sun that pierced through the kitchen windows. “Are there any other stereotypes you want to break today? Are you good in math? Did you study kung-fu?”
“I was a genius in math. Not so much in kung-fu. My sport of choice was basketball.”
“Basketball?” Her eyebrows arched.
“You dribble a ball. Toss it into the net.” He mimicked a free throw with his arm and snapped his wrist back.
Sky shot him an amused look. Thick eyelashes bouncing, she said sassily, “I’m familiar with the concept.”
“Just checking.”
“What about,” she tapped her chin, eyes sparkling with mischief, “okay, this is an important question. Can you dance?”
“Me?”
Sky nodded.
Joon scoffed. “Don’t insult me. I come from a long line of dancers. My family was known for our moves.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. My mother swore I jumped out of the womb tapping my feet.”
Sky covered her mouth with a hand. “Okay, then. Show me.”
“Really? Right now?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Nah, I’m not gonna”—he did a quick step and a turn before leaning casually against the doorway—“embarrass myself like that.”
She chuckled, dimple winking from her cheek. “That was fantastic. You’re a star, Joon.”
The way she dropped the ‘Gi’ from his name made the word feel more intimate.
And I’m not thinking about that, remember?
“I met someone today who mentioned that Korean parents could be a little… involved, especially when it comes to their children’s lives. Is that true?”
“I don’t see it that way.” He shook his head. “We value the input of our parents and other family members. I notice that a lot of Belizeans abandon their elders like they’re a hassle. We band together and honor those who worked to give us the opportunities we have. It’s not a bad thing.”
“My friend didn’t make it sound like a good thing. I heard there’s a lot of pressure to get married and have children. Shouldn’t it be your choice rather than a mark you have to check off to please someone else?”
“It’s encouraged, not forced. We don’t arrange marriages much anymore.”
“Not a good excuse.”
“Like I said, family is important.” Joon Gi shrugged. “But I can see why someone would find those expectations stressful.” He tilted his head. “Were you with Jo this morning? Was she complaining about her Korean side?”
“No.” Sky stirred the pot, her eyes on the stew. “I met with this girl, Hanna Park.”
Joon Gi jolted straight up at the name. “Hanna?”
“You know her?”
“Sort of.”
“She’s nice. On the ride to the restaurant, she told me about her parents and her fiancé. I got the feeling she would choose not to get married if that decision was up to her.”
“Hanna doesn’t want to get married?”
“As far as I could tell.” Sky glanced over and caught his bewildered expression. “Does that mean something to you?”
Joon Gi ducked to hide his shock from view. “No, I just… I assumed she would be thrilled to marry the guy. She did say yes to marrying him.”
“Doesn’t mean she loves him. People get married for a variety of reasons. I’m sure her fiancé has a lot of money. The diamond on her finger was huge. Still, I can’t help feeling sorry for her. Marriage is hard enough on its own. Can you imagine spending the rest of your life with someone you don’t love?”
“Did she tell you she doesn’t love Sun—I mean him?”
“Not in those words, but I could read between the lines.”
“You and Hanna sound close.”
“Us?” She scrunched her nose. “I don’t think so. She gave me a ride earlier this week and then we met up today. She was asking about the café.”
“What about the café?”
“If I wanted to sell it.”
His breath hitched. “Are you considering her proposal?”
“No.”
He released the breath and moved toward the counter. “Why? Hanna must be convincing.”
“How’d you know that?”
“Uh, just a wild guess.”
Sky nodded and flipped the stove off. “She was very convincing. The thought of making tons of money and getting worldwide recognition for my pastries made me waver for a second. I’ll admit it.” Sky stared thoughtfully over his shoulder. “But there’s more to life than money.”
In his position, he highly doubted that.
Sky smiled softly. “I lost my dad when I was young. Mom worked hard to provide for us. It was her dream to own a bakery like this. Little by little, she saved up to buy it. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been running it for long before she died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She sighed. “I took over Sweet Treats and I promised her I wouldn’t give up on it. Ever.”
The rice cooker clicked.
Sky wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and Joon knew the moment was over. She’d seemed so sad that he almost told her about his dad. Something he hadn’t done with anyone. Even Tyler.
Glad he hadn’t crossed the line, Joon strode to the cupboards and opened them one by one until he found the plates. “Let’s eat.”
Sky grinned, a genuine one this time without a hint of sorrow. Her eyes were truly the windows to her soul because they had a habit of revealing everything she was thinking. No wonder that Vince guy thought he could play her like a fiddle. If she was this benevolent to a stranger, he could only imagine how malleable she was when her heart was filled with affection.
For some reason, Joon wanted to see those heart eyes aimed at him.
No you don’t. She’s your boss and you look like a pathetic fool who’s mooching off her store and house.
“Sounds like a plan,” Sky said, breaking into his thoughts.
They sat around the television and ate while watching a show. Joon snuck a glance at Sky, letting his eyes linger over her as she remained fixated on the TV screen. Something in his heart shifted, jangled. Like something was broken.
A wall maybe?
Whatever it was, he made a caveat to his promise of revenge on Hanna. No matter how far he had to take things, Joon would never hurt this sweet, giving woman.