Jihae was a strong-willed woman. She didn’t regret throwing herself at him, but she was most definitely not going to give in again. She’d meant every word she said. He would need to beg to have her after that spectacular rejection. She’d spent a lifetime playing the role of Princess Jihae. While it took monumental willpower not to touch him, she was able to exude cool professionalism on the outside.
With the director and screenwriter selected, they were moving on to casting. The director, Cora Huang, already had the lead actors in mind and reached out to them. She would be working with a casting director for the remaining roles. Jihae and Colin had brief phone calls and exchanged emails, but hadn’t seen each other since they interviewed the directors together. Both of them acted as though they were business partners and nothing more.
But wasn’t that the truth? They weren’t anything more than that. Sure, they’d shared two passionate kisses, and Colin looked at her like he wanted to tear off her clothes whenever he thought she wasn’t watching him—she smiled smugly at the thought—but that didn’t mean there was anything between them.
Jihae gnawed at her lip. She wasn’t a woman who opened up easily, and physical acts weren’t meaningless to her. Those kisses had meant something to her and it irked her that Colin was able to ignore them so casually.
When she heard a knock at the door, she shook her head to clear it.
“Come in.”
June stuck in her head. “Hey, boss. I’m taking the team out to dinner—on you, of course—to show them how much you care.”
“That’s great, and I do care. Too bad it wouldn’t fit my image to join you guys. Besides, if I come along, the staff will be so tense, they’ll probably get indigestion,” Jihae said, only half joking.
“Hey. You could come if you want,” her friend said with gentle sympathy. She understood Jihae’s isolation and loneliness.
“No, I’ve got work to do. You guys go and have fun,” she replied with a forced a smile.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Now go away. I really have to work.”
“Fine. Do you want me to lock up for you?”
“No, I’ll lock up on my way out.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow, friend.”
When the door clicked shut, Jihae had the sudden urge to run after everyone. What happened to cool professionalism, Princess? She was in an odd mood and blamed it on Colin Song. Jihae wouldn’t be feeling so lonely if she’d never known how warm and cherished she felt in his arms. She tsked impatiently. Stop being unreasonable. Pushing Colin from her thoughts, she turned her attention to her inbox.
Confidential: Top Priority jumped out at her from the top of her unread emails. It was from her father, which startled her. He usually left emails and such to his executive assistant. With trepidation, Jihae clicked open the email, and what she found inside befuddled her.
Introduce Yami Corporation’s CFO to one of your contacts at NAM.
That was it. The terseness was expected but the content made no sense to her. She’d never heard of Yami Corporation. If she had to guess, they were an apparel company. She might’ve seen a bus-bench ad featuring a model wearing their jeans.
She wasn’t directly involved with Rotelle Corporation’s businesses, but she had some knowledge of which companies they did business with. Yami wasn’t one of them. Besides, fashion was one of the few industries that Rotelle didn’t dabble in. Why would Father want her to introduce Yami Corporation’s CFO to a talent agency?
None of it made sense. She checked the time and calculated that her father might be awake. He was something of an insomniac.
“Father,” she said when he picked up after a few rings as expected.
“What is it?”
“Your email. It doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s not your job to understand but to do as I instructed you,” he said dismissively.
She forged on despite his tone. “Since when did Rotelle do business with Yami Corporation? Isn’t that an apparel company? We don’t do apparel.”
“You don’t know everything. Far from it.”
“I don’t want to know everything. I just need to know why Yami’s CFO wants an introduction to NAM.”
“How the hell should I know? Just do as you’re told and stop wasting my time with incessant questions.” His terse tone warned her that she didn’t have much time.
“My connection to the talent agency is important for my job. For Rotelle Entertainment. I can’t jeopardize it by pushing a stranger on them for reasons unknown.”
There was a brief pause as he considered her words, and Jihae’s grip on her phone tightened.
“You can deal with the details of the introduction directly with Yami’s CFO. If she tries to ask you questions relating to Rotelle Corporation, tell her you don’t know anything. Which is the truth. You’re merely my representative.” He sighed quietly. “I need someone I can trust to handle this.”
Her father sounded so weary that her heart constricted. “I understand, Father. I’ll take care of it.”
“Good.”
“Father...” She hesitated, wanting to ask him if he was okay. The line went dead before she could say another word.
While she doubted there was any information, Jihae searched the internet for any connection between Rotelle and Yami. Not surprisingly, she found nothing. What she did find left a bad taste in her mouth. Yami Corporation had competed against Hansol for a partnership with Vivotex. The mention of Hansol still brought with it a twinge of humiliation even though she had cheered on Garrett Song in her head. He had been brave to marry the woman he loved rather than marry the woman chosen for him by his family. She closed the browser window resolutely. She didn’t care what Yami had to do with Hansol.
The office was empty but the door was unlocked, so there was someone still there. Colin hoped that someone would be Jihae. He’d assiduously avoided her since the director interviews—he had Ethan and Kim deal with anything that required direct contact—but he knew that this cowardly tactic couldn’t last forever. He and Jihae were partners. They needed to work fluidly together without a middleman.
No matter how much her presence tempted him, he had to keep his attraction to her separate from CS Productions business. With the director selected and the casting underway, it was past time to discuss their future direction and to prioritize what had to get done. He told himself that was why he’d rushed to her office after hours, as he stood in front of her door.
Just as he was about to knock, he heard the murmur of her voice. He turned away thinking she was in a meeting or on the phone. But her next words froze him to the spot.
“Since when did Rotelle do business with Yami Corporation? Isn’t that an apparel company? We don’t do apparel.”
After a moment’s pause, she continued, “I don’t want to know everything. I just need to know why Yami’s CFO wants an introduction to NAM.”
Colin couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, which meant she was on the phone. His heart pounded against his chest, and sweat sprung out across his hairline. Yami Corporation wanted an introduction to NAM? And Jihae was supposed to do the honors? Why?
“My connection to the talent agency is important for my job. For Rotelle Entertainment. I can’t jeopardize it by pushing a stranger on them for reasons unknown,” she said.
For reasons unknown. The sudden elation caught him off guard. Blood pounded in his ears, and his chest rose up and down as he fought for his breath. Jihae knew nothing. His gut instinct hadn’t steered him wrong. She hadn’t been involved in the espionage. Colin had been worried that his judgment was compromised by his desire for her, but now he had proof of her innocence. The relief made him lightheaded.
“I understand, Father. I’ll take care of it.”
Then trepidation washed over him. Was Rotelle scheming again? Her father was instructing her to meet Yami’s CFO, and she’d just agreed. She might not know anything yet, but the meeting might get her involuntarily involved. He didn’t want her taken down with her father just because the conniving snake decided to embroil her in the mess now. But the Jihae he knew would balk at any shady business. Her honesty and integrity wouldn’t allow her to do anything she felt was wrong. He trusted Jihae. She would be smart about it, and keep herself safe.
And Rotelle Corporation would be taken down. After running into dead end after dead end, the investigation was about to get a fresh start. After tugging his cell phone out of his back pocket, Colin typed in a quick text to Garrett.
Found new lead on Rotelle. Yami’s CFO might be their contact person. Have PI shadow her.
Then he turned his phone to mute. The professionals could handle the rest. He’d carried out his duty to his family, and he could stop scrounging around for evidence. A part of him whispered that he still might need to keep an eye on Jihae, but he hushed the nagging voice. His belief in Jihae’s innocence hadn’t been wishful thinking born out of his interest in her. She truly was innocent. He didn’t need to feel guilty for having feelings for her—the Song family’s enemy—anymore. His careening thoughts came to a screeching stop.
Did he have feelings for her? Yes. Colin cared about Jihae. He’d been suppressing his feelings and calling it lust because caring for her would’ve been a betrayal of his family. But now, with proof of her innocence, he could let himself admit his feelings for her. And maybe even act on them.
Colin took a deep breath, then knocked softly on Jihae’s door. He was being either brave or stupid, but he didn’t want to hold back. Not anymore.
“Come in?” she said after a brief pause.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said as he walked into her office, closing the door behind him.
“Colin.” His name left her mouth in a breathy whisper, and her wide eyes revealed her pleasure at his unexpected appearance. But it disappeared with a blink. Her damn armor was back in place. “What are you doing here?”
She looked pristine in her white Princess Jihae attire, but her cheeks were stained with color and loose strands of hair framed her delicate face. He had never seen a more beautiful sight. Her expression exuded confidence and a hint of tightly controlled curiosity, but her eyes greedily roamed his body. Despite his rejection and subsequent inattention, Jihae miraculously still wanted him, but it was going to be difficult to have her admit it again. What was it she’d said?
I will have you on your knees before I ever let you lay a finger on me again.
With the last traces of his suspicion gone—freeing him from any guilt he might have felt over betraying his family by wanting her the way he did—he saw her with clarity for the first time. Her intelligence, her integrity, her beauty, her courage to experience new situations with curiosity and joy. He respected her. He desired her. And he wanted to do much, much more than lay a finger on her.
She’d come to stand in front of him as he stood glued to the spot, gazing mutely at her. With her within arm’s reach, her exquisite scent hit him, jerking him out of his paralysis. He wanted to kiss her so badly a shiver shook his frame. But if he wanted to kiss her, he had to get on his knees. She was quite clear on that, and he intended to obey her explicitly.
His expression must have shifted because her eyes widened and she took a hasty step back. Her retreat snapped the last of his control, and he stalked her step by step until she was backed against the wall.
“I asked what you’re doing here,” she said with the slightest catch in her voice and lifted her eyes to meet his. “I don’t believe we have any urgent business at the moment.”
“Oh, you’re wrong about that,” he growled. “I have very urgent business with you.”
Her pink lips parted on a gasp before she stood up straighter. “And what business is that?”
He lowered his head, gaze darting over her lovely face, until her eyes fluttered shut. But rather than claiming her mouth, as he was badly tempted to do, he brought his lips close to her ear and whispered, “Come with me.”
Before she could answer, he leaned back and took her hand in his own. When he walked toward the door with single-minded determination, Jihae came willingly until she stopped short. Colin’s stomach dropped to his feet. He didn’t know if he could handle her rejection tonight.
“Wait,” she said softly. “I need to get my purse and lock up for the night.”
He nodded jerkily, both relieved and impatient. He freed her hand so she could lock the door, but placed his hand possessively on her lower back. Once she was finished, he reclaimed her hand. He couldn’t bear not touching her for even a moment.
“Where are we going?” she asked when he settled into the driver’s seat beside her.
“My place.” He was amazed that he could still get words out. His heart was hammering against his chest and his hands trembled as he backed out of the parking space.
“Your place?”
He gave a curt nod and kept his eyes on the road. Jihae didn’t voice any objections and settled into her seat, turning her attention out the window. Her face was carefully expressionless, so he couldn’t guess what she was thinking, but Colin was grateful that she was coming with him.
By the time they arrived at his condo, his hands were shaking so badly that he had trouble unlocking his door. This was a bad idea, but he was all out of willpower.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked as casually as he could once they were inside.
“What have you got?”
Jihae reached down to remove her heels, bracing a hand on the wall. He couldn’t help noticing how shapely her calves were. He had groveling to do before he could let his thoughts go anywhere near there. He snapped his eyes back to her face, but it wasn’t much help because it was also distractingly beautiful.
“Everything,” Colin said with a wry grin. “My cousin is an amateur mixologist and insisted I needed a full bar for when she visits.”
“Is she good?”
“She’s an amazing cook but her cocktails taste like fruit-infused diesel fuel.”
Laughter trilled out of Jihae as he led her toward his wet bar. To his surprise, she removed her suit jacket and handed it to him, and began rolling up the sleeves of her silk shirt.
“You don’t seem like a harsh critic at all,” Jihae said with a mischievous smile. An odd ache came and went in the recesses of his heart at her playfulness. He liked this side of her so much. “Well, no matter. I do love a challenge.”
“You’re an amateur mixologist, too?”
“Actually, I’m a professional.” She laughed at the shock on his face. “I took a crash course in bartending and have a certificate to prove it. I actually have a shoebox full of cooking, baking, flower-arrangement, you-name-it certificates. I snuck in bartending as my little rebellion against my parents’ will to domesticate me before my wed—”
Before her wedding. The thought of her having almost married Garrett made his jaws clench. But not wanting her to feel flustered, he quickly redirected their conversation. “So are you planning to wow me with your skills?”
“Depends. Can I raid your fridge?” she said, her relief evident in her smile.
“Be my guest. I have to warn you, though. There isn’t much in there.”
He followed her into his kitchen and leaned against the island as Jihae searched for ingredients.
“Aha,” she said, straightening up with a basket of blueberries and a serrano chili pepper.
“You’re using those blueberries?” he asked with his forehead furrowed in consternation. “Are they still good?”
“A little dry, but perfectly edible. They’ll do fine for my needs. But...” Her eyes darted around the kitchen counter.
“Do you need something else?”
“You don’t happen to have any basil, do you?”
He actually had a miniature herb garden. Another gift from Adelaide. She claimed that even if he couldn’t cook worth a damn, adding some fresh herbs into premade sauces did wonders.
“Um...this way, please.”
Colin showed her to the little alcove where his garden of basil, Italian parsley and thyme flourished under artificial sunlight.
“You have an herb garden?” she said with an incredulous smile.
He scratched the back of his head and shrugged. “It’s here to help me with my abysmal cooking skills.”
“Aww, I think that’s rather sweet.” She reached out and gently grazed the herbs with her fingers.
“Really?” he said, breaking into a wide grin. “I’ll take that.”
Once they were back at the wet bar, Jihae got to work. With quick twists of her wrist and fast-moving hands, she muddled the basil with some blueberries and a splash of simple syrup, then poured the mixture into the shaker. Then she added measures of fragrant gin and elderflower liquor into it, and topped it off with ice before she shook the shaker with easy efficiency.
A glint of mischief entered her eyes, then she bumped the shaker from elbow to elbow before throwing it and catching it behind her back. It was an exciting finale. Simple and elegant. Especially when done with her intoxicating half smile. She added a slice serrano chili into two martini glasses and poured the concoction into them.
It was hot. She was hot. Damn.
She pushed a glass toward him and raised hers in the air. “Gun-bae.”
“Gun-bae.” While the salutation meant “bottoms up” in Korean, Colin took a much more careful sip of the drink. His eyes widened and he gawked at Jihae. “Why aren’t you out there selling this stuff? How about if I buy the recipe from you for my clubs?”
“Is that what I’m doing here? Having another business meeting?” She took out the sting in her words with a teasing smile.
“Dammit. Sorry. No.”
“Relax, Song. My claws are officially withdrawn,” she said, raising her curled fingers toward him like little paws. “Besides, I just made the drink up on the spot, so there is no recipe. I’d probably forget it in like two minutes.”
Colin gave her a pained look. He didn’t want to sound like a haggling businessman tonight, but it would be a travesty for the rest of the world to never try her cocktail. He didn’t know what to do, so he bit his lip and stayed quiet.
Jihae’s laughter filled his living room as she took him out of his misery. “Give me a pen and paper. I’ll jot down what I remember.”
He patted his pants for a piece of paper and found a receipt, then grabbed a pen. “Here.”
She turned over the receipt and bit the end of the pen. Then she wrote out the recipe for him. She paused, worrying her bottom lip, then smiled as she scribbled something on top. She handed him the receipt with a look of anticipation in her eyes.
“Once in a Blue Moon,” he read, and looked up to smile at her. “Clever.”
“I figured I won’t be coming to your condo to create brilliant cocktail recipes very often—”
“No,” he blurted, cutting her off in the middle of the sentence.
She cocked her head in question. “No what?”
“No, I want you to come to my condo often—very often—and mix as many amazing drinks as you’d like.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Be with me, Jihae.”