She was fully encased in her Princess Jihae armor as she waited for her elevator. She needed it more than ever as she headed to her meeting with Colin. It’d been a couple of weeks since they’d run in to each other at Pendulum, but she still felt raw and exposed when she thought of how she’d behaved.
Jihae had no excuse or explanation for her impulsive actions that night. She’d just done what she wanted to for once. She hadn’t cared about anything but being in his arms. Being pressed against him. And wanting to kiss him.
Remembering how Colin pulled away from her made her blush with mortification, but she also felt another, more troublesome emotion. Regret. Despite everything, she wished she’d kissed the hell out of him, and the ferocity of her desire scared her. She’d had a couple of discreet affairs before, but she had never felt the thrill she experienced with Colin.
Did she regret the partnership with CS Productions? No. The project was proceeding like a dream and her excitement grew every day. It was worth the physical and mental toll of denying her attraction to Colin. He’d asked her to come to his office, which probably meant he had a presentation ready for her. She was looking forward to the meeting.
But it would be a shame to be indoors on such a beautiful day. And...that was the strangest thought. When had she ever spent a workday enjoying the outdoors and the sun? The answer was never. Unless she was scouting a location, but she would be too focused on what she was doing to appreciate the experience. Wonky. She gave herself a mental shake.
After tasting a bit of fun, she craved it like an addiction. Well, enough of that. Today was going to be a day of air-conditioned offices, dimmed lights and PowerPoint presentations. But she was still excited to find out about prospective directors. She had a few ideas of her own, but Colin had the insider knowledge.
As she drove toward his office, she decided now was a great time to enjoy some sun and rolled down her top, uncaring about what the wind would to do her low chignon. Maybe she could wear her hair down today. Go bonkers. She laughed and let the breeze carry it away. What kind of life was she living when she couldn’t even choose her own hairstyle? But the sun was warm on her neck and arms, and the breeze was cool without being too cold. She didn’t feel like she was a prisoner in her own life at the moment. She felt free and vibrant.
Jihae briefly regretted her impulsivity when she parked at Colin’s office and checked her appearance in the rearview mirror. She had loose strands of hair framing her face and falling down her back, and her cheeks were as red as spring blossoms. Her princess armor had gone askew. She gave up trying to fix her hair and got out of her car. No one was going to notice a bit of windblown hair.
When she walked into the office, she was immediately greeted by an eager, fresh-faced young man. “Hello, Ms. Park. I’m Ethan. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. And this is my colleague Kimberly.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Kimberly said.
“I’m so glad to meet CS Productions’s team members. I think we’re going to have an amazing time working on this film together,” Jihae said, shaking their hands.
She was subtly scanning the open-plan work space and wondering where Colin could be when he strolled out of his office with a messenger bag strapped across his shoulders. He was in a casual button-down shirt, rolled up to his elbows, and a pair of khakis. He looked tanned and athletic. She, in her usual white dress suit and python heels, probably looked boring and anemic beside him.
“Come on, Jihae,” he said, leading her to the exit by a gentle hold on her elbow. “We have to go.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, waving hastily at Ethan and Kimberly. “I thought we were having a discussion about the potential directors.”
“We are,” he said, not bothering to elaborate. He was up to something, and she was dying to find out what it was.
She lengthened her strides to keep up with Colin as they left the office “Then where are we going?”
“To the zoo.”
“The zoo?” She skidded to a halt, a few feet from what she assumed was his car. “Whatever for?”
“I think better when I’m walking, and the zoo is a great place to walk. It’s never too crowded on weekdays and it’s quiet.”
Jihae’s heart flipped. Another adventure. She glanced at the easy grin on Colin’s face and felt her heart melt a little. Doing business didn’t mean you couldn’t have fun. She appreciated and admired his way of thinking and his easygoing manner. She could get used to working with him in this new way. Much too easily, in fact.
“Well, what if the lions roar and drown out our conversation?” she joked, her heart beating faster.
“Nah. California lions are way too chill to roar.” He walked a few steps to his car and held open the passenger door. “Besides, they’re too cool for school, so they stay inside their caves most of the time.”
She sat down and buckled her seat belt, and bounced the tiniest bit in her seat. She had actually been to a zoo in Korea when she was a child, but it was before the zoo was open to the public. It was just her, the zoo administrator and her tutor in the spacious animal park. The grounds had been shadowed in the early morning light, and the animals had seemed too sleepy to play.
Visiting a zoo in daylight with Colin by her side filled her with giddy anticipation. But, of course, this was still a business meeting and they had work to get done. She shouldn’t forget that or think that he was doing this for her benefit in any way.
“So how often do you go to the zoo to work?” she asked.
Colin shifted in his seat and coughed into his fist. “Not often enough.”
Hmm. Was he embarrassed about being a regular at the zoo? “Where else do you go to think?”
“Um...the museum,” he blurted. “The museum is another great place to walk and think.”
Jihae absolutely loved museums but she hadn’t had an opportunity to visit the ones in Los Angeles yet. “Oh, that sounds lovely. I’ve been wanting to go to LACMA and the Getty Center.”
“We could have our next meeting at the Getty Center.”
She nearly clapped her hands and cheered. But she held herself in check. “Perhaps.”
He shot a glance at her and smirked like he could see right through her. She turned up her nose at him and held her answering smile in check. They drove the rest of the way in comfortable silence with random observations here and there, but anticipation wound up her stomach.
The zoo looked like a wonderland in the glorious California sunshine, and Jihae felt her spirits rise even higher.
“Ticket for two adults, please,” said Colin, reaching for his wallet in his back pocket.
God, how do you get an ass that perfect? Before she got too entranced by his backside, Jihae spoke up. “Hey, you don’t have to wine and dine me anymore. We’re partners. I’ll pay for this.”
“But it was my idea...”
“And it’ll be my treat,” she replied, handing over her card.
Colin grumbled under his breath but didn’t protest any further. His mood lifted as soon as they walked into the park to be greeted by neon pink flamingos.
“They smell horrible but they are such a lively sight,” he said in a nasally voice. He was breathing through his mouth, as she was.
“I agree to both observations.”
“Let’s find an animal we could breathe better around, and we could chat about some of the ideas my team and I came up with.”
Jihae’s shoulders drooped a little at the mention of business. Just for a moment, she’d imagined them to be simply enjoying each other’s company. Such silliness. “Good idea. I have some ideas of my own.”
The next animals they visited were the giraffes. They were quiet and still except for munching leaves in their mouths. Their heads were so high up, she didn’t have to worry about them eavesdropping on their production plans.
“Kimberly did a very thorough job of researching and weighing the pros and cons of each of the directors she selected for my preliminary review. I’ve chosen five of them for you to consider. I have my favorite but I won’t tell you until you share your thoughts.”
“Who are they?”
“Stella Merles, Edward Stein, Ken Park, Cora Huang and Mateo Sanchez.” Colin counted off his fingers.
“Mateo Sanchez?”
“Yup.”
“He’s done some amazing work,” she said, excited to have a director of his caliber on their list. “I think he would be sensitive to how we want to treat diversity.”
“But Cora Huang did an incredible job with her last two films,” he said, pushing back from the railing and motioning for her to walk with him. “I was blown away by how she portrayed the female protagonists to be both strong and vulnerable, and to grow with all the clumsiness and faltering of real people.”
“All your picks have their own special strengths. I could narrow it down to three at best, but from there on, I wouldn’t know who to pick. I would be thrilled to have any of them.”
Colin chuckled and said, “You know, the choice isn’t entirely up to us. Those directors are hot commodities. They may turn us down.”
Jihae lifted her chin and gave him her haughtiest look. “If I set my mind on something, I don’t take no for an answer.”
It was true. She was relentless. Of course, she didn’t always get what she wanted, but it wasn’t for not giving it her everything. Some things were worth fighting for.
Colin was quiet for a while as he led them to their next animal. She glanced around and took in her surroundings, and sighed a little wistfully. She couldn’t deny that she enjoyed these easy moments with him.
He stopped in front of the elephants and rested his hand on the railing. When Jihae stopped beside him and saw the baby elephant standing by its mama, she couldn’t hold back her aww. Colin turned and awarded her with a wide grin, and she smiled back happily. The mama and baby elephants were the cutest sight. She stepped closer to the railing and held on with her hands, wanting to be near them.
She inadvertently brushed her pinkie against his, and pulled back as a tremor traveled down her back. She glanced at him from under her lashes, pretending to watch the elephants. Her hand looked pale and small next to his darker, bigger one. An image of their intertwined fingers seared itself into her mind, and she wanted it to be real. She could almost feel the warmth of his hand and the heat burning through her veins.
As though reading her mind, Colin placed his hand over hers and laced their fingers together. Neither of them said anything. They both looked down at their entangled hands with quickening breaths. Finally, his eyes, full of gentle yearning, sought hers out, and she fell into their depths.
“Come with me?” he asked with a soft squeeze of her hand.
“Yes.”
His steps weren’t hurried as he led them down the miniature streets of the zoo. But he picked up speed when they arrived at the entrance of a small aquarium. A narrow, dark hallway led them inside and continued into a semicircle as it opened up into a round aquarium that hugged the outer walls. The blue light emanating from the water gave the interior an otherworldly vibe. And it was deserted.
Colin didn’t stop until they walked into another dark hallway leading into what she presumed was another exhibition. He maneuvered her back against the wall and ran his hands up and down her arms, making her shiver with anticipation.
“I shouldn’t do this,” he said in a rough, low voice.
“Neither should I.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kiss me?”
“God, yes,” he said, crushing his mouth against hers.
Jihae let herself melt against him with a content sigh. When his tongue gently outlined her bottom lip, she parted her mouth and flicked her tongue against his. That earned her a sexy growl from Colin, and his hands pressed against her back, bringing her even closer to him.
Her curious hands traveled down the length of his firm, muscular arms and came to rest on his narrow waist. First her thumbs drew circles on his stomach, then she boldly grabbed his shirt and tugged it out of his pants. She didn’t stop there. She couldn’t. She wanted to touch him. To feel him.
He hummed under his breath and pressed his torso into her hands, so she followed her instincts without hesitation. Her fingers traveled over his stomach, delighting in every muscled groove. Then she moved her palms onto his hard, broad chest. It was so smooth. So hot.
Meanwhile, he kissed her like a man starved, but kept his hands planted firmly on her back. He was holding himself in check—trembling beneath her hands—to give her control of how far they would go. They were semihidden in the darkness of the hallway, but they didn’t exactly have privacy. This shouldn’t go far at all, but she wanted it to last just a little bit longer.
“Goddammit.” Colin suddenly pulled back to her bewilderment. “Sorry. It’s not the kiss. It’s not you. I just have a call I need to return.”
Then in the recesses of her mind, Jihae recalled the subtle ringing of a gong. It must have come from Colin’s phone. He walked through to the other side, his phone against his ear. She stayed behind to give him privacy and to take a moment to gather herself. She realized she was shaking, as well, and she breathed deeply in and out. After straightening her suit, she finally followed Colin into the next room.
The lights were even dimmer in this section, shining purple, blue and pink to exhibit the multicolored, glowing jellyfish that filled the various tanks. The firm line of Colin’s lips and the frown creasing his forehead looked out of place in the beautiful setting. Soon he ended his call and turned to her, his expression transforming into a regretful smile.
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid we need to leave,” he said.
“Leave?”
“I’ll drive you back to your car.”
“My car?” She knew she was repeating everything he said, but she didn’t understand. They’d just shared a passionate kiss, and he was going to dump her at her car. Shouldn’t they go someplace to talk? Or kiss some more?
“I’m so sorry,” he said again. “We’ll talk later.”
His grandmother had uncanny timing.
He was beyond frustrated by her interruption, and...grateful. He’d lost his head. No, he’d known exactly what he was doing, and he hadn’t wanted to stop. Jihae had tasted improbably like a summer day—like the warm sun and a soft breeze. Then she’d sucked him in like a sultry, tropical night. Her soft, cool hands exploring his body, and her sweet, wet lips kissing him with a hunger to match his own. No, he’d never wanted to stop.
But Grandmother’s call had been like a bucket of ice-cold water thrown at his face. A much-needed wake-up call. He couldn’t kiss Jihae forever. He shouldn’t have kissed her in the first place. Not only were they business partners, but he was also a Song. His cousin had broken their engagement, and she had sought revenge against him. They had quite a sordid backstory, except Jihae didn’t know yet. What was worse was that he planned to spy on her. He couldn’t risk having her become emotionally attached to him. He had no intention of breaking her heart. Ever.
Their drive back to his office had been tense and silent. Was it regret that had clouded her expression? His gut clenched. Hell. He couldn’t believe that he felt disappointed at the thought. Was he kidding himself that the kiss was a mistake that he never intended to repeat?
Before he could dissect his jumbled thoughts, he arrived at his grandmother’s Pacific Palisades home. He parked in the driveway and jumped out of the car. He was glad he could escape his confused emotions. And he had other things to worry about. He was quite positive that his grandmother had found out about CS Productions’s partnership with Rotelle Entertainment.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said when Liliana, the Song family’s housekeeper, opened the door.
“Hello, handsome boy,” Liliana said, laughing, and tousled his hair. “Mrs. Song is in her study. What trouble have you gotten yourself into today?”
His mind immediately flashed back to the darkened halls of the aquarium with Jihae sighing and arching into his body. He shook his head and flashed Liliana his daredevil smile. “What have I not gotten myself into is the question.”
Despite his flippant words, he walked down the hall with solemn steps. He thought he’d prepared himself for this, but one could never be fully prepared to face off with Grace Song. After taking a deep breath, he knocked on the study door.
“Come in,” she ordered.
He opened the door then closed it behind him. Despite his instinct to hightail it out of there, Colin walked up to his grandmother and bowed. “Hal-muh-nee, have you been well?”
“I had been rather well, but I’m not so sure at the moment,” she said with a slight downward turn of her mouth. “Are you ready to explain yourself?”
Damn. She was pissed off. She usually began her interrogations with complete stoicism. The tension in the corners of her mouth didn’t bode well for him. Was he ready to explain himself? No. “Yes.”
“What in the world prompted you to partner with Jihae Park? After what she and her family tried to do?”
“Jihae Park and I aren’t partners. I don’t seem to have the romantic luck that Garrett and Adelaide have,” he quipped, but quickly turned down the humor when his grandmother’s eyes narrowed with impatience. “CS Productions entered into a promising partnership with Rotelle Entertainment. It has nothing to do with us personally.”
“And who might this us be?”
“Jihae and me.”
“Jihae and you are an us to you?”
An emotion between fear and doubt churned through him. “Grandmother, you’re playing word games with me. If you think I’ve forgotten what Rotelle tried to do to Garrett, then you don’t know me at all. I’m not only looking out for CS Productions’s interests but those of our family.”
“You’re not altogether wrong about me being a little unreasonable right now,” she conceded with a sigh. “But we almost lost Natalie and the baby because of the Parks. Well, them, and Garrett behaving like a complete fool by pushing Natalie away like that. All in all, it’s not something I could easily forget or forgive.”
“And that brings me to my second motivation for entering into a partnership with Rotelle Entertainment.” Colin sat forward in his seat. “Jihae Park doesn’t know that I’m your grandson, since we’ve made sure that only our family and our oldest friends know.”
“Go on.”
“I could earn her trust and find evidence of Rotelle Corporation’s involvement in the espionage attempt against Hansol.”
“While you work with her on a project that will benefit CS Productions? Do you think that wise? Or honorable?”
“Honorable? They’re the ones who started the war. I only mean to end it with justice.”
“Technically, Garrett began the war by refusing her hand. I have to take partial responsibility for that, as well.”
“Are you defending them now?” Colin couldn’t understand his grandmother’s reaction. Didn’t she want the Parks brought to justice?
“Not at all. The only one I care about in this twisted farce is you, my child.” Grandmother sighed, shaking her head slowly. “You’ve told me, and shown me, how much CS Productions means to you. You are putting your company at risk by this stunt you’re intending to pull. What happens to the partnership if she finds out who you are? What happens when she finds out you’ve set out to betray her and her family from the start?”
“Jihae is a brilliant businesswoman. I don’t believe she would jeopardize the film because of a personal falling-out. She wouldn’t. I know her.” But Colin also knew that Jihae would never forgive him for intending to spy on her.
“Suk-ah,” his grandmother said, her tone softening with the use of his Korean name. “Listen to yourself. You believe Jihae Park to possess integrity. If what you say of her is true, then I find it hard to believe that she was involved in the corporate espionage. Perhaps she’s in the dark about what Rotelle Corporation did. Or perhaps your objectivity has already been compromised. Either way, if you keep pushing yourself to spy on Rotelle Corporation through her, I’m afraid you’ll only be harming CS Productions and your conscience.”
Colin realized that she was right. The more time he spent with Jihae, the harder it was to believe that she was involved in her family’s attempt to sabotage the Hansol-Vivotex partnership, not to mention Garrett’s marriage. What he knew of Jihae did not fit such subterfuge. But maybe he was allowing his attraction to her cloud his judgment. He refused to let that happen.
“I apologize for not agreeing with you, Hal-muh-nee. The partnership with Rotelle Entertainment will put CS Productions on the map, and working closely with Jihae will allow me to bring Rotelle Corporation to justice.”
“Rotelle and Jihae, you mean?”
“Yes,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Rotelle Corporation should pay for their crime, but I don’t want this bad blood to affect your future. The espionage attempt was ultimately a failure, and Garrett and Natalie are happy as can be,” Grandmother said, searching his face. “I understand and accept your professional judgment in forming a partnership with Rotelle Entertainment, but compromising your integrity to bring someone else to justice could bring you down to their level in a blink of an eye.”
“If you’re worried about me losing my way, please don’t. I know exactly what I’m doing.” Ha. He was so conflicted and lost. He needed his grandmother’s guidance more than ever.
“You have always been the most stubborn child,” she huffed. “Despite what you believe, I am happy that you are doing so well on your own. It is true I would be happier if you were thriving in Hansol, but you did not disappoint me. There is nothing to make amends for or repay. We are family, and I am your grandmother. Do not let a false sense of gratitude or guilt persuade you to harm your conscience or integrity.”
“Thank you for your reassurance, Hal-muh-nee.” A suffocating weight lifted off his chest at his grandmother’s words. He had no idea how much he needed to hear that. “And I will take your advice to heart.”
Grandmother was right. He wasn’t convinced of Jihae’s guilt as he had first been, and the thought of actively gaining her trust just to betray her made him sick to his stomach. Besides, he wasn’t getting anywhere with it. He hadn’t even been able to take the few opportunities he had to steal a glimpse at Jihae’s computer because his conscience got in the way.
He would continue to be alert and on the lookout for information about Rotelle Corporation, but he would focus on producing the best film he could and take a step back from the amateur sleuth business.