Chapter 17
AARON
The entire taxi ride is quiet. I keep my eyes on the city, lit up in streaks of traffic and rain, pretending I’m not watching for her reflection in the window.
Minji is composed to the point of parody: back pin-straight, hands folded over her purse, jaw set in that particular way that says she is running through every possible scenario at triple speed.
Underneath it, her foot taps with unconscious energy, and her eyes dart to the meter, to the windshield, to the street outside, chasing something she obviously doesn’t want to say.
When the cab pulls to the curb at her building, she pays—without looking at me, almost as if she’s afraid to make it real by meeting my eyes—and slides out with the kind of efficiency that gives nothing away.
I scramble out after her, clutching my own backpack like a middle schooler, and follow her to the lobby.
The doorman gives us a look that is both professional and vaguely paternal, as if to remind me that this woman is not alone in the world and I had better remember that. I do. I remember everything, and the last thing on my mind is hurting her.
We don’t speak in the elevator, but the tension is electric.
I know she feels it too. Minji stands just far enough away that we’re not touching, but when the elevator jolts, our arms brush for a split second and neither of us pulls back.
A jolt runs down my spine, and I can’t tell if it’s hope, fear, or just the thrill of being close to her again.
She unlocks her door, and I hover on the threshold, uncertain. For a heartbeat, she stands with her back to me, silent, and I brace for rejection. Instead, she simply breathes, then turns. Her eyes burn with want, shadowed by a flicker of doubt.
“Last chance to change your mind.” I stand in the entryway, making no move to come further into her space without permission. I need her to be one hundred percent sure she wants this, too.
“Do you want a drink?” she asks, motioning for me to come in. “I can make coffee.”
I step closer, closing the space between us until she has to look up to meet my eyes. The apartment smells like rosemary and lemons, and the lighting is warm and golden.
Forget the coffee. “The only thing I want to drink is you.” I rest my hands on her hips. “I want to taste your pleasure. I want every drop until I’m drunk on you.”
Her breath stutters, a shiver running through her as her pupils darken. She’s still fighting the pull between us, but I can see her defenses crumbling, inch by inch.
“Aaron,” she whispers.
I touch her face, my thumb tracing her cheekbone. “Tell me to leave, and I will. I know we said we’re starting over, but honestly, I can’t just sit here and have coffee with you right now. All I can think about is fucking you into the mattress.”
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she reaches up and wraps her fingers around my wrist, holding on, not pulling away. Her touch sends a jolt through me.
“I don’t want you to leave,” she admits. “Not tonight.”
That’s all I need. I kiss her, hungry and desperate. She tastes like liquor and longing, her lips opening as her arms pull me closer. I walk her back until she’s against the wall, my hands roaming the curves I’ve missed. I unbutton her cardigan and toss it aside.
“You’re probably sick of hearing it, but you look incredible,” I murmur against her neck, trailing kisses to her collarbone. “Even in jeans and a t-shirt, you’re breathtaking.”
She laughs, light and breathless. “Every time you see me in casual clothes, it’s like spotting a rare animal, isn’t it?”
I lean back to take her in. “It is. In college, you lived in hoodies and leggings. I swore you didn’t own anything else.”
“You noticed a lot about me, didn’t you?”
“A lot—more like everything.”
“Yet you moved on quickly.”
“Well, you did ghost me.” I hold her waist, silently wishing we could leave the past behind and just start again.
“And here we are now.” Her voice is breathless.
“I’ve learned that if you’re persistent, you get what you want. The world’s giving me another shot with you, and I’m going to do everything I can to make you mine.”
I pull her shirt off, revealing a black lace bra that leaves me speechless. “I like to think I’m doing a good job at that right now,” I tell her, pressing a kiss to the swell of her breast. “Don’t you agree?”
She runs her fingers through my hair, pulling me back to her mouth. I get lost in her kiss, in the soft sounds she makes as my hand moves up her jean-covered thigh.
“Bedroom,” she gasps when we finally break for air. “Now.”
I follow her down the hallway, watching the way she moves in her jeans. When we reach her bedroom, she turns to me, quickly stepping out of her sneakers and jeans. I have to hide my grin—clearly, I’m not the only one eager tonight.
Minji stands before me in nothing but lingerie.
I didn’t appreciate her beauty enough in college.
Now I have the time to drink my fill. Last time, I devoured her without savoring, so this time, I will take my time.
Her body is a revelation in the soft glow of her bedroom.
I let my eyes roam slowly, drinking her in—the gentle curve where her waist dips before flaring into the swell of her hips, the smooth expanse of her stomach rising and falling with each breath.
I see a small beauty mark just above her left hip that I don’t remember from college.
I want to press my lips against it, claim it as a discovery only I have made.
“Why are you just staring?” she asks, shifting from one foot to the other.
“I’m admiring God’s greatest creation.” I let out a low whistle, stepping closer. “You’re beautiful, Minji.”
Her eyes drop—a rare bit of shyness from someone who’s usually so confident. I lift her chin with my finger, making her look at me.
“I need you to really hear this. Not just as the writer, or the guy who craves you. Me—the man who wants to be your future.” Maybe it’s too much, but I don’t care. “When I call you beautiful, I mean every part—your mind, your armor, and the softness you keep hidden.”
“You don’t have to sweet-talk me, Aaron. I’m going to let you sleep with me anyway. That’s why you’re in my bedroom.”
“I know that’s why I’m here,” my voice dropping as I close the gap. “But I want you to know why I’ll still be here when the sun comes up.”
I draw her in, her skin hot beneath my palms, her pulse wild. I lower my mouth until our breath mingles, lips barely apart.
“I want all of you, even the parts you’re too scared to show anyone.”
She tenses in my arms, that old tension coming back to her shoulders. “Aaron, don’t—”
I silence her with a kiss, hands mapping the curves I’ve missed, each touch a rediscovery. I unfasten her bra, and she shivers as cool air grazes her skin. I cup her breasts, my thumbs brushing her nipples until they harden.
“We already discussed this over dinner, Counselor,” I whisper against her neck, tasting the salt on her skin. “To new beginnings.” I guide her backward until her legs hit the bed. “Lie down,” I tell her, my voice rough with desire.
She obeys, eyes heavy with want as I strip off my shirt. Her gaze devours me, lingering on bare skin. I shed my shoes and climb onto the bed, trailing kisses down her stomach.
I slide my fingers into the waistband of her panties and slowly pull them down her legs. She’s already wet, and the sight makes me ache. I want to take my time, to savor every inch of her, but Minji has never been one for slow and gentle.
I kiss up her inner thigh, feeling her tense with anticipation. When my mouth finds her center, she gasps and grabs my hair. I take my time, savoring her taste, letting her soft sounds drive me wild.
“Aaron,” she moans, her hips rising to meet my mouth.
I slide two fingers inside her, curling them to find the spot that made her scream before. She tightens around me as I use my tongue and fingers, building her pleasure. I feel her getting close, her thighs shaking beside my head.
“Not yet.” I lick my lips, pulling back just before she reaches her peak.
Her eyes snap open, frustration written all over her face. “What are you doing?”
I rise, unfasten my belt, and shed my jeans and boxers. Crawling back between her thighs, I murmur, “I want to see you when you come this time.” I kiss her, letting her taste herself. “I want to watch your face when I’m inside you.”
She reaches down, wraps her hand around me, and guides me to her. “Patience,” I whisper against her skin. “We have all night, remember?”
“I have no patience left,” she gasps, gripping me, her body arching in need. Just days ago, she pretended I was invisible—now, her hunger is the most erotic change I’ve ever witnessed.
“Is this what you want?” I move her hands away and slowly run myself over her clit, teasing her without entering, just letting her squirm in anticipation. “You want to feel me stretch you again? Want to see how deep I can reach?”
Her hips buck, and her nails dig into me. “Aaron, if you make me beg—”
“Oh, I’m gonna make you beg,” I growl. “I want you to remember how you sound when you’re desperate for me.”
She tries to glare, but another gasp breaks through as I push just the tip in, then pull back, then go a little deeper. “Fuck—” She squeezes her eyes shut, the word ripped from deep inside her.