Tae came up behind her, wrapping his arms around hers. He lowered his face into the crook of her neck and breathed in. Julia leaned her head to the side, giving him easier access. His lips found her pulse point. Kiss. And then her ear. Kiss. Her shoulder blade. Kiss.
“Tae,” she whispered.
He’d never, ever in his entire life get over hearing her say his name like that.
He was already half-hard, and they’d barely had any contact.
“Julia,” he whispered back. He pressed his front closer to her back so she could feel how turned on she made him.
Julia groaned, and Tae continued to make work of her neck, kissing her wherever his lips could reach.
“This feels amazing,” she said. “But I’m so hungry.”
He dropped his chin to her shoulder and laughed. “Right, I promised to feed you.”
She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. “It’s early. We have all night for the fun stuff.”
He nodded and looked down at the mess she was making.
“My roll keeps coming undone. I can’t get it tight enough.”
Tae placed his hands over Julia’s and helped her tuck her fingers to tighten the hold as she rolled the mat.
“Thanks,” she said softly. She reached for a kitchen towel and wiped Tae’s hands for him and then her own. How did Julia do this to him? Making the most efficient of touches feel erotic.
She turned in his arms to face him, and he wrapped his around her waist, drawing her in.
She lifted herself on her toes and kissed him.
He leaned his head to the side and deepened the kiss, his thumb finding its way under the waistband of her slacks, touching her soft, warm skin. He couldn’t get enough contact with her. He was addicted to the feeling of her in his arms.
She pulled back and looked up at him under her lashes. “You eat the ones I made, and I’ll eat the ones you made,” she said, batting her lashes at him.
“You distracted me so you can get the better gimbap.”
She nodded, turned out of his arms, grabbed the plate of rolls he had made, and went to sit at the table, a wicked smile on her face.
Tae smiled as he watched her walk away.
He was so getting her back for that, and he couldn’t fucking wait.
24
Say the Words
Tae
“Can I ask you something?” Julia and Tae sat across from each other at her dining table, a piece of furniture way too fancy to be eating the simple meal at.
“Sure, of course.”
She looked down at her hands, struggling to get the words out.
“Jules, it’s okay. Ask me anything.”
“Are you sure? This is usually the part of a first date where I say something that hurts a man’s feelings,” she said. She raised her eyes to meet his. “I just don’t want to ruin this date by talking about things you’re not comfortable with.”
“I’ll tell you if something makes me uncomfortable, Julia. I promise,” Tae said. “And trust me, you cannot and will not ruin this. It’s technically our fourth date, anyways. I’ve decided to count our practice dates for other guys as real ones for us.”
