The harsh ringing, and vibrating assault, penetrates my sleep-addled brain, pulling me out of darkness, and I groan and attempt to reach for the invasive noise. Semi-aware and caught in a warm comfy bubble until it rudely awakened me. I try to roll towards it, but I'm restricted and held tight in an overly hot embrace around my waist and shoulders that brings me back to consciousness with a jolt and the memory that I'm not in bed alone.
"Goddammit," Jyeon murmurs right at my ear, as sleepy as I am and unamused at the same interruption to our slumber. He is rolling over on top of me, so he half flattens my tiny frame with his weight, chuckling at my 'oofft' noise and catching the cell phone on the bedside, sliding it to him. He braces himself on one arm just enough to let me breathe and get's himself an elbow in the ribs for squashing me. Caging me in and hanging over me in a pose that makes me blush.
"Hello." His voice is gravelly and lazy, and I blink open my eyes fully, adjusting to the early morning dimness to see my handsome and ruffled man leaning up on one elbow and then pushing himself to an upright position. His eyes are closed as he listens to whoever is on the other end. He pushes his free hand into his hair, propping up his forehead, and looks painfully cute at being this tired. He's still fully dressed due to sleeping on top of the duvet last night to clarify that he wasn't going to do or try anything with me other than sleep. His hair is flopping over his fingers, and he generally looks wrinkled and sexy for being rudely awoken. Even like this, half asleep, puffy-eyed, and acting like a grumpy child who's been torn awake, I find him irresistible.
I wriggle under the sheets to free myself now he's no longer gotten me tied up in octopus limbs with my head held fast against his, or pinning me down with his unearthly body mass, and manage to adjust my nightdress and smooth down my bed hair. All night he clung onto me, although we didn't fall asleep until after three am because we kept talking about everything and nothing. I'm sure I look awful, given there were tears, lots of entangled limbs, occasional kisses, and sweating due to shared body heat all night, but it's nice waking up beside him. It does all kinds of weird stuff to my stomach and heart rate, and I haven't yet started to regret this decision. I keep waiting for the doubts to creep in, and I am afraid they will soon.
"Does it say who it's from? … No…. don't open it. Leave it on my desk for me to deal with. It's a personal matter, not for the company." Jyeon runs his hand over his face, scrubbing his eyes, and opens only one to check I'm still lying beside him. He throws me a lazy smile before leaning down and kissing me on my forehead with tender grazing of gentle lips before sitting back up. His expression is cheerful at finding me gazing at him, and he impulsively runs his fingertips across my cheek and then over my lips, distracting himself from the call. Igniting crazy goosebumps, I wonder how I managed to survive a whole night in his arms without allowing him to seduce me completely.
"Hmmm… wait, what? … No, I'll come in for it. I'll be there soon so leave it where I can find it…. Thanks. I'll see you soon." He hangs up his phone and slides away from me, leaving me disappointed that he won't come back to cuddle up and go back to sleep, given it seems crazy early and I'm still exhausted. I have no idea what time it is, but it feels like it's probably around eight am, and I know his secretary always used to start around then. She still does and is dealing with his mail.
"What is it? Are you leaving?" I can't disguise the disappointed tone or the sadness that comes over me at him going already, and I know I'm being stupidly needy. Giving him doe eyes and a slight pouted lip that pulls a full smile across his face. It feels like last night was a turning point for us both, and I'm not ready to get up and face the day alone for fear of the doubts creeping back in.
"Yup. WE are, so get up." He reaches under the sheet at the bottom of the bed, catches my legs by the ankles in a firm grip, and tugs me, so I'm pulled down the bed with a little scream and yelp. Flailing like a wild cat while being lost under the sheets as they smother me.
"Jyeon!!!" I thrash about to free myself from his grip and relent when he tugs me again, right down the mattress so my feet land on the floor at its foot, and he whips the covers off me completely. I scramble to cover my skimpy negligee and tug it back down my thighs, crossing my arms over my breasts in a reactive manner and catching him eyeing me up with evident appreciation. It's not that he hasn't seen me naked before, but it's been almost six years, and I'm majorly shy around him when half-dressed.
"I hired an independent lab to dissect the car. The report's been delivered, and for now, it's staying between you and me until we know if the car was tampered with. Get dressed, Mrs. Park. We have to go collect it and then head to mine for a shower. Bring some clothes with you." He leans in and darts a kiss on my lips, a quickfire peck, before turning and picking up his shoes and discarded jacket and heading for my bathroom to pull himself together. Seemingly comfortable in us being a couple again and not hesitant to act like a boyfriend. Only I never had any of this from him before, and it feels shiny and new and nerve-wracking.
"Do you have any hair products?" he yells through once he's out of sight, and I panic to scramble upright and start searching for clothes I can pull on before he comes back. It was fine being dressed this way while under sheets. It's entirely different walking around in front of him like this.
"Greta uses some, yeah… try the cabinet under the sink," I call back, hoping he takes at least ten minutes so I can dress and yank my wardrobe open to be faced with a sea of comfy and casual clothes. I start tossing them aside to find something pretty. I'm in a mess and overly aware that I want to dress up a little and look nice for him. So in contrast from wanting to run away from him yesterday.
"Can you two pipe down…. It's way early for this, and I only fell asleep after making sure you two weren't killing one another." Greta mumbles from my now open door, draped in a blanket to scold us and looking like utter death. She was never good with lack of sleep.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. We have to go out; it's about the car. So go back to bed, and I'll tell you everything when I come back later. Enjoy the quiet." I wave her away in a hurried fashion.
"You two are a thing now, though, right? Everything sorted last night? There was no screaming, bloodshed, or things smashed, so I assumed he was groveling. I mean… he slept here, and you look…. smiley." She winks, stifling a yawn with a fist in her gaping mouth, and slumps against the door frame to lean her head against it. Giving me a dreamy and slightly dirty eyebrow wiggle.
"Yes, I guess we are. Nothing happened like that, though. We talked and slept…. kissed a little, but nothing sexual. Get that out of your gutter mind." I hush my tone, raising a brow at her, and get a grin in response. I'm trying to keep my voice on the low in case he can hear us.
"You are two consenting adults who also happen to be already married. I'm kinda shocked he managed to keep his hands to himself while you're practically naked." She nods up and down my black slip of lace and reminds me I have zero time before he saunters out and yelp in realization. Rushing back to the cupboard while waving her away.
"Go. I have to get dressed… leave me be. I'll call you or text you when I know what's happening."
"Just one thing… Claire's not dead, right? And you two are fine now?" She stays put, that stubborn air that means she won't move without a response.