F8

The way he used the word ‘compensate’ after using her body so casually showed how far he was from normal thinking. It wasn’t as if she had initiated their encounters. And yet her body, remembering the sensations, reacted predictably.

Why am I like this?

Soobin bit her lip discreetly, her eyes narrowing.

“Is that all you think about?”

“It’s the only thing we’ve done together. Besides, you seem to be enjoying it.”

“I enjoyed the sandwich too.”

“Then we can do it while you eat.”

“Pervert.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Are you crazy?”

“I hear that sometimes too.”

Woohyeok emptied his cup and stood up. Still sitting down, Soobin watched him.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“I never said I was.”

Woohyeok sighed quietly and walked around the table to Soobin. He held her gaze, then leaned down, his lips close to her ear.

“Once you’ve started a fire, either let it burn brightly or put it out completely. Don’t just sit there and watch someone else’s fire. I don’t have time for games.”

His low voice, accompanied by his warm breath against her ear, was laced with command.

Soobin’s eyes followed him as he straightened, her lips pressed together. She met his smirk and clenched her fists under the table.

Then she stood and followed him.

She quickened her pace, walking ahead of him, her voice nonchalant.

“Follow me.”

Woohyeok’s lips curved into a smile as she walked away, her long hair swaying. He put a hand in his pocket and followed Soobin – who did not even bother to check to see if he was following – at a leisurely pace.

“Get in.”

Soobin stopped in front of a small sports car and opened the driver’s side door, gesturing to the passenger seat.

“It suits you.”

Woohyeok pushed the seat all the way back as far as it would go to accommodate his large frame, and leaned back to look at her.

Soobin fastened her seatbelt and started the engine, the powerful roar vibrating through the small car.

“Buckle up.”

Woohyeok’s lips curved into a smile as Soobin glared at him. He suddenly reached out, cupping her face and pulling her towards him.

Soobin’s eyes widened as his warm breath brushed her lips.

He kissed her deeply, his tongue flicking past her lips, filling her mouth with a sweet taste. Caught off guard by the intensity, Soobin quickly melted into the kiss. Her hands reached up to hug his neck.

But when the searing hand suddenly slipped under the hem of her top, Soobin twisted her body, her closed eyes scrunching in response.

“Stop it.”

Soobin pushed his hand away, her face flushed from the kiss. She looked into his dark eyes, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

That look again.

His eyes were emotionless, devoid of any feeling. Despite the intensity of the kiss and the way he was trying to dominate her. 

“I thought you would do whatever I said.”

“I’m not an object.”

Woohyeok pulled his arm away and traced her swollen lips, glistening with saliva, with his thumb. He savored the soft texture as his eyes softened, but Soobin’s only narrowed.

“When it’s in my hands, I do what I want with it. Whether it’s a person or an object.” 

“If that’s how you want to treat me, get out now.” 

“I can’t figure you out. One minute you’re telling me to follow you, the next you’re telling me to get out. You’re pretty good at giving orders.”

Woohyeok sat back and fastened his seatbelt.

Soobin watched him, still nervous despite his relaxed posture. She narrowed her eyes at his gesture, then turned and stepped on the accelerator.

The sudden acceleration threw Woohyeok back into his seat. He looked at Soobin.

He had deliberately provoked her.

Most women who approached him with interest quickly withdrew when he treated them like this. The fact that she still clung to him suggested that she had an ulterior motive.

He just didn’t know if it had something to do with his past or if she was just more ambitious than the others.

“How is Naman Trading these days? There was a bit of a problem, but things seem to be back on track.”

Soobin was silent for a moment before speaking.

“I don’t really pay attention to the affairs of the company. All I know is that there aren’t any major problems.”

“I understand your father is the only one running Naman Trading. So you’re the sole heir. Shouldn’t you be more concerned?”

He hinted that she might be approaching him for that very reason.

“Does Woohyeok-ssi care about the Cheonil Group? I heard you’re the only grandson of the former chairman.”

“You pretend not to care, but you seem quite interested in me.”

Her expression remained unchanged, even as he tried to provoke her.

Woohyeok sat up and moved closer to her.

Soobin looked at him, his breath warm against her skin, and instinctively leaned away.

“Why are you doing this? I’m trying to drive.”

“I’m curious why you’re so attracted to me. Do you have some unusual fetish?”

He looked at her hands, gripping the wheel tightly.

Even though she was acting nonchalant, her impatience was evident in her every move. It was a subtle reaction, one that would have gone unnoticed if he wasn’t always suspicious, scrutinizing every action of those around him. 

Woohyeok licked his lips. He was torn between prolonging the situation and savoring the suspense, or going all out and pushing her into a corner. Both options were tempting. 

Soobin frowned, curious at his sudden silence. She glanced at him and was astonished to see him slumped back in his seat, his eyes closed, fast asleep.

“Woohyeok-ssi.”

She called his name quietly, but he didn’t respond.

She felt a pang of disappointment, wondering if she was that unimportant to him. But then she decided it was probably for the best.

Compared to the countless women who had thrown themselves at him, her background was below average. And she was young, as he had pointed out. It would have been easy to dismiss her as just another naive girl trying to take advantage of him.

Everything that Secretary Kwak had said was true.

She was full of doubt and fear when she said that there would be no problem if she just followed her orders like a puppet. But when she saw Woohyeok playing along like this, she felt a chill creep into her heart.

[Concentrate on getting Jeong Woohyeok’s attention first. That’s all you need to know for now. I’ll tell you what to do next when the time comes.]

Even though she had the steering wheel in her hands, she had the feeling that she was blindly driving down an unknown road.

She looked down at her hands. For a moment she considered jerking the wheel to escape the situation. But she quickly dismissed the reckless thought.

Soobin straightened her gaze, clenched her jaw and stepped on the gas.

 

***

 

Strange.

He’d been losing sleep lately, but he hadn’t expected to fall asleep in the car. He usually had trouble falling asleep, even in a comfortable bed, but he couldn’t remember falling asleep in the cramped passenger seat.

“You know it’s rude to fall asleep next to the driver, don’t you?”

“We got here earlier than I expected.”

Ignoring her, Woohyeok leaned his forehead against the window and got out of the car. He stretched his stiff neck, then bent back in and looked at Soobin.

“Aren’t you getting out?”

“Why should I?”

“I assumed you’d follow me.”

“And give you another reason to be suspicious?”

Soobin didn’t seem inclined to get out of the car, so Woohyeok paused, then got back in.

“Why are you getting back in?”

“I’m hungry. There’s a good Korean restaurant nearby. The food is not bad.”

“I’m not hungry.”

It was hard to get used to Woohyeok’s unpredictable behaviour. Even though she seemed to be getting the hang of it. 

“I’ll give you another chance.”

Soobin understood what he meant and bit her lip.

She had deliberately asserted her own will, both to keep him interested and to avoid being completely swept away by him. She had acted as he had wanted her to, but still maintained a sense of composure, conveying her own desires. 

But she couldn’t bring herself to respond to his condescending tone. If she obeyed, she would look desperate. If she refused, she could lose everything.

“You’re threatening me over a simple meal.” 

“Does that sound like a threat?”

“If you had simply said you wanted to buy me a meal to thank me for driving, do you think I would have refused?”

Woohyeok stifled a laugh at Soobin’s words, blaming him for everything that had led to her refusal.