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“Jung Sook,” he whispered.

And she jumped, spinning to face him.  Her heart now pounding in her chest.  Her hand flew up over that racing organ.  “I thought you left.”

“I could never leave you, Jung Sook,” he breathed brokenly as his eyes caressed the tears sliding down her cheeks.

He reached out to touch one of those distressed cheeks, but she backed up.  And he noted the panic in her gaze.  Did she truly believe that he was going to hurt her?

“I couldn’t, you know,” he muttered.

She blinked.  “What?  Leave me?”  She could barely breathe.  What was he going to do now?

“Hurt you.  Ever.  I could never lay a hand on you.  Don’t you remember?”  His brow furrowed deeply.  “I saved that child today from her father’s beating.  Do you think I would do less for the woman I…love?”

Her eyes grew wide.  And she was sure that she was now hyperventilating.  No sweet oxygen flooded her lungs with its grace.  She inhaled sharply.  And was shocked to discover that those lungs were still functioning properly.  But that precious breath did nothing to still her wildly fleeing heart.

She closed her eyes.  Unable to believe that he had really spoken those words.  Surely, she had dreamt them.  If he had spoken them…he couldn’t possibly mean them.  No man had ever loved her.

He reached out again, and he did touch her cheek this time.

The brush of his fingers against her face unleashed another memory. 

A second harsh slap of that palm bruised her tender cheek. 

Jung Sook pulled violently away from Soo Ho.  Backing up until she ran into the table behind her.  The bump of its wood against her back recalled another horrific memory.

He bent to haul her up off the floor, and pain ricocheted through her body.  The result of that foot in her ribs.  She whimpered as he tossed her back onto the bed before climbing on top of her.

“Jung Sook,” Soo Ho’s gentle voice caressed her ears once more.  “Please open your eyes.  Look at me.”

The light of his tender voice broke through the darkness of her soul.  And her eyes fluttered open as she was released from the prison of her worst memories.

A sob escaped her lips as her eyes met his. 

“What is it?  What are you so afraid of?” he asked softly.

But she couldn’t speak.  He’d unlocked the floodgates of her soul with his tenderness.  Now all she could do was weep.

“Come here,” he murmured gently.  Holding his arms out towards her.  “Would you…please…let me hold you?”

She blinked.  Overcome by the tenderness in his tone.  And that which was flowing from his gaze.

But it was the tear that convinced her.  As she continued to stare up at him, he blinked, and a lone teardrop overwhelmed his eyelashes, clinging to them momentarily before sliding down his cheek.

She took a step towards him.  Then another.

A moment later, she was leaning up against his strong chest.  Tentatively, she raised her arms to surround him, hugging his back as she pulled him closer to her.

His own strong arms instantly embraced her, and he bent his head to brush his lips across the top of her head.  Surrounded by him, she felt an odd peace invading her soul.  Still, she held herself rigid.  Afraid to let go.

He bent his head.  And breathed into her ear, “Relax.”  He’d just disturbed the tiny hairs growing near her temple.

She tried to obey him.  She made a conscious effort to lean against him, pillowing her head over his heart.

That was when she heard it.

The steady rhythm of that faithful organ.  And she realized that she was fairly convinced of the steadfastness of his heart.

How had she ever believed that Soo Ho was a man who toyed with girls?

Maybe, he had been once.  A boy intent upon grabbing as much pleasure as he could from life.  Without any commitment.  Or even any cognizance of the consequences of his actions.  Impervious to the effect he had upon innocent young girls.

So why was it that she was so convinced that he was no longer defined by that set of values?

––

He held her close and breathed deeply of her scent.  It held no meaning for him.  Except that…it wasn’t a perfume.  He had inhaled the fragrances of many different perfumes rising from a variety of girls.

But this woman smelled simply…clean.  Like the air after a fresh spring rain.

After a few tense moments, he felt her relax against him.  And she continued to weep.  Soon, he could feel her shoulders shaking.  And hear her sobs.  But he didn’t know how to comfort her.

So he merely rubbed his hand up and down across her back. 

He would have been shocked to realize that she felt more enveloped by love than she ever had before.

After a while, she quieted herself.  The sobs ceasing.

“Please…talk to me,” he whispered into her ear.  His breath again teasing her cheek as he bent his head over her.

When she stilled herself completely yet didn’t speak, she heard his soft voice sounding in her ear again.

“Tell me what he…what they did to you.”

She shuddered.  She shook her head.  “You don’t really want to know.  It doesn’t matter.  What’s done is done.  There is no going back.” 

She squared her shoulders and drew away from him.  “I must prepare for the future.  And tomorrow morning, I will be welcoming a little girl into my home.  So I need to get ready for her.”

He wanted to pull her close again, but he allowed his arms to fall to his sides.  She was pushing him away once more.  “Why are you afraid of me?”

Her eyes collided with his.  “I’m not.”

“You are.”  His voice fenced with hers.

She swallowed and looked away.  “You are a kind man, Soo Ho.  You have been very sweet to me.  But we both know that you will soon grow tired of me—”

“Grow tired of you?!”  Now he was raising his voice.  In disbelief.  “Didn’t you hear me?  I love you, Jung Sook.  I love you.”  His voice broke on the second-to-last word.

She stared at him, feeling her own distress growing.  “There are things you don’t know about me, Soo Ho.  If you ever got close to me, you would find me repellant.”

He stared at her in consternation.  “What are you talking about?”

“I am not…alluring,” she finally whispered.

His eyebrows hit the rafters.  “Are you trying to tell me that I don’t find you attractive?”

She bobbed her head.

“But that’s not true.”  He took a step closer to her.  “I do find you attractive.  Very attractive!  Do you have any idea how badly I want to kiss you?”

She swallowed.  “Soo Ho, we both know that when it comes to kissing, you don’t discriminate.  But I’m not talking about kissing.”

Puzzled, he peered down at her.  “I think you’re going to have to speak more plainly.”

He watched in wonder as glorious color suddenly spilled across her cheeks.  Her eyes slid away from him. 

And she cleared her throat.  “Forgive me.  I shouldn’t have begun this conversation.  It’s not becoming.  I beg your pardon.”

She moved away from him and began to finish putting her groceries away.

Soo Ho stood watching her.  Turning her words over in his mind.  “Do I need to show you?” he finally asked quietly.

And Jung Sook began to tremble.