Finally breaking off the kiss, Yeo Wool breathed, “Come with me, my love.” He threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her towards his mother’s house.
He led her through the back entrance and down a hallway. To his rooms.
Her eyes grew wide as she stood within the first doorway as he crossed the room to reach the desk in his office.
“Yeo Wool, is this your bedchamber?” she called after him as she peeked through the doorway into the next room.
He glanced back at her and noted the direction of her gaze. “Yes,” he responded before turning towards his desk once more. He opened a drawer and retrieved something.
Looking back at him, she noted that he was busy in his office. So she ventured into his bedchamber alone. And noted the opulent covers on his big bed. She pictured herself lying in that bed with him. And her heart rate accelerated.
Still, she felt like facing her fears today. Yeo Wool’s love – and his lack of expectations – emboldened her. She crossed the room and reached out a hand to run her fingertips down the silk of his sheets.
“Do you like this room?” he queried from the doorway.
Startled, she turned towards him. “I do.” It surprised her. But she felt…comfortable here.
“Then you can have it. I’ll move across the hall. There’s another bedroom on the other side of that door.” He gestured towards the opposite wall. If your girls don’t stay in here with you, they can stay there.”
“I want you to stay in this room with me,” she admitted boldly.
And his mouth ran dry. He stared at her. Frozen. Finally, he blinked.
“You…what?” He furrowed his brow.
“I’m not saying that I’m ready to be with you completely…I’m not saying that I’ll ever feel ready for that…but if you think that you can control your feelings…”
“I know I can,” he uttered emphatically.
She inhaled sharply. “I trust you, Yeo Wool. And I…want to be with you too.”
He closed the distance between them and reached for her. She melted into his arms and gazed up at him.
“And Se Ri was right.”
He furrowed his smooth brow. “About what?”
“You do make me laugh,” she smiled at him, “and you make me happy. Happier than I have ever been.”
“Really?” he asked in surprised wonder.
She nodded her head. “Really.”
She lifted her face, and he instantly accepted her invitation. His lips brushed hers tenderly.
“I love you, Sam Sook,” he murmured against her captivating mouth.
“I love you too, Yeo Wool,” she reciprocated, her lips brushing his. “I think I’ve always loved you. Ever since I saw you in the marketplace.”
“What are you talking about?” he mumbled as his heart began to race for some odd reason.
Had she noticed him in the marketplace when he had first seen her after all those years?
“When we were children – you were just a little boy – I first saw you at the market. I noticed you for some reason. You stood out to me as though highlighted by the gentle rays of the sun. I asked my mother who you were. I knew most of the other nobles’ children, you see. But I did not recognize you.
“You were so beautiful. My mother said that your mother kept you hidden because you didn’t have a father. I loved my father dearly, so her words broke my heart for you. Even then, I wanted to be your friend.”
He stared down at her. “Truly? That’s quite remarkable.”
“Why?”
“Because I remember that day. I was so hungry. I just wanted an apple. But my mother wouldn’t let me have one. And I was so amazed by everything.”
He gazed down at her as he elucidated, “Your mother was right. I rarely went out back then. Going to the market was an intriguing experience. But nothing caught my eye like a certain tall girl with pretty eyes and long, flowing braids.”
Those eyes widened, and she whispered, “Me?” as she poked her sternum with her fingertip.
He nodded.
“But all the girls had long, flowing braids.”
“But none of them had your eyes.” He smiled down into them. “They are still gorgeous. And inquisitive. And brave. Bold as brass,” he murmured. Right before he kissed her again.
“You really noticed me that day?” she asked a few seconds later.
“Well, I can’t guarantee that it was the same day. But I bet it was. Like I said, I rarely went out as a child. And I remember your beautiful face.”
“It’s a rather ordinary face, really, Yeo Wool.”
“Not to me, it isn’t,” he declared firmly as his eyes slid over it tenderly. “It is a most beloved face.”
He bent his head and kissed her cheek.
“One I longed to see.” His lips brushed her cheek again. A little higher up.
“For years.” His mouth caressed her forehead. Before moving to her other cheek.
“One I want to see every day,” he breathed into her ear. Then his lips tenderly grazed her earlobe.
And she felt herself beginning to buzz with excitement.
“For the rest of my life.”
Those lips found hers again. And softly ministered his devotion to her.
In that moment, she felt more adored than even her father had ever made her feel.
