But Jungkook didn’t notice. He was still staring at her bedroom window. Such a faraway expression in his eye that she wondered where he was exactly. He’d done that often. Simply checked out in the middle of a conversation. She always wondered where he was during those moments.
Frustrated yet again, she realized that she’d forgotten her key to the building. If she went out into the rain to get his attention, she would lock them both out of her building. She’d have to waste more time running back upstairs. He was already shaking from the cold rain. Then she got an idea.
She opened the door and began to wave her umbrella at him. Back and forth. Up and down. He seemed oblivious. She was about to give up when she did it one last time. His eyes swiveled her way. She was standing in the doorway staring at him.
—
He caught sight of something moving out of the corner of his eye. Then his eyes captured her. He froze.
But she could tell he was looking at her. She was beckoning him with her very insistent hand. He followed that gesture until he’d stepped into the building.
She’d opened the door for him. She’d bent over pushing it until she’d realized he’d caught it with his hand. She backed up, but it did no good. He was suddenly sharing her air. He came straight up to her.
But he stopped abruptly a hairsbreadth away from her. He didn’t want to get her wet. He was shivering. Shaking, he stood on the threshold of the door as his eyes devoured her face hungrily.
Three whole weeks. He hadn’t seen her face in three whole weeks. His eyes filled with tears as he gazed down at her. She was so beautiful. He wanted to reach out and slide his finger down her cheek. He longed to draw her into his arms and find her mouth with his own. To kiss her sweetly. Lingeringly. Passionately. .
“Jungkook.”
The grazing of that voice broke through his reverie. His gaze sharpened on her face. His eyes probed hers. She rarely spoke to him. What was she going to say?
“Go home,” she whispered roughly. Her voice always came out that way. But tonight it held a plea.
His eyes dueled with hers. He shook his head.
“I’m not going anywhere. Now that I’ve seen you, I’m assured it’s true.”
She furrowed her brow. He watched in fascination as two dark valleys appeared between her twin eyebrows.
“What’s true?” Again that rough voice.
“You love me.”
Suddenly, the air she’d been breathing evaporated. She closed her eyes as her lungs clawed her ribcage as they valiantly sought oxygen. To no avail. She knew what this was. She’d experienced it many times before. Usually, in the dark of her own apartment. Alone. As she cowered before her fears. She was experiencing a panic attack. She bent over and focused on drawing a deep breath.
It didn’t help. She still couldn’t breathe. Could she?
Jungkook suddenly shocked any remaining breath from her lungs. A moment before, he had been bent over her to study her panicking face. Then he had discerned that she was having difficulty breathing. So he abandoned his earlier plan to keep her dry. He shrugged. She had a whole room full of dry clothes upstairs. That was more than could be said of him.
So he bent his body and swept her up in his arms. He began to carry her up the stairs. Thankfully, it was only one flight. But this was why he worked out, right? To rescue a damsel in distress. He quirked his lips in silent humor.
Apparently, she’d found her breath again because in the next moment, she exclaimed, “Jungkook! Jungkook! Put me down!” Her eyes were frantic. “And get out of here!”
But he was stubborn. As she had known he would be. At the whiff of one moment of weakness on her part, he had discerned her truth. That she still loved him. It was what she had feared. That if she let him near her, he would be able to tell how much her heart ached for him.
So he ignored her pleas and carried her to her door. Only, in her haste, she’d left it open, so he didn’t even pause on the threshold. He carried her over it and used his foot to slam it shut. Then, and only then, did he set her down onto her feet.
Right before he pulled her up against him. Gently. But with a quiet and confident air that stole her breath yet again. And his mouth descended upon hers. In a kiss of such ineffable sweetness she could feel her toes curling.
His soft lips roamed over hers as his arms tightened about her. And she lost herself. In his embrace. In the honey of his lips upon her own. She was drowning once more, and she didn’t care. She wound her fingers through that wet hair of his. And she returned his kiss with all the passion in her soul.
This was what she’d spent three weeks longing for. Jungkook. His eyes. His lips. His voice. His touch. Himself. And he was finally here where he belonged. In her arms. At long last.
