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“So…you and your mother are going to stay here tonight?” Ni Na quizzed Beom Sook half an hour later.

“For tonight, at least.  Possibly longer.”

She heaved a sigh of relief.  “That does make me feel better.”

The tiny hand still holding hers suddenly tugged on her arm.  “Choi Ni Na?” came its matching voice.

“Hmm?”

Great, wide eyes gazed imploringly up at her.  “You’re not going to leave me tonight, are you?” asked Dae Hee pitifully.

“Oh,” Ni Na’s eyes found Beom Sook’s for just a second before meeting those of the little girl.  “Well, I was planning to go home.  But I’ll come back tomorrow morning.”

She watched in dismay as the tiny mite’s eyes filled with tears.  “Please don’t leave me,” she breathed in a truly heart-rending voice.

“Well, Dae Hee, your brother will be with you.  And I’m not sure that there are any more bedrooms here.”

“There are more,” Beom Sook murmured, his eyes never leaving Ni Na’s face.

She glanced up at him.  “Do you mind if I use one tonight?”  His eyes probed hers silently for a few moments.  So she went on to say, “I mean since your mother will be in residence…we’ll be properly chaperoned.  I could stay.”  She shrugged her shoulders.

And her arm began to dance to the rhythm to which a certain little girl had just begun to move.  As Dae Hee bounced up and down on her heels. 

“You’re going to stay with me, Choi Ni Na?” she gasped excitedly.

But Ni Na was still trapped within a particularly unique pair of jade eyes.  She was waiting for his answer.

He bobbed his head after a moment as a smile curved his lips.  “You wish to stay over…at my house, Miss Choi?”

Her eyes widened at his use of her surname.  Did it mean something?

First, he’d told Ae Ri that she was beautiful.  And now he had reverted to calling Ni Na by her surname.  Her heart sank.

She swallowed.  “For…Dae Hee’s sake,” she insisted.  Even as her heart began to race.

All of a sudden, there was something different in his gaze.  Something unfathomable.  That made her stomach do a somersault.  She cleared her throat.

“Is that all right?” she whispered.  Suddenly quite nervous.

His eyes continued to hold hers.  Mysteriously.  He nodded his head.  “Yes.  I’ll have the servants prepare you a room.  Close to Dae Hee’s.”

“Can I stay with you tonight, Choi Ni Na?”

It wasn’t Beom Sook’s voice but Dae Hee’s that had spoken up.

Ni Na peered down at the little girl.  “Don’t you want to stay with your brother?  He might be lonely without you.”

The little girl shook her head.  “I want to stay with you.”

“Oh, dear,” Ni Na gazed imploringly up at Beom Sook, but he didn’t understand what the problem was. 

“Won’t your brother be unhappy if you don’t stay with him?” she directed her question at Dae Hee.

“He’ll be fine.  He says that I always kick him in his sleep.”

Ni Na’s eyes widened.

“In that case,” Beom Sook came to her rescue, “I’ll have the servants make up a little bed for you on the floor in Choi Ni Na’s room.”

The little girl gazed up at her.  “Can I call you Unnie Ni Na?”

And, of course, Ni Na’s heart melted.  Tears flooded her eyes again.  She blinked them back and bobbed her head in response to the girl’s question.  “Of course, Dae Hee.”

The tiny mite beamed at her.  “I want to tell Dae Jong!  Let’s go find him.”

Ni Na glanced back at Beom Sook as the little girl drew her away from him.

He gave her a rueful smile.  She was the one who had, after all, signed them both up for this mammoth undertaking.

––

“Dae Hee, you don’t want to sleep in my room?” the disappointed boy quizzed his sister a few moments later.

“No,” she pouted petulantly.  “Unnie Ni Na said that I can stay in her room.”

He frowned up at the woman.  “You want her to stay in your room?”

“She asked to stay in my room.  And I didn’t want to disappoint her.  I imagine her first night spent in a strange house is a little…scary,” she mouthed the last word.

“All the more reason that she should stay with me!” he ejaculated.  “I’m her brother.  You’re not her sister.  Not her real one, anyway.”

“I know it,” she tried to calm the agitated boy.

“I want to stay with Unnie Ni Na!” the girl gasped.  “Please, Dae Jong!  Just tonight.  I’ll sleep with you tomorrow night.”

The boy was truly distressed.

“There is another solution,” came a calm, masculine voice from behind Ni Na.  She turned towards Beom Sook.

“What’s that, milord?” the young man asked him respectfully.

“Choi Ni Na and I could sit up in your room with you both until Dae Hee falls asleep.”

The boy’s face lit up.  “She falls asleep a couple of hours before I do.  You could sit with her early.  Once she’s asleep, I’ll go to my room.”  He was hoping to spend some more time playing games with his friends.

Ni Na nodded.  “I can do that job by myself.  Freeing you, my lord, to spend the evening however you wish,” she informed him cheerfully.

“You don’t wish to spend it with me, my dear?” he murmured quietly.  Provocatively.

She glanced sharply up at him.  “I…I didn’t mean…”  Perplexed, she allowed her voice to trail off. 

Just what exactly was he after?

–– 

But when the time came, his presence was required.  For all the children had stayed up late.  Due to their afternoon naps and the newness of their environment, they were all quite wired.  Finally, around ten that evening, Beom Sook and Ni Na encouraged them all to take to their beds.  She and the lord entered Dae Hee’s bedroom.  It was fairly small.  And possessed only one bed.

The boy crawled into one side and encouraged his sister to take the other.  Ni Na tucked her in and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.  But the little girl reached up and grabbed her hand.

“Stay with me, Unnie Ni Na,” she begged.

“I’m going to sit on the floor.  Right here by the foot of your bed.  All right?” the woman’s gentle voice soothed her.

The little girl nodded and released her hand. 

Ni Na sat down on the cold floor and leaned up against the wall.  After a few moments, she shivered.  Beom Sook had seen that tremor in the light of the tiny lamp burning on the side table.  He crossed the room and sat down next to her.  He shrugged out of his outer robe and held it out towards her. 

“Here.  Wear it.”

She glanced sharply up at him.  Startled.  “But…you’re going to be cold.”

He shook his head.  “I’m fine.”  He continued to hold it up, so she leaned away from the wall.  He helped her into his robe, drawing the two sides together over her torso.  Then he reached around her and drew her close to his side.  Until her head was resting awkwardly against his shoulder.  She was too mortified to respond to his unexpected movement. 

She was mortified because she desired to lean into him and snuggle up against that strong chest of his.  Placing her hand over his heart.  She fought that impulse for a few very uncomfortable minutes.  But his soft voice finally sounded in her ear. 

“This isn’t really comfortable.  Can you move this way?”

She turned towards him.  Glancing up into his beautiful face.  And felt her heart dip. 

“Here.  Put your legs here.”  He gestured to his lap.

“What?” she croaked.

“Just swing them over.  So you’re half-facing me.  You can rest your head on my chest.”

Was he suggesting that she cuddle with him on the floor of the children’s bedroom?  With Dae Hee watching?

“My lord,” she whispered, scandalized.  She glanced back up at the kids.

“Ah.”  He released her abruptly and jumped up.  Oddly disappointing her. 

He crossed the room and picked up the lamp.  As he looked at her – to firmly root her location in his mind – he blew out the lamp, set it on the table, and crossed the room.  Coming to sit next to her again.  Then he reached for her.  Sliding his arm around her again.

“Come,” he breathed into her ear.

Making her crave a whole host of delicious things.  She leaned towards him.  But the position was still awkward.  After a few silent moments, she was shocked to feel his hand touching her knee.

“Come.  Put your legs over my lap.”

She found that she lacked the fortitude to resist his appeal.  That hand on her knee was wreaking havoc with her heart.  Even through the layers of her clothing.  She drew her legs up and pulled them over his lap.  But she nearly squeaked a moment later when he pulled her close, lifting her up off the floor.  She landed in his lap.  As his arms came around her.

She was instantly shocked.  And…fascinated.  She buried her face in his chest.  She wasn’t about to speak to him now.  She must be imagining this little interlude.  The man had no interest in her beyond the platonic.  So why was he holding her close?

“We can’t have you getting sick now,” he murmured into her hair.  “You have two dozen children counting on you.”

Ah.  He was just concerned that she would get a chill. 

She relaxed and leaned into him.  Content for the moment to breathe in the comforting scent of honeycomb once again.