The skyline drifted past the tinted windows of Namjoon's car. Maia was awed at the luxurious interior of his car – a sleek black sedan that could easily pass for a minivan. Her eyelashes barely kissed the tops of her cheeks because she was taking everything in visually. And when she turned to steal a glance at Namjoon, she caught him staring at her. "The skyline just amazes me every time I see it. I grew up in Kuwait, so most of my childhood glimpses of the shoreline was still developing, painted with tall yellow cranes and construction sites. Seeing this," she said, animatedly pointing towards his tinted windows, "they just amaze me. Like, ever since I came here, I never get tired of its beauty."
Namjoon chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief at the naïve girl in front of him. "Some things lose luster after you get accustomed to it. I think there's only someone that could make me feel like that anymore." "Oh? The great Kim Namjoon is hard to please? I think with the amount of museums you've been to, it'd be the obvious thing to say." She chastised herself for sounding so forward, and bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in an offensive way," she said, staring at her lap. "Hey," he said, catching her attention, by clutching her clasped hands in his own. "Don't worry about it. That wasn't offensive. It wasn't a moot observation."
Maia couldn't believe the hands that were clasping hers. Her ears began heating up, and she looked at him with tentative eyes. His gaze softened on her. "Okay," she whispered, her breath hitching in her throat. He cleared his throat, coming to sudden realization of how close the two were, and Maia fixed her scarf. "Where are we going, though? This isn't the way towards my hotel."
"I wanted to add another memorable moment to your stay here."
"Really? Tutoring you will be the highlight of my life, trust me. I'm not sure what will top that, if at all there will be any, which I doubt."
"You'll see."
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Their car stopped in front of a beautiful brownstone building, and Namjoon hopped off, went around the car and opened the door for Maia. She almost lost her footing, but Namjoon was quick to hold her, his hand instinctively grabbing onto her waist. Her breath hitched but before she could react, his arm retracted. She smiled at him, and said, "I'll remember to keep your number saved so that when I'm all famous, I'll have a dashing chauffeur on line."
"By all means, Ssaem."
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The porch was very minimalist: wood tiles against the path, vintage French windows that encased flowy draped white curtains. The driveway had pretty clematis and orchids welcoming the guests, a plum tree in the far right rustling against the breeze. "The outside is breathtaking, Joonie. This is like a dream house."
"Wait until you see the inside."
"Why, Mr. Kim, is this where I choose my safe word and dial my bestie just in case I'm being kidnapped?" Maia folded her arms and smirked at him mischievously. He bit his lip and walked in her direction, slowly, as if a predator hunter its prey. "Stay away from Fifty Shades innuendos, Maia-nim. And moreover, BDSM isn't my thing, yeah?" he whispered, a breath away from each other.
CPR! CPR! CPR!
Maia's mouth hung open at the boldness, and she looked at him like she was hit by the strongest hurricane, losing any semblance of coherence. Namjoon chuckled, and lifted her chin, closing her mouth. "Now, if you have no other questions, let's go inside."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excuse you, Mr. Kim Namjoon, why are you suddenly fluent in flirting?
