JENNIE
Taehyung isn't gone long, but when he returns to the kitchen where I've been waiting, I can tell instantly something is wrong.
He's tense. His eyes are wild. His breathing is shallow. His hands clench and unclench, the way they do when he's especially agitated. I can't decide if he's furious, anxious, or something else, but whatever it is, it freaks me out.
"Are you okay?"
He heads directly for me, grabs me off the counter stool and into a crushing bear hug, and exhales raggedly into my hair.
My words are muffled against his heaving chest. "Taehyung? Um. It's hard to breathe."
Gripping my upper arms, he pulls away and stares down at me. His gaze is blisteringly intense. His jaw works, but he doesn't say anything.
"That must've been some phone call," I say, watching him warily. "Is everything all right?"
"No. I mean, aye. It will be. I hope."
Hope? He doesn't use words like "hope." I've never seen him this distracted and on edge. He's totally weirded out.
He looks like someone just told him he won the biggest lottery in history, but to collect the money he has to saw off his own legs with a rusty knife.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
I say drily, "Gee, what a surprise."
He drags me back into a bear hug and fists a hand in my hair. Into my ear, he says roughly, "I have to go out for a few hours. I want you ready for me when I come back. Naked, in bed, wet, and ready. No arguments."
Dear god, this man is infuriating!
I'm about to protest, but he cuts me off with a kiss. It's hard and demanding, edged with desperation, and the best kiss he's ever given me.
Instead of hollering about bossy macho men with no manners, I melt.
He releases me so abruptly I stagger to one side and lean against the island, gasping. He strides out of the kitchen to the elevator bank without looking back, disappearing through the doors the instant they slide open. Then he's gone, leaving me staring after him in disbelief.
I have no idea what just happened.
Knowing Taehyung, I never will.
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Beautifully Cruel
FanfictionHe was a stranger to me, a dark and dangerous presence who materialized from the shadows one rainy night to save me from a vicious attack. I didn't know his name or where he was from. All I knew was that the only place I'd ever felt safe was in his...
