Page 19 of Show Off

“Good night.” I kiss him this time, arching on tiptoe to reach. It’s a sweet kiss. A goodbye kiss that lands an inch to the left of his mouth.

But when Dal draws back, it’s not goodbye in his eyes.

“I’ll see you around.” He goes out the door, the cool breeze stirring my nipples again.

He doesn’t look back as I cross my arms to cover my chest. As I cover what’s stirring inside me.

CHAPTER4

CONFESSIONAL 1102.5

Yang, Dal (Head Chef, Serenade: Juniper Ridge)

Of course I don’t give a fuck about surprise visits from the health inspector. Swing by anytime, I’ve got nothing to hide.

I never understood that.

Why the fuck would you panic for inspections? My dad always said, “A good chef runs his kitchen like he runs his life. If everything’s out in the open, no one can question you.”

[frowns at camera operator]

Things outside my control? I don’t—that doesn’t make sense.

Can you repeat the question?

* * *

Ican’t believe I fucking kissed Lana.

Not just kissed her.

I held her on my lap to feel her grind against my?—

“Earth to Dal.” My brother rolls through the front door of our cabin with Mouse prancing ahead. “You in zombie mode?”

“Hey.” I unhook the dog’s leash and ignore Ji-Hoon’s question as he zips past me on his way through the living room. He’s watching me way too closely. When his eyes skim the ink on my pec, I grab my shirt off the sofa and yank it on quickly.

Ji-Hoon rolls his eyes and cruises past. “Why were you staring out the window like that?”

“Waiting for you.”

It’s such a blatant lie that he snorts. “Sure you were.” He rolls the chair around me as I coil up the leash and tuck it in Mouse’s bin by the door. I hand her a treat while I’m at it, a baked-from-scratch biscuit made with?—

“Would this have anything to do with you getting home late last night?”

“No.” I scratch Mouse’s ears so I don’t have to look at my brother. The dog leans into me, groaning. One leg rabbit-kicks to the side as her tail swishes. For the millionth time, I’m grateful not to be a dog. They suck at hiding emotion.

“Good girl.” I shift to give Mouse a two-handed neck rub. “You like that? Does that feel good?”

My brother snorts again. “No wonder Lana thought what she did.”

“Fuck off.” I never should have told him on our break last night.

Ji-Hoon sniffs the air dramatically as he wheels around me, carefully dodging Mouse’s tail. “You smelled like perfume when you came home after work.”

The man has the nose of a bloodhound. “You’re full of shit.” Abandoning Mouse, I head for the kitchen. “Want lunch?”

The dog wanders off to her bed, but my brother’s on the scent of something better. “Where’d you take that dessert last night?”

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