Page 58 of Gumiho Kiss
She closed her eyes but nodded.“I know it’s dangerous and utterly foolish, but I just ...I just ...”
Min Joon grabbed her hand, and when she opened her eyes, her friend’s expression was full of compassion.“You don’t need to explain.”He swiped a tear off her cheek.“Who can truly know the ways of the heart?”
Chin Sun’s mouth widened into a real smile.She hoped Min Joon knew just how much she appreciated his tenderness.If their roles had been reversed, she would have chided him for letting his heart run away from him.
“Do you think ...”She took a deep breath, gathering her courage.“Do you think there’s any possibility he could feel the same?”
A spark of mischief lit up Min Joon’s face, as if he knew something she didn’t.“If the way he acted when we first met is any indicator, I’d say there’s astrongpossibility.”
“What do you mean?”Her brow furrowed as she tried to conjure up the memory.“How did he act?”
Min Joon waggled his eyebrows.“Like he was so jealous he wanted to choke me.”
What?Mr.Park, jealous?Fire blazed down the back of Chin Sun’s neck, but try as she might, she couldn’t stop grinning.Up until now, she hadn’t allowed herself to dream he might reciprocate her feelings.But if Min Joon was right ...
She dipped her head in a quick bow, suddenly eager to return home.“I better go.”
Chapter20
The Confession
Hyun Soo had been waiting outside Lady Lee’s quarters for almost an hour now, and to say he was anxious was an understatement.None of the servants had seen her this morning, but they’d given him judgmental looks when he’d asked after her whereabouts.What good was a bodyguard who couldn’t keep track of the mistress he’d sworn to protect?
His palms were slick with sweat, a host of possible reasons for her absence trickling through his mind.What if she’d been more injured last night than he’d thought?What if she’d been captured or?—
A swish of floral orange skirts announced Lady Lee’s arrival, and when she noticed him in the hallway, she gave him a shaky grin.“Mr.Park!”
Hyun Soo bounded over and clasped her hands between his.“Lady Lee, are you all right?”
His mistress didn’t speak at first, a soft blush coming over her cheeks.“Yeh, of ...of course.I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was going out, but I had an urgent matter to attend to.”
Hyun Soo’s brow wrinkled.Why wasn’t she meeting his eye?
“What sort of matter was so urgent that you wouldn’t bring your bodyguard along?”
The rosy color in her cheeks deepened, and he followed her line of sight down to their joined hands.
He pulled away with a gasp.“I’m sorry, Lady Lee.I didn’t realize?—”
“Please don’t apologize,” she whispered.
“What?”Hyun Soo looked up in confusion, but his mistress was already sashaying into her quarters.
“Wait here,” she called, so he planted himself outside the door.A few minutes later, she returned with folded parchment in hand.
“I’d like you to escort me somewhere today....And don’t ask Pyung Ho or Ah In to come with us.Please.”
Her voice hitched at the end, halting the refusal on his tongue.Had he upset her by not spending as much time with her lately?He hadn’t meant to.But he couldn’t exactly explain that he didn’t trust himself to be alone with her anymore.Not after the clearing.And certainly not after his debacle last night.
A delicious shiver went down his spine at the memory.The more he’d turned it over in his mind, the more confident he’d grown.Gwishin couldonlybe Lady Lee.Their demeanors, fighting styles, even the feel of them in his arms—all identical.
And the way she’d leaned into his touch ...
Hyun Soo cleared his throat, trying to shift his thoughts to safer subjects.He’d tell Lady Lee he couldn’t escort her, and that was that.
Except, where did she go?
* * *
