Jungkook's pov
Butterflies frantically took wing in my stomach as we entered the ballroom of the opulent hotel. It was truly beautiful with vaulted ceilings, marble flooring, sparkling chandeliers, and intricate crown molding on the walls. Thick, scarlet drapes framed the pretty French windows. A spiral staircase led to a second level, where I could just make out a few tables and chairs. I wondered if that was where they'd be holding the gala's dinner and auction.
Muted laughter and the murmur of voices flowed throughout the space. A lone male played soft, classical music on a grand piano. White gloved waiters meandered through the ballroom, offering canapés and flutes of champagne to the many guests-all of whom were dressed in tuxedos or gowns or fancy and elegant attires, much like Taehyung and I were.
My ruby red silk shirt and black long coat with black trousers was gorgeous. I originally intend to straighten my hair and pulled it slick back but Taehyung asked me to keep it my natural way wavy and fluffy slightly parted. When I'd asked why, he'd merely replied, "Because I like it that way." To be honest, I'd still had every intention of doing what I had planned, but I'd been running late so I hadn't had time.
"There's a whole lot of people here." I spotted several of Taehyung's business associates. There were also a few celebrities
Taehyung grabbed two champagne flutes from a passing waiter and gave one to me. "Here."
"Thank you." I sipped at the bubbly liquid. "Are your brothers and their wives/husbands here yet?"
"Not that I've noticed." He curled an arm around my waist and cupped my hip, making my pulse jump. Jesus, he smelled good. His signature cologne was sensual, mysterious, and powerfully masculine. It made me want to lick him all up. "Stay close to me," he added.
I took a steadying sip of my drink. "Will do."
I wasn't entirely sure why I was so nervous. My job this evening was to convince people I was enamored with Taehyung, but I had to be careful to not overdo it. And I'd need to stop my body from going into meltdown after a night of him touching me more openly than normal-which would be easier said than done.
If I couldn't get through this gala without losing my nerves, I'd never get through my upcoming, fake wedding. Just thinking of it made my stomach roll.
Reaching for humor to lighten my mood, I joked, "So, should I call you babycakes from now on or something?"
Taehyung gave me a droll look. "No."
"Shnookums? Dear one? Sugar lips? Light of my life? Ooh, I know -big daddy."
He sighed and shook his head, but his eyes were dancing. "Only you, Jungkook. Only you." He guided me across the room to a group of people I didn't recognize.
One beamed at him. "Ah, Taehyung."
My fake date nodded. "Chin-hwa."
Chin-hwa's eyes drifted to me, gleaming with speculation. "And who is this beautiful guest of yours?"
"This is my Jungkook," said Taehyung, his voice loaded with possession. And, yep, several sets of eyebrows lifted high.
Chin blinked. "Your Jungkook? Like that, is it?"
"Wouldn't you claim such a stunning creature if you could?"
Chin grinned. "Oh, I sure would."
Taehyung looked down at me, one corner of his mouth kicking up into a warm, sexy smile that made me tingle in all the best places.
After the group asked us a few questions, such as how we met and how long we'd been dating, the conversation switched to business. No surprise there. A lot of networking went on at such events. But as that wasn't Taehyung's main purpose tonight, it wasn't long before he moved us on.
Over the next half hour, we walked from group to group. All were surprised to see he had an actual date, and many hit us with the same questions that the first group we'd spoken with had asked. Some of the men treated their companions like they were just pretty ornaments. Taehyung didn't do that to me. He included me in conversations, touched me constantly, kept me close, and would sometimes turn his full attention to me. Whenever he did the latter, my nerves went a little haywire. Being the center of his focus could be a heady thing. Well I played my part well too, like occasionally touch him, cast him brief, soft smiles. I was always rewarded- sometimes with a brush of his mouth to my temple, sometimes with a stroke of his hand over my hair, and sometimes with a slow, lazy smile I felt in my core.
It wasn't long before I caught a glimpse of his brothers and Hana watching us from the corner of the room. I was guessing Kwan's guest was his husband. I'd never met him. I expected them to approach, but they seemed intent on merely observing us for the moment. I gave them a little wave and then edged closer to Taehyung. Without pausing his conversation, he smoothed his hand up my back and rested it on the crook of my neck.
Soon enough, we were on the move again. As we walked over to the next cluster of people, the bottom fell out of my stomach. The arm that was curled around my waist tightened as Taehyung smoothly greeted the group, not even so much as stumbling over Haneul's name.
My ex stared at us, his face hard. "Taehyung. Jungkookie."
The beautiful raven-haired woman at his side lifted her brows and smiled. "Jungkookie?Our little girl's name is kookie? similar right..." My gut twisted. Shit. This had to be Haneul's wife.
Haneul's boss nudged him, a rakish grin on his face, and said, "Told you I was sure there was something going on between Taehyung and your friend."
"Friend?" Tiffany's smile faltered as she glanced from me to Haneul. "You two know each other?"
"We went to school together," I said. Well, what else could I say? I certainly wouldn't spill the whole story, especially in front of so many people.
Taehyung's dark gaze met mine. "The dinner will be starting soon. Shall we go find our table?"
Eager to scamper, I nodded. "Sounds good to me."
He nodded at the group. "Enjoy your evening."
When we consulted the seating plan, I felt my nose wrinkle. "Your brothers have been seated at our table."
"I figured they would be."
We crossed to one of the large, round tables and sank into our allocated seats. A few people were already there, and they said their hellos. Taehyung draped an arm over the back of my chair and leaned close. "Did you know that Haneul had named his daughter 'Kookie?'" he asked, his voice low.
"Not until a few weeks ago when he turned up at my apartment," I quietly replied. "He said he wanted to 'honor' me because I'd always supported him. Still, it's just ... weird. And wrong to everyone involved."
"I'll be surprised if his wife isn't asking herself if him choosing that name for their child had something to do with you." Taehyung combed his fingers through my hair, admiring the brown strands. "I like that you wore it like this for me."
I felt my brow crease. "I only left it this way because I didn't have the time to straight them."
One corner of his mouth hitched up. "Ah, I see." He didn't sound as though he believed me. "Have you told your family about us yet?"
"I told my foster parents and their daughter." I lowered my voice, adding, "They bought the story a lot easier than I thought they would."
"It'll be best if you introduce me to them soon." Before I propose, he didn't add but I heard.
Spotting a mood-plummeting sight in my peripheral vision, I sighed. "Speaking of relatives ..." I pasted a polite smile on my face when Kwan, Daehyun, and their partners appeared at the table moments later.
Taehyung stood to shake hands with his brothers. Kwan's greeting was one of genuine warmth, but Daehyun's was somewhat stilted. Hana merely smiled at Taehyung, but Kwan's husband stepped forward and offered Taehyung his cheek. He gave it an obliging peck and went to introduce me, but he touched his arm to get his attention and tried drawing him into conversation. Rude.
Taehyung ignored his attempt and then offered me his hand. Once I took it and stood, he said, "Kwan, Daehyun, Hana, I believe you've all already met Jungkook." He looked at me. "Beside Kwan is his husband, Jung-ho."
Kwan's genuine smile didn't falter. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Jungkook."
"Same to you," I told him.
Daehyun merely inclined his head while Hana offered me a weak smile.
Jungho lifted his chin and gave me a condescending head-to-toe look. "I don't often have the chance to meet one of Tae's men." Taehyung stilled, seeming a little surprised by his attitude. He shifted closer to me and away from him. He noticed his withdrawal and didn't appear to like it.
Taehyung sank back into his chair and again hung his arm over the back of mine. The others took their own seats ... which sadly placed Jung-ho next to me. Ugh.
Daehyun looked from me to Taehyung. "So, you two are an item now," he said, his voice carefully even. But I detected the hint of skepticism there.
"We are," confirmed Taehyung.
"How long has it been going on?" asked Kwan, seeming rather pleased.
"A few months," replied Taehyung.
Daehyun's brows dipped. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed. You did well to keep that under wraps." His eyes slid to me. "No wonder you turned my friend down. You were secretly after my brother."
I'd turned down his friend because, like Daehyun, he was a fucking tool. And I wasn't "after" Taehyung at all.
Seeing that Taehyung had stiffened, Daehyun lifted a placatory hand. "I know, I know, I'm not supposed to let my friends hit on your employees. He and I were a little drunk at the bar that night."
"Wait," said Jung-ho. "He works for you, Taehyung?"
"He's his PA," Hana told him.
Jung-ho's brow furrowed as he stared at him. "I thought you didn't get involved with your employees."
"Obviously I made an exception," said Taehyung, picking up his champagne flute.
"Well," began Hana, "you should consider yourself lucky that Jungkook's willing to overlook your many ... exploits, Tae. I mean, he was the one who ordered the flowers for those women and men plus booked your dinner reservations, so he knows you've been around the block quite a few times."
I almost rolled my eyes at the non-too-subtle reminder of Taehyung's past.
"Speaking of those exploits, some of them are here." Daehyun turned to me. "If they do anything petty like shoot you little smirks or try to flirt with him, just ignore them."
I hated that his comment twisted my gut, but I really did despise the idea of being around Taehyung's exes.
"Petty people are easy to ignore." Him included. He narrowed his eyes, clearly picking up on my insinuation.
"Enough, Daehyun," said Taehyung, dancing his fingers over the side of my upper arm.
Daehyun lifted his shoulders, all innocence. "What?"
"You're trying to make Jungkook feel uncomfortable-I don't fucking like it," said Taehyung, his voice low and dripping with frost.
"How about a change of subject?" proposed Kwan. How about if Daehyun and Hana went the fuck home?
The conversation was a little awkward after that, so Taehyung and I mostly talked between ourselves. The waiter soon returned, poured more drinks, and took orders for the upcoming dinner.
"I hope they hurry with the food," I told Taehyung. "I'm starving."
"They'll hold the auction first," he said.
"You planning to bid on anything?"
"I'm planning to win."
"And you're so sure you'll procure whatever you bid on?"
He gave me a pitying look, as if I was dumb as a rock for thinking differently. He also managed to later win the two pieces of art he bid on. Well, of course he did.
Once the auction was over, the meals arrived. Talk flowed easily around our table as people ate, although both Taehyung and Kwan mostly ignored Daehyun, who became increasingly obnoxious the more he drank.
After the dinner was over and soft music began to play, Taehyung took my hand. "Dance with me." It wasn't a request. On the dance floor, he drew me so close I was pressed up against him. Standing tall, he splayed one hand on my lower back as we swayed-slow, sensual, intimate
"You didn't tell me Daehyun's friend came onto you," he said, his voice so low and smooth I almost missed the anger there. "When did that happen?"
"A month or so ago."
"And I didn't learn of this why?"
I shrugged. "It wasn't worth reporting. He asked me out. I said no. Get rid of the frown. You're supposed to look happy."
His mouth twitched into a smile. "That's right, I am." He stroked the pads of his fingers along my back. "If someone puts any moves on you again, I want to hear about it."
I gave a slow nod. "All right. So, I know why Daehyun and Hana don't like that you're dating someone. What's Jung-ho's problem? Do you think he's eager for Kwan to get his share of your trust fund?"
He hesitated to answer. "I can't be certain what his issue is."
"You didn't expect him to be rude to me, did you?"
"No. But Jungho's a complicated person. He'll no doubt feel bad about it later."
Maybe, but neither Hana nor Daehyun would. Making a conscious effort not to let my irritation show in my expression, I said, "It annoys me that Daehyun is so intent on having a share of your trust fund."
"He feels that he has more of a right to it than I do because I'm more financially comfortable than he is. But even if I wasn't, he'd still want his share. Really, he doesn't have many scruples-hence why he cheats on Hana so often. But she does the same to him, so ..." Taehyung shrugged.
I shook my head, not understanding why they'd stay together if they were going to disrespect themselves and each other that way. "Do Kwan and Jung-ho have a better relationship?"
"Yes, although they're not as close as they once were. And, going by some of the things Kwan has said, they argue so frequently he once considered moving out for a while to give them both some space. I don't think he'd have married so young if the conditions of his trust fund hadn't been what they were. I think he might have waited for someone who's better suited to him to come along."
"Have you held out as long as you have because you had some hope that you'd meet someone you cared for?"
"No. I just wasn't in a rush to get my hands on the money the way my brothers were; I wanted to make my own way in life."
And he had, which I deeply respected. He'd set up Kim-Verse on his own, and he'd built it up through sheer hard work.
I lowered my voice to a whisper as I asked, "If I'd said no to marrying you, what would you have done? Asked one of your other employees?"
"No. I'd have hounded you until you said yes."
I blinked. "You're not serious."
"When do I ever joke?"
"Never, but-"
"Jungkook, I'm a man who gets what he wants. Always. No exceptions. I never stop or back down until I have it."
I didn't want to find that a turn-on, but I did, and I hoped that it wasn't written all over my face. I didn't realize that I was biting my lip until his eyes dropped to my mouth. They traced its shape, bold and blatant. Without thought, I flicked out my tongue to lathe my lower lip. A muscle in his cheek ticked, and the hand on my back flexed.
His gaze flew back to mine, hot and intent. I swallowed hard. Jesus, someone needed to throw a bucket of water over me. The music changed then, flowing into a tune that was a little faster than the previous song. "I need to use the vanity room," I said.
"I'll walk you there."
"That's not necessary," I assured him, but he did it anyway.
In the surprisingly fancy unisex restroom, I did my business. I almost stumbled when I walked out of the stall to find Haneul's wife standing at the sink.
She paused in fixing her lipstick and smiled. "Hello again."
"Hi," I said simply. I quickly washed and dried my hands, eager to get out of there. I turned toward the door and-
"You weren't just Haneul's friend," Tiffany blurted out. "Were you?" Shit. I slowly spun on my heel and just stared at her, not sure what to say. "There's more, isn't there?"
I inwardly groaned. "You really should ask your husband."
"I did. He blew me off, which makes me believe there's a lot I don't know. Please just tell me. If you were me, you'd want me to be honest with you."
Fuck if she wasn't right. I licked my lips. "He and I dated in high school. We were also engaged for five months, but he broke it off and we went our separate ways."
She swallowed and took a step back. "He must have regretted it. He named our child after you."
"I was his friend for much, much longer than I was his boyfriend. We were better off as friends, and we both knew it. He was just the first to act on it. It was you he married. You he built a life with and had a child with."
"And me he'll soon be divorcing," she said, a bite to her tone that told me she wasn't as good with that as he seemed to think. "I hate that he gave her your name."
"I hate it, too." Because it caused unnecessary pain to people who didn't deserve it.
Tiffany turned back to the mirror and took a shaky breath. Knowing I was the last person she'd want comfort from, I walked out of the vanity.
Taehyung was waiting a few feet away, deep in conversation with a man I didn't recognize. Pasting an easy smile on my face, I crossed to them. "Thanks for waiting for me," I told Taehyung.
Before he could ask what was wrong, I introduced myself to his conversationalist, who flirted shamelessly with me. For all of five seconds.
The moment Taehyung slid an arm around me and drew me close, his hold nothing short of proprietary, the other man's sentence trailed off.
"It was good seeing you, Rick," said Taehyung. "We'll talk again soon, I'm sure." He led me away and whispered into my ear, "What's wrong?"
I sighed. "I saw Tiffany in the restroom. She asked me some questions. She'd already guessed there was more between me and Haneul than being childhood friends."
"I'm not surprised. He's been staring at you most of the evening." He had? I'd been so wrapped up in Taehyung, I hadn't noticed. "She's hurting right now."
"That's his fault. Not yours."
"I know. I still feel bad. In her shoes, I'd be devastated to hear my husband named our child after his ex. It's not like she can change the kid's name. Well, she could, but it would be hard to make the little girl understand why it needed to be done. I don't know if he truly sees that what he did was wrong." I let out an exasperated sound. "I wish he hadn't come here tonight."
"I don't. He needed to see us together and get the message that you're taken. And it's better for his wife that she knows the truth. She would have learned it sooner or later anyway."
"Maybe. But I detest that I was the one who put that look on her face."
He slid his hand up my back and squeezed my nape. "Bear in mind that later-when she's no longer hurting-she'll be glad you were straight with her." He paused. "You ready to leave now?"
"More than ready."
Taehyung pulled his phone out of his pocket and rattled off a text, no doubt summoning Sam. "Now, if you can, wipe the anger off your face or people will think we're fighting."
I drew in a long breath, dug deep for calm, and blanked my expression. "Better?"
"It will be when you smile."
I thought of Hye, who could always lift my mood, and felt my mouth curve. "Done."
He squeezed my nape again. "Good boy." Oh, he shouldn't have said that.
We returned to our table, said a quick goodbye to his family, and then made our way downstairs. People stopped us here and there, wanting to speak with Taehyung, but he artfully dodged their efforts to draw him into deep conversation.
Outside, we slid into Sam's waiting car. Noting that the privacy partition was up, I turned to Taehyung and said, "Think we accomplished what we came to do?"
"You mean convince people we're a couple? Yes."
"What happens next?"
"Next I put my ring on your finger. But not until we're in Vegas."
And now my belly was rolling again. "Do I get to pick the ring?"
"No."
I frowned. "Why not?"
"You'll pick something understated."
"So?"
"So I don't do 'understated.' People know that."
I huffed. "Fine. Just don't pick something too big and expensive- that's all I ask."
"Hmm."
Not liking that noncommittal sound, I shook my head and turned my gaze back to the window.
What a freaking night.
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To be continued......
Soon they'll be engaged...
Well what's more drama is waiting for them??