Chapter 48: Wet Eyes, Rough Desire

The quiet country road, now entering early summer, felt peaceful and serene.

As they walked along, admiring the scenery, Eunchae suddenly stopped to look at the beautifully decorated wall of a nearby guesthouse. Lush summer roses were in full bloom.

“You really do love flowers.”

Lee Joon smiled, half amused, as he watched Eunchae looking at the flowers. He gently urged her to move on.

“Let’s go. You can admire them on the way back.”

“But it’ll be dark by then. You never seem to care about flowers, Lee Joon.”

Eunchae replied with a slight pout, though the slight smile in her eyes softened her tone. It was one of Lee Joon’s favorite expressions.

Whenever she smiled like that, her face reminded him of a pure, delicate Kwang tree flower, with its soft petals and subtle fragrance. Eunchae’s graceful, elegant presence matched it perfectly.

‘The most beautiful flower is right in front of me—why would I notice any other.?’

Unaware of his inner thoughts, Eunchae playfully scolded him and Lee Joon just shrugged his shoulders. The two resumed their leisurely walk, eventually arriving at the restaurant they had reserved.

“It’s just the two of us.”

Lee Joon informed the staff, noting the reduced party size. He and Eunchae then proceeded to the reserved private room. After they settled down, the staff began serving side dishes and the simmering duck stew.

While waiting for the stew to finish cooking, Eunchae idly glanced around the modest interior of the restaurant or scrolled through internet articles on her phone. She could feel Lee Joon’s gaze fixed on her, lingering and making her feel uncomfortable.

When the stew was finally ready, Lee Joon served some into a small plate. Eunchae assumed he was serving it for himself, but instead, he extended the plate toward her.

“Here, for you.”

Eunchae was caught off guard. This kind of gesture was unfamiliar to her, and she hesitated, simply staring at the plate without taking it.

“Not going to take it?”

Lee Joon asked, prompting her to awkwardly extend her arm and accept the plate.

“Oh, thank you.”

“You’re thanking me for something so simple.”

After that, the two ate in silence. The only sound in the quiet room was the steady whirring of the fan.

“Phew… I’m full.”

Eunchae said with a satisfied expression as she set down her spoon. Lee Joon followed suit, also putting his spoon down.

“Eat some more.”

“I’ve had plenty.”

Seeing that he was fine, Eunchae simply nodded in acknowledgment. As they both sat back, enjoying the feeling of being full, a staff member came by and offered to make rice porridge with the crispy bits left in the pot. Both Eunchae and Lee Joon, already full, politely declined.

“How about we get some coffee after digesting a bit? I saw a café nearby.”

Eunchae shook her head, still feeling full.

“Let’s just have it at the villa. I brought some coffee grounds so we can make it there.”

“Alright then.”

Lee Joon replied, sweeping his hair back before leaving the room. As Eunchae followed him out, her eyes widened in surprise – Lee Joon had neatly arranged her shoes for her.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

Eunchae was so startled that instead of thanking him, she blurted out how uncomfortable and burdensome it felt. Lee Joon didn’t react, just raised an eyebrow before heading to the cashier.

“What’s wrong with him? What’s the problem?”

Eunchae mumbled to herself, slipping her feet into her shoes with a puzzled expression. It was as if some strange virus had taken over Tae Lee Joon’s mind—there was no other way to explain his recent behavior.

“Even if this is part of a partnership, isn’t this a bit much?”

With a confused look, Eunchae tilted her head, filled with unanswered questions. She walked to the entrance of the shop where Lee Joon was waiting for her.

“Let’s go.”

Lee Joon said curtly and took the lead. In moments like this, he seemed his usual cold and straightforward self. This only made things more confusing for Eunchae. There was no middle ground with him.

As she walked a step or two behind him, still wearing a puzzled expression, the first drops of rain fell. Then, suddenly, the sky opened up, and rain came pouring down.

“Huh?”

“No wonder it felt so humid and the sky was cloudy. It’s a downpour.”

Caught in the heavy rain, they were quickly soaked from head to toe, with no clear place to take cover.

“Let’s run for it.”

Before Lee Joon could even finish his sentence, he grabbed Eunchae’s hand and started running. She barely had time to react, her feet moving as fast as they could to keep up with him.

“Haa… haa…”

Eunchae panted heavily, feeling like her heart might burst from the sprint. Lee Joon was running too fast, and she struggled to match his pace.

Just as she felt her legs were about to give out, they finally reached the villa. Soaked to the bone, the two of them dripped water as they headed straight to the bedroom.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

Eunchae, still catching her breath, took the towel Lee Joon handed her from the bathroom. As she pressed it to her damp hair, drying it, her gaze unexpectedly met Lee Joon’s as he casually shook out his hair with a towel.

In that instant… Eunchae found herself frozen.

***

Lee Joon turned fully toward her, and their eyes became deeply entangled. The sound of rain hitting the window merged with the unsteady breaths they were both still catching, their breathing heavy and uneven.

The atmosphere in the room thickened, charged with palpable tension. A wave of raw energy settled between them, filling the room with a heated, almost palpable charge. Lee Joon’s eyes lingered on Eunchae’s face before slowly moving down her body, his gaze lingering as he reached out and ran his fingers down her torso.

Following his gaze, Eunchae looked down and saw the way her thin, white shirt clung to her body, the rain making the contours of her figure all too clear. Lee Joon’s eyes roamed over her curves openly, unabashedly.

A familiar, rising sensation crept up from her lower back. Her eyelids fluttered as her eyes wavered in response.

For a fleeting moment, she imagined that Lee Joon’s eyes were also soaked with rain. His gaze, heavy and dark, shone with raw desire. With nothing but his eyes, he explored every inch of her body, hungrily devouring the sight of her.

That greedy, carnal look made Eunchae shiver. Her inner thighs tensed, and her breath quickened as she became painfully aware of the dangerous intimacy between them.

Overwhelmed by a sense of forbidden excitement, Eunchae swallowed hard, biting her lip as her eyes trembled with the intensity of the moment. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing the storm outside.

Eunchae couldn’t bring herself to meet his darkened, desire-filled gaze, so she lowered her eyes. But she couldn’t hold out for long. Strangely, the boldness of his gaze tugged at her curiosity and primal instincts.

She had known, on some level, that this moment would come. Her body was already reacting to Lee Joon, and the sensations she had long forgotten began to stir within her, slowly coming to life before she even realized it.

When she lifted her eyes to meet his, Lee Joon moved closer, the tension between them thickening. Their gazes locked, charged with intensity. A raindrop clung to Eunchae’s lashes and, with a blink, fell down her cheek like a tear.

Seeing it, Lee Joon reached out, cupping her right cheek gently and brushing the drop away. His fingers lingered, tracing her face softly, and under the weight of his lowered gaze, Eunchae felt frozen, unable to move.

‘Ah, this is how it always was.’ She remembered. ‘I could never resist him—always bound by his gaze, unable to refuse.’

As Lee Joon’s face drew closer, Eunchae blinked, her mind swirling. His fingers, which had trailed down her cheek, now grazed her parted lips lazily.

Just like that day when they had walked along Yunjungno, his fingers hovered near the edge of her mouth, as if ready to slip inside. Eunchae, with her lips slightly parted, stared at him blankly.

His eyes, intense, seemed to say that he would stop if she rejected him. She should reject him. It was the logical thing to do.

But she couldn’t.

Caught between her awakened desires, the surrender of her resistance, and the reckless impulse to indulge in just one moment of release, she found herself unable to refuse.

When Eunchae didn’t push his hand away, Lee Joon slid his fingers into her mouth. She instinctively parted her lips wider to let him in. His fingers brushed against her teeth, grazing the moist, sensitive flesh inside her mouth.

Eunchae’s dulled eyes quivered, finally reacting to the intimate, sensual stimulus. She lazily lifted her gaze, biting down gently on the tips of his fingers.

“Hmm…”

Lee Joon let out a soft sound, his body trembling slightly as he pushed his fingers deeper into her mouth.

“Just a little harder.”

His voice, thick and husky, carried a dark intimacy. Eunchae obeyed, biting down a little harder as he had instructed. Lee Joon let out a deep groan, withdrawing his fingers slowly.

His breath, warm and heavy, lingered against her face, intensifying the tension between them. Her mouth felt dry from the anticipation, while heat spread within her, pooling deep inside.

“This is your last chance. If you don’t want this, push me away.”

“If not, no matter what you do—slap me, spit on me—I won’t stop.”

As Lee Joon wrapped his arm around Eunchae’s waist, pulling their lower bodies together, her eyes widened in shock. She could distinctly feel his hardened desire pressing against her.

“Answer me, Yoon Eunchae.”

“Ah…!”

A soft moan escaped her lips at the bold, intimate contact. The intensity of the sensation was so overwhelming that the thought of rejecting him didn’t even cross her mind.

His patience was wearing thin. Lee Joon wanted to confirm Eunchae’s feelings with action. He brushed his lips lightly against hers. She didn’t resist, but her body trembled and her eyes softened, surrendering to the moment.

Seeing this, Lee Joon’s eyes lit up with exhilaration. A chill ran down his spine, and his heart, which had felt lifeless, now leaped with vitality. The realization that Yoon Eunchae had finally succumbed to him filled him with deep, thrilling excitement.

He no longer felt the need for any further confirmation. The fear that she might simply be swept up by the moment made him unwilling to leave room for hesitation.

He would have her. Yoon Eunchae, his wife, his woman – he would make her his own. He would make sure that her gaze belonged to him alone, that she was locked in his embrace, beyond the reach of any other man.

An overwhelming wave of possessiveness surged through Lee Joon, spiraling out of control.

Taking a shallow breath to steady himself, he kissed Eunchae again, this time deeper and more passionately, savoring the soft, moist texture of her lips. They were even more tender than he remembered. A low, satisfied moan escaped his throat as pleasure coursed through him.

Trembling, Eunchae let out a soft, languid moan of her own, and the sound shattered the last of Lee Joon’s restraint. Desire washed over him, heightening his senses, while a deep, almost painful pleasure swelled within him, leaving him breathless.

“I might be rough.”

Lee Joon cupped her chin and pulled her into a kiss before his raspy voice could fully reach Eunchae’s ears. The intensity of his movements left no room for hesitation, his lips claiming hers with a deep urgency that reflected the fierce emotions swirling inside him.