The soft snick of Jae's door closing sounds behind me and I tiptoe down the hallway, wary of waking up my sleeping boy. I stand within the small corridor and pull my hands through my hair, releasing a pent-up breath of irritation from my lungs. As I make my way into the living room, a new burst of anger fills me and as if a fire has sparked inside me, I let out a low growl of fury.

"What the hell was that?!" I fume at TaekWoon who's sitting at our table, my heart still pumping too hard hours after our simple home visit had turned into a war zone. I never could've imagined that the agency would send over someone like Im; if he hadn't had a work badge, I would've easily believed him to be an imposter.

How could they employ someone so horrible, so blatantly racist?

And the fact that he'd put his hands on Jae had me boiling with rage; as far as I was concerned, jail time wouldn't be enough for what Im Seokjin had done. Rising from his seat, TaekWoon puts a calming hand on my arm and despite my annoyance a little spark flies between us, his touch just as electrifying to me as it always was.

"The police said he was bribed Imani. But they have no idea who it was, and Im himself didn't even know if it was a male or female who had dropped off the money at his office. With just a note and some cash, the cops don't have much to go on. But either way someone wanted him to dig out information about you, falsify it if necessary." TaekWoon breathes out heavily, his own face lined with worry just like mine is. I take his large hand in my own, lending him the same comfort he'd given me.

"But to use Jae in whatever they were planning? Who would do that? It's not like I have enemies; I'm an English teacher, for Christ's sake," I grumble still too riled up.

"And maybe we could've dismissed it as plain prejudice but he took it so far; Jae had bruises TaekWoon! It took me hours to calm him down enough to get him to sleep."

I flop myself down onto the sofa, the day's trials having drained me. I rub my temples, easing away the ache that resides there. And as I calm myself, I realize that TaekWoon is frowning deeply, his silence for once indicating something deeper. Suddenly I can't think about my own worries anymore.

"What is it?" I ask him gently.

"I was thinking that it's my job to protect you and JaeHyun; that today I failed at my responsibilities."

"What are you talking about? You took down Im in seconds. I didn't even see you move!"

It was true; almost before I'd realized Jae had yelled out, TaekWoon was already on the move. He was grace incarnate, his every move belying an exquisite self-possession and an innate understanding of his body's capabilities. TaekWoon's takedown of Im had been executed flawlessly, as easy as if he'd only been breathing. He'd rendered a man incapable of moving like it was a hidden second nature, only there to use if it was needed. And besides it being necessary at the time, the whole thing had been rather...sexy.

Learning that TaekWoon was a black belt in Taekwondo had been a surprise, but it seemed as if I could never learn all my husband's secrets. I pushed my hair away from my neck, the room becoming somewhat stuffy as I thought about other things TaekWoon might specialize in.

"Imani, you and Jae are my top priorities. If I can't keep you safe, what good am I to you?" His voice is quiet, more subdued than usual and I knew that no casual teasing would ease his feelings.

"TaekWoon-ah, you can't be serious! Just look what you've done for us. Jae being here with us wouldn't even be possible without you. You don't need to be so hard on yourself. Didn't you hear Jae earlier?"

At my reference, TaekWoon immediately perks up, the smile on his face pushing my heart to its limits. I wondered vaguely if I'd ever get used to the way his smile made my pulse speed up and made the room seem abruptly brighter.

"I know; he called me Appa for the first time. If I hadn't been so focused on Im I think I would've cried." His voice is low but I can hear the happiness and pride in his voice. I feel a tight, hot wetness spring to my eyes, but I push the feeling back.

"There see; if Jae loves you and trusts you enough to call out to you when he's in trouble, isn't that enough proof that you've improved our lives for the better? You're a good man TaekWoon, the best I know," I tell him earnestly, needing him to believe it. These aren't just pretty words to me either; without TaekWoon I know I wouldn't have made it so far.

Biting his lip in that adorable way of his, TaekWoon takes a seat next to me, sitting so close that our shoulders touch. The casual touching reminds me of our kiss, of how our hot night had been interrupted. It also makes me realize that it's been a whole week since those same lips have touched mine, since his kiss has sizzled its way through my body.

I want desperately to feel it again, to fall into the world that our passion created, and without a second thought I take TaekWoon's face in my hands, turning his head toward mine. Pressing hard, I bring our mouths together in a blistering kiss, the softness of his lips and the smooth stroke of his tongue drawing a moan from me. When we had to stop for air or suffocate, we broke apart, both panting.

"Imani," TaekWoon begin in warning, his eyes searching my face as he holds my cheek gently in his grasp. I lean into his touch, loving the feel of his rough palms on my skin. I don't answer his word of inquiry and instead move in for another kiss, my mind clouded with desire but in no mood for talk. As our kisses deepen and TaekWoon's hands roam far from my face to places much lower, I feel my body heat up, burning me from the inside out.

My mouth leaves his rosebud lips, their pink color turned a bright red because of our bruising pace. Biting one gently in an imitation of his own unconscious actions, I kiss my way along the side of his face and down to his neck, sucking gently on the exposed skin there. TaekWoon's own moans are light and sharp, his hands holding me closer as I take possession of his shirt, pulling the cloth up and over his head.

I take a long look at the broad chest before me, feasting on all the small angles and planes that make up the muscles he's hidden beneath his clothes. I run my fingers lightly over those same tightly bunched ridges, feeling his breath hitch when I lean in to taste the creamy skin with small bites and long licks. I've rarely seen a man so pale and the contrast of watching my brown hands caress him is entrancing.

I didn't realize just how beautiful TaekWoon was, but as he rests back against the couch, letting me touch him as much as I please, I know with clarity that I want to give him something special, something that I've never done before. Slipping smoothly down his body, I slide on to the floor and position myself at TaekWoon's feet, sitting up on my bended knees. With gentle fingers, I take the button of his pants in my hands, and unsnap the fastening.

"I read something once that successful men have a high sex drive. Is that true, do you think?" I ask while looking up at him, giving my him best 'come hither' look. TaekWoon's ears and neck have been red for the last few minutes, but if anything, he seems to turn even redder at my words and I'm pleased to watch the flush spread to the very top of his chest.

"I wouldn't know... I'm a virgin," he mumbles, looking up and away from me as if suddenly something terribly interesting is taking place on the ceiling. Shocked, I raise myself up further and place my hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look in my direction.

"You're a what?! How is that even possible?" I ask him incredulously.

"Well, I haven't had sex," he says quietly, his face burning. I can't help but scoff in disbelief.

"Yeah, I got that part but you've to be kidding; just look at you! You're trying to tell me you've never had a girlfriend?"

"No, I've had girlfriends but they never lasted long and I never felt comfortable enough to... Do that." TaekWoon gestures vaguely with his hands, supposedly indicating the act of intercourse. His flustered visage is so lovely, so sweet, that I can't help but want to tease him more.

"You don't kiss like a virgin," I tell him with narrowed eyes, as if I'm still unable to believe him, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud.

"I said I was a virgin, not a monk that was locked away in a temple." He says sharply and at that the floodgates open and I'm outright dying of laughter on the floor, the situation too bizarre to be true.

"Whenever you're ready," TaekWoon says tersely after a few minutes of enduring my cackling in silence. I subdue myself, taking deep breaths as I wipe away the tears in my eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just that this is kind of strange. I mean, I've never taken anyone's virginity before. I think I'm getting nervous," I say, only half joking.

"Well, we can't both be nervous, one of us has to take the lead," he gripes with a pointed look in my direction.

"Can't we take a vote on that?" I ask weakly, feeling unease rising in me. A person's first time is no joke, and my own wasn't the best experience. In no way had I expected to be TaekWoon's first; he was like temptation personified and I hadn't imagined that he could've restrained himself for so long. If I screwed up his first time after waiting so long, what would I do then?

I was so caught up in worry that it was moment before I realized TaekWoon was raising me from my position on the floor and onto his lap. My gasp and look of inquiry made him flush anew.

"I can't concentrate when you're down there looking up at me like that."

He pulls me in closer and as I lean against his chest, I realize he's just hard with muscle. Geez. I splay my hands across his upper back, rubbing steadily in circular motions that calm both me and TaekWoon. I'm unaccustomed to touching a man so intimately, but with him it's as easy as breathing.

"Should I tell you what to expect? Or maybe how it goes..." My face is hot all over, and I feel slightly like a pervert about to steal a young girl's innocence. The fact that said, 'young girl' is a twenty-six-year-old man who's currently holding me like I'm a child is beside the point. He rolls his eyes at me, shaking his head slowly.

"I know how it works Imani. I've watched porn before-"

"Seriously?" I cut in with sudden interest. "You have? Tell me; what's it like?"

"Hush," he berates me quietly with a brush of his fingers to my lips and I instantly fall silent, enjoying their slight pressure.

"I know how it's done," he says again, "but I've just never done it."

"Then I guess it's my job to show you the details. But don't expect too much," I tell him quickly, "It's not like I'm an expert either."

In fact, my own sexual partners only number two, but I can't tell TaekWoon that, especially not now, when I can barely think as he unsnaps his jeans, pushing down the tight material until it rests in a puddle against his ankles. Next comes his boxer briefs, the cotton clinging tightly to his muscled thighs. At this point I'm not sure if I'm breathing, I'm feeling so light-headed. In a daze, I push myself off his lap and to the side, giving him a glance as I reach out to touch him. His eyes are squinted almost closed and as I wrap my fingers around the base of his cock, he lets out a low hiss. Whether it's from pleasure or pain I can't tell, but he doesn't make me stop and I take that as encouragement to go forward.

He watches me expectantly and I lift his heavy erection away from where it rests against his tight abdominal muscles and lower my head to his lap, my tongue darting out to taste the tip of him. He releases a small grunt of satisfaction and brings his hand to rest against the back of my neck, urging me closer.

Curling my fist tighter around his member, I work my tongue up and down, coating him in my saliva so that my hand can easily slide against his length. I'll never be amazing at this, but TaekWoon doesn't seem to mind and the moans he's making inspire me to continue. I look up at him, careful not to interrupt my ministrations, and notice that his bright red color has spread delicately to his cheeks and a light sheen of sweat coats his brow, making his hair strands damp. I don't know if it's from embarrassment or from what I'm doing to him, but the sight makes me giggle. The hum my laugh produces causes TaekWoon to gasp loudly as the sound reverberates against him and he pulls me away from his lap, my mouth making a popping sound as it leaves his flesh.

"Enough," he growls out from behind clenched teeth, his deep tone one I've never heard leave his lips before. I'm pulled up from the floor again and into his arms easily, as if I'm some stuffed animal. Like a new bride, TaekWoon carries me into the bedroom, closing the door behind us gently with a push of his hip. An uncontrollable urge to laugh bubbles up in my chest once more, the situation I'm now in making me feel alternating flashes of nervousness and excitement.

In the near dark of my bedroom that's illuminated only by the tea lights I have on my dresser, we work together to pull me free from my dress. In the absence of light, I can feel his hands on me much more intensely, can sense the smirk on his face as he runs his hands lightly over my collarbone, lingering on my breasts. His hands are warm and large and I press against them involuntarily, wanting to be closer, his grip to be firmer. His smile shows in the dim lighting when I do so, but it slips from his face as I reach down and place my hands on him. His eyelids lower and the half-moons of his eyes squeeze shut into the look of desire that I'm quickly becoming familiar with. We wouldn't be playing anymore, and my heart begins to beat a hard tattoo in my chest.

He lowers us both down onto the bed, his body lying on top of mine. Skin to skin, it feels as if I have a warm blanket spread over me; his size alone engulfs me and for the first time since I've been twelve, I feel small next to another person. His hands stroke my body, going from my ankles to my thighs and then higher, my panties pulled down by rough hands. TaekWoon leans in for a kiss and I gave in to him eagerly, feeling the pleasure that always sparks between us when our lips touch. What started out as a slow exploration of each other became a frenzy, our kisses frantic with hands and mouths everywhere. I break away from him, gasping in surprise when I feel his hands reach for my center, pressing his fingers into the wetness there. I look at him through partially closed eyes but he only smiles and I melt all over again. As his hand touches my flesh, I feel like I'm on fire; my skin becomes slick with a thin sheen of moisture and my breaths come out ragged. TaekWoon doesn't seem to be having the same problems though because he reaches over me and goes for the night stand. He snatches up a small foil package and my heart kicks up another notch.

I take the condom from his hands gently and open it slowly, the smell of latex making the situation I had only fantasized about stunningly real.

"Let me," I whisper and don't wait for him to respond. Instead I rise from underneath him and scoot my way down his body until I'm was face to face with my quarry. I chuckled inwardly when he gasps as I push the roll of film down and over the head of his dick. Sometimes he was so innocent; it made me love him even more. Love? My mind freezes for an instant, and I repeat the word in my head, wondering if I mean it. But now isn't the time to analyze everything that TaekWoon makes me feel. I take a minute to observe the organ that will be bringing me pleasure, reexamining its mass up close. TaekWoon was a big man; I had already guessed that other parts of him would be just as large. Still it was surprising and I did question whether it would fit. Either way it was too late to stop now.

Giving him an extra pump once I'm done staring, I smile at TaekWoon's groans of desire. The look on his face is rapturous and I linger where I am, caressing him tenderly. His eyelids flutter closed, his inky black lashes gracing his cheeks, his mouth falling slightly open. I raise myself again, this time to straddle his waist. I squirm over him until I find a comfortable position, my arms around his neck and his hands around my waist, supporting me. As I fit myself above him in anticipation, his hands tighten around me, stopping my forward progress.

"What is it?" I ask him quickly, a tight feeling inside me begging to be released.

"I've never done this before-" he starts.

"I know, you told me," I whisper back, still impatient.

"If I'm bad at it, I'm sorry," he says in that low, syrupy voice that TaekWoon gets, the one that I now knew to mean that he was feeling shy but turned on at the same time.

"You won't be bad at it. Just relax and pay attention, you can't fail." I reassure him. As I press myself down on top of him, the moan TaekWoon releases curls my toes, and makes my breasts swell; the delicate flesh between my legs cries out to be touched. A delicious shiver racks my body and without having to tell him, TaekWoon seems to know my needs. I feel possessed by him and so indulged by long fingers and clever hands that tease heavenly sensations from me. The orgasm inside me builds slower, lasts longer, hits harder as I feel the pressure wax and wane within my body. Like a small explosion, I breathe out as my body seems to splinter. TaekWoon isn't far behind me, but he stays inside me, holding me close as our bodies come back down to earth. And when we can move again, he takes the lead, drawing me back into his embrace. At the moment, I'm grateful that he's not one for too much talking. I wouldn't have made any sense if I'd had to carry on a sexy conversation. So, I don't say anything, just groan and writhe while he brings me again and again into oblivion.

A soft caress against my arm brings me into wakefulness the next morning, and I smile at the man responsible for my deep sleep.

"Hey good morning," I mumble to an already wide awake TaekWoon. I glance at the clock on the bedside table and it only reads seven. Groaning inwardly, I wonder if this will be a daily occurrence. "Do you always wake up so early?"

"Sometimes, I wasn't very sleepy," he tells me while laying back down next to me, taking me in his arms in a tight grip. I don't complain though; it feels too good and I can't resist snuggling in closer. The sound of his heartbeat is steady beneath my ear and besides his voice, it's the most calming thing I've ever heard.

"Well then, maybe I didn't do it right," I tell him with a wink and I'm gratified to see the flush of his skin, something that I had worried would disappear now that we'd become so...intimate. I feel like squealing in happiness but I restrict myself to a smile; I still can't believe that we're in this moment.

"Did you sleep ok?" he asks me, avoiding my previous comment. I decide to push him further, wanting to see more of his cuteness.

"I think I did," I replied hesitantly as if I'm thinking about it. "The dream I had was definitely invigorating. There was a man in my dream; he was tall with brown eyes... He was very talented." My smile widens as I watch his ears turn red as well, but don't expect him to move as quickly as does and he pushes me back down onto the bed, holding my wrists above my head. He leans in close to me and bites me lightly on the neck.