Trent looks up at me, a wide grin spread across his impossibly handsome face. “Its-o-k.”
A foreign pleasure blooms throughout my being, from my crown to my toes. Seeing my son being indulged by a man who has no obligation to him and his comfort leaves me stunned and breathless.
Trent scoops Duri up, does a rigid twirl on his good leg, and sets him down on the bed, pulling the blanket up under his chin.
As I move to take a place next to my sons, unexpectedly, Trent scoops me up into his arms and places me onto his bed.
“Yer-wit-me-ton-igh.”
ChapterNine
NOT A PET
SUKI
Iawake to warm breath on my neck.
Trent’s length is pressed against my backside like a harsh invader. His hand cups my breast.
This feels too normal. Like something I’ve watched on American television. Ji-hoon and I had separate bedrooms. His, upstairs. Mine, in the servants’ quarters. We never woke up next to each other. Not once.
I wonder what Ji-hoon would think now, seeing me spooned by an American man. He’d be enraged. I don’t think I’d survive what he’d describe as the greatest slight to his honor.
Trent murmurs, pressing his thickness against my backside with urgency. The place between my legs throbs with a reminder of what he’s capable of. Then his fingers close around my nipple, tugging it ever so gently, making me yelp as tingles of pleasure surprise me.
“Momma?”
Trent’s hand immediately withdraws, and he rolls away.
I right my shirt, then roll off the bed to comfort Hyun.
Duri yawns sleepily. “Momma, I woke up, and you weren’t here.”
I cradle Hyun and tousle Duri’s hair. “I was right over there, sweetheart.” I gesture to the other bed.
“Withhim?” Duri says, clearly enraged.
“He doesn’t kick me in the face while I sleep.”
Hyun’s small face twists in confusion, and I smother him with kisses.
I grab a can of mixed fruit and pour it into a bowl, taking out the cherries because Hyun will throw them across the room. Then I grab a second can for Duri.
Once they’re settled, I look over and see Trent on his side, gazing at me.
I smile, my cheeks flushing with color. Whenever I see him, my body seems to radiate heat like a furnace. I can’t imagine what it must be like enduring his presence each day.
Not that I would be saddened by it. Just the opposite. His around-ness lifts my spirit, giving me something to look forward to.
If only I knew how long he was staying.
Trent rolls off the bed and goes into the bathroom. I wish I could go in after him, but I don’t want Duri and Hyun to grow curious.
The morning stretches, lazy and predictable. Trent eats, plays games with the boys, and looks out the window every few minutes. Every once in a while, he stares at me, licks his lips, and gives me a wink.
The rush my body feels when he does those dirty things is indescribable. But that’s nothing compared to how I feel when I see him with my boys. Showering them with kindness.
In those moments, I have more joy than I ever had before the dead rose.