Chapter 8

Once again, Seung-jo lowered his head and swallowed Hae-joo’s lips. No matter how persistently he licked and sucked them, her lips remained sweet.

“I guess we should have sex first before eating.”

Soon, Seung-jo led Hae-joo to the bed and laid her down. He began undressing from his impeccably tailored suit, just like always.

“D-Deputy Director, please stop… Hng!”

Wet sounds filled the small bed without pause. Beneath Seung-jo, Hae-joo gasped for breath.

With his long-time hobby of running, Seung-jo had a solid, toned body. His carelessly unbuttoned dress shirt clung to his muscles with sweat, making him look even more sensual.

“Look at me, Seon Hae-joo.”

Seung-jo furrowed his handsome brows and let out a short groan. He kissed the corners of Hae-joo’s eyes, which were wet from the heat.

“Look at me.”

“Haa…”

His gaze was intense. His hand trailed down, slowly exploring Hae-joo’s moist skin.

He wanted to steal everything from her. The movement of his masculine throat showed a fierce hunger.

“Ahh…”

Seung-jo gripped her slender ankle and began to move. His movements, now one with hers, were hot and arrogant.

Hae-joo gasped.

It was a searing heat—clingy, messy sex. Already overwhelmed by Seung-jo’s intensity, his body further pressed and provoked her.

Sex with Seung-jo was always this intense and dizzying.

Hae-joo enjoyed it, but her heart also ached. Even as she fluttered under the gaze of a man who desired her, she felt the bitter truth that there wasn’t a trace of love in his heart.

“So insanely good.”

Seung-jo whispered as he fiercely hugged her body and kissed her lips. His low growl scattered seductively in the air.

“Hng, t-too much, ah…!”

“Relax. I won’t hurt you.”

“Huff…”

“Hae-joo. How many times have we had sex, and you’re still like this?”

Even as he frowned at her awkwardness, Seung-jo gently caressed her skin, trying to soothe her.

“Ah…”

“You know what? I go crazy when Seon Hae-joo reacts honestly.”

“Hng… Deputy Director…”

“You look so cute when you moan clinging to me.”

He murmured as he kissed down her skin.

“If we keep going like this, you won’t be able to walk tomorrow. Don’t hold it in—look into my eyes and breathe.”

“Ahh…!”

Eventually, Hae-joo opened her tightly shut eyes and looked at him. Seeing her heat-flushed face, Seung-jo leaned in and devoured her lips.

Their tongues entangled as Seung-jo quickened his pace. Reaching the peak of overwhelming sensation, Hae-joo, on the verge of tears, clung to his waist in surrender.

Because of Seung-jo’s tireless intensity, Hae-joo had no choice but to moan endlessly in his embrace.

“Deputy Manager, want to come over to my place for dinner after work?”

The next day at lunch, Hae-joo waited for her coffee at a café near the office. Her colleague So-yeon brightly linked arms with her and asked with sparkling eyes.

“There’s a new gopchang restaurant in front of the apartment, and it’s seriously delicious! You like gopchang too, don’t you?”

So-yeon was the same age as Hae-joo but often acted like a cute younger sister, making Hae-joo smile.

“Yes, I love it—but I’m sorry, I have plans after work today.”

“Whyyy! I owe you so many meals. I got paid recently and wanted to treat you first.”

So-yeon pouted and looked at her with mock tears.

She worked in Executive Director Tae Seung-jo’s office, mostly assisting him rather than accompanying his packed external schedule.

“I wanted to treat you, that’s all. But if you insist, next time.”

“Deal! No backing out next time!”

The café was busy with people. As Hae-joo gently held So-yeon’s hand, So-yeon wrinkled her nose affectionately.

Hae-joo’s warm gesture revealed her gentle, kind personality. So-yeon’s eyes filled with affection and gratitude.

On So-yeon’s first day in Seung-jo’s office, she had been so nervous that she clumsily fell outside the company. Her shoe heel broke, and she panicked. That’s when Hae-joo, on her way in, noticed her and came over without a word, offering her own shoes and wearing So-yeon’s broken ones instead.

That moment created a bond between them. Being the same age, they grew close quickly, sharing everything without secrets.

“By the way, at the anniversary event yesterday! Executive Director Tae was staring so hard!”

“…Was he?”

Hae-joo’s heart sank. The event was already nerve-wracking enough—and with Seung-jo seated at the very front, all her attention had gone to him.

“Yes! Especially at you—I swear he kept looking your way.”

“That can’t be. He was probably just observing the award ceremony.”

Hae-joo’s eyes trembled slightly. She didn’t know what was in Seung-jo’s heart, but her own beat helplessly.

“Still, I nearly died from excitement when that handsome, sexy man stared like that!”

So-yeon covered her cheeks like a shy girl. Hae-joo chuckled, her nerves easing a little.

“So where are you headed after work, Deputy Manager?”

“Oh, to the department store.”

Hae-joo avoided So-yeon’s gaze, a bit embarrassed. Watching Seung-jo shine yesterday, surrounded by people, she felt the urge to give him something fitting.

A necktie, tie pin, or shirt—something practical. But Seung-jo had already beaten her to it by gifting her something instead.

He really didn’t need to…

Hae-joo sighed softly, caressing the watch hidden under her blouse sleeve. It was a gift from Seung-jo—she cherished it, but tried hard not to get the wrong idea.

She thought of him getting ready that morning. She’d stayed the night at his residence, and they went to work together.

He had held her relentlessly for hours until dawn, yet looked utterly composed as he got dressed.

Hae-joo shivered slightly, still feeling warmth between her thighs from their intense night.

It had been a pleasurable night for her too—but she couldn’t help the lingering bitterness.

Whenever she collapsed from exhaustion or woke from sleep, she was always alone.

The only time Seung-jo stayed in bed with her was right after sex, when he gently touched her and savored the afterglow.

“Phew. That was good.”

She loved that moment—his brow furrowed in contentment, exhaling deeply. It made her feel like she meant something to him.

Like they were truly lovers sharing heartbeats.

But that wasn’t their reality.

After the languid afterglow, Seung-jo would leave the bed without even putting on a robe.

He was so cold that watching him walk away sometimes made Hae-joo’s heart ache.

“I’ll go. Please rest here—this is your bed, after all.”

Early on in their relationship, she would awkwardly try to leave, despite her sore body.

Each time, Seung-jo would wordlessly come over, lay her back down, and say:

“Do I look like the kind of man who kicks out a woman who collapsed from exhaustion because of me?”

“That’s not it…”

“I just can’t sleep in the same bed as someone else. It’s uncomfortable.”

…Oh.

Hae-joo had sighed as she watched him disappear into another room.

She was someone who made him uncomfortable—and at the very least, she didn’t want to become even more burdensome.

Since that day, she’d gotten used to being left alone in bed.

She grew accustomed to his return at dawn, his passionate embrace, and his cold departure.

Even though it made her feel miserable when he treated her like a physical release, her foolish heart still stayed with him.

She remembered that morning, when he had showered kisses on her lower stomach before holding her again.

She subconsciously touched that spot, her soft smile trembling with sadness.