Boyfriend for Hire [minsung]

Chapter 11

HAN POV

As the events of the evening unfolded, I found myself struggling to deal with the conflicting signals Lee Know was throwing my way. Despite my efforts to remain indifferent, the sight of him rushing to Seungmin's aid made me jealous. Then again, shouldn't I be glad to be by the side of someone so quick to help others? Maybe it was because I knew he viewed Seungmin as a serious potential partner whereas I wasn't a real option. Then again, would he have given a blow job to someone he just viewed as a fake boyfriend?

I tried to think logically. Lee Know had been the first to jump to help Seungmin because he was a good person. He would've helped anyone. I told myself that it was perfectly normal to carry your ex off bridal style alone to the bathroom. I didn't have an answer to (nor did I want to know) why it had taken them so long in the bathroom. When he came back towards me, I was just relieved to have him by my side again.

And if something had happened, well, it was what I was hired to help with. It was my own fault that I'd gotten attached when I knew the circumstances.

The bathroom door swung open again, and Seungmin emerged. He must've used the hand dryer on his pants since they, while stained from the coffee, were no longer wet.

He glared at the two of us as he walked towards the group. It made me nervous. He beelined towards Jeongin, whom he'd essentially been ignoring the whole night, and became very clingy with him.

Lee Know was acting the same way, and I had a suspicion that something had gone down between the two of them. I was too nervous to ask for specifics. Instead of dwelling on uncertainties, I rested my head in the nook of Lee Know's shoulder and watched whale tails swim off as the sun went down.

"Wow," Lee Know said upon spotting his first one. "I didn't think we'd actually see any."

"I did," I told him.

"Really?"

I nodded. "I just had a feeling."

The sunset cascading over the ocean in hues of pink and yellow was beautiful, and I was grateful everyone was off in their own couplings, so we were able to enjoy it peacefully together.

Lee Know was staring at me, and I felt butterflies. I didn't want to allow myself to get too eager since I didn't know if he and Seungmin had just engaged in anything, but my heart was racing.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I asked, referencing the sunset.

"Yes," he answered in a low voice, "You are."

I turned to him with wide eyes. This compliment didn't feel fake. It didn't feel like it was for the benefit of his friends. He'd said it so quietly that it had to be meant for me, and me alone.

"Me?" I asked, my nerves threatening to send me spiraling off the boat and into the water the second he admitted he was actually talking about his ex.

"You," he replied, and I fully faced him.

"Do you mean that? Is it real?" I questioned, seeking further validation.

Lee Know looked hurt by my inability to accept the compliment. He brought a hand to my chin, and his thumb stroked my bottom lip. "It's real."

All of the nerves and tension dissipated. I put my hands around his neck, eager to feel his lips against mine again.

"What do you want?" he smirked, knowing full well what I needed.

I tried to pull him towards me, but he refused to budge until I vocalized my request.

"Kiss me," I whined.

He grinned and his lips came forward to mine slowly and gently, giving me just the smallest of pecks. My entire body felt awake. It felt so real. My cheeks blushed shyly when he pulled away.

There was a loud stomp nearby echoing loudly on the metal of the boat, and I turned to see Seungmin storming away with Jeongin following after him.

Had the kiss been for them? Was it another attempt to win Seungmin back?

I honestly didn't want to know. I was much happier pretending that he had feelings for me.

Lee Know's eyes trailed after his ex, and I waited to see if he'd go after him. I was glad when he didn't and his gaze returned to me.

When the boat docked, Seungmin got off first and walked furiously back towards the house. Lee Know and I walked with Felix and Hyunjin. They had seen our kiss and teased us relentlessly about it. Lee Know's face went bright red. Surely he wouldn't be acting so shy if it was fake... But maybe he was embarrassed because I was so far below his status.

When we made it back to our room, I was feeling exhausted. I took another pill for my headache which was still annoying me, though I'd gotten used to it as the day went on. Lee Know got ready for bed while I brushed my teeth and then we switched.

This time when I got into bed, Lee Know squirmed near me and wrapped his arm around my waist like he had earlier when he was drunk. I was glad that it was something he hadn't regretted.

I backed up to snuggle into him and felt a kiss on the nape of my neck. It sent a fire through me, making it impossible to sleep, and I intertwined my fingers with his. I decided that I'd fake date Lee Know for the rest of my life if it continued to feel this way.

I'd never felt so strongly about a person so fast. My entire body craved him like a drug. His eyes that watched me so closely, his strong arms that had stopped me from falling, and (my favorite) his lips that tasted like candy on my tongue.

I wanted to explore more of him. I wanted to explore all of him. I turned around determined to get what I craved, and he smiled widely at me.

"Yes?" he teased.

His voice had broken down my dominating side right away. Instead, I kissed his cheek and whirled back around shyly.

"Goodnight," I whispered.

"Goodnight, baby," he laughed and squeezed me close to him.