—Present Day—

San Francisco, California


..

Lisa stared at me from the other side of the couch, hours after she told her team members they could go home. We'd eaten our dinner in silence, just like all the nights before, and I was beginning to wonder if she was rethinking letting me walk out on her.

Not wanting to start the conversation, I picked at the seam of my jeans.

"Jennie?" she called my name, her voice deep.

"Yes?"

"Look at me."

I looked up, and she moved closer to me on the couch. She cupped my face in her hands and looked into my eyes.

"I'm sorry." She kissed my lips, softly trailing her tongue against the edge of my mouth. "Very sorry."

"For what?" I wasn't letting her get off easy, panty-wetting kisses or not.

She smiled. "For the way I've treated you over the past few weeks."

"And for the ridiculous rules you set when I got here?"

"Yes."

"And for—"

She kissed me again before I could finish. "I'm sorry for everything, Jennie. Fucking everything. I also think we should start over."

"As friends?"

"No." She smirked. "I think we both know that at this point, there's no reason for us to attempt to be just friends."

My heart fluttered against my chest. "You want to date me?"

"We can call it that for now, but given our history, I think I know you too well to simply 'date' you, Jennie." She ran her fingers through my hair. "I mean, of course I would like to know the new you better, but I think we should try to pick up where we left off before. Well, where we would've left off if you hadn't stopped talking to me. Nonetheless, I think you're still the same friend I had before."

"Are you the same friend I had before?"

"I am," she said, her eyes meeting mine. "I just like a few different things."

"Like rough sex?"

"Yes." She bit my bottom lip briefly and let it go. "Like rough sex. But I told you before, I won't be rough with you, at first." She let out a breath and paused. "I want you to be mine, despite the obvious conflict of interest."

"You really think Han would be upset about you dating me?"

"I think he would murder me if he found out I was dating you," She said. "And then he would be upset that I drove him to do it in the first place."

"That doesn't sound like my brother."

"Then you don't know your brother." She looked dead-ass serious. "Trust me. He's a psycho when it comes to the women in his life."

"So, we keep this—whatever this will be, a secret forever?"

"No," she said, pulling me into her lap. "We tell him after his wedding when he's less liable to be upset. And 'this' means you being mine and vice versa. Or, as you would say, girlfriend."

"Are there any rules for that?"

"Only three." She rubbed her hand against my back. "And they're non-negotiable."

"I'm listening."

"Rule number one, you belong to me and not anyone else." She slid her hand under my shirt and unclasped my bra. "You trust me, I trust you, and we don't keep secrets from each other."

"Number two?"

"You don't let me treat you any kind of way again, and we keep this as discreet as possible until we're both ready to tell your brother."

"That's two rules."

"I'm counting them as one."

I sucked in a breath as she pinched my nipples. "And three?"

"Number three," she said, sliding her hand into my jeans and tapping her fingers against my pussy. "You only give this to me."

I didn't get a chance to agree. She kissed my lips and pushed me off of her lap, positioning my back against the couch cushions.

I stared at her as she moved between my legs and pulled my pants down to my ankles.

Tilting my body up, she draped my legs over her shoulder in one smooth motion. She tore my lace panties off in a flat second and tossed them across the room. Without saying a word, she pressed her mouth against my pussy and began kissing my lower lips in the same sensuous way she kissed my mouth.

Not giving me a chance to adjust, she swirled her tongue around my clit in slow circles.

"Ahh..." I shut my eyes as she slid her tongue a little deeper. "Lisa..."

"Do you want me to stop?" She blew on my clit. "I will."

"No..." I shook my head. "No."

She trailed slow kisses against my inner thighs, gripping my legs a little tighter each time I made a sound.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

She didn't give me a chance to answer. She buried her face in my pussy again—rendering me completely useless. She darted her tongue against my clit in a slow, deliberate rhythm—sucking it in and out of her mouth.

I writhed against the cushions and pulled her hair, but she didn't stop. Didn't lose pace.

My phone sounded on the coffee table, and hers sounded in her pocket seconds later, but neither of us made a move to answer.

She groaned as she tasted me, whispering, "Your pussy tastes so damn good..."

I squeezed my thighs against her head as she caressed my nipples with her free hand, adding to the pleasure. I felt myself nearing the edge as my body began to shake, so I tried to push her away.

"I don't think so." She didn't budge. "Come on my face, Jennie..."

"Ahh..." I couldn't hold back anymore. "Ahhh. Lisa..."

"Come on my face," she repeated, still keeping my legs locked in her grip—still fucking me with her mouth.

I couldn't hold on any longer. I screamed her name as my body shook wildly, as she continued kissing me recklessly with no regard for my orgasm.

When my shaking finally slowed, she moved my legs from her shoulders and stood up from the couch.

I opened my eyes and saw her walking toward her bedroom.

Unable to sit up, I leaned over and grabbed my phone from the coffee table. There was one missed call.

Hanbin?

Lisa returned to the living room with a couple of warm cloths and sat next to me. Gently spreading my legs apart, she kept her eyes on mine as she cleaned me up.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded and slowly sat up, but she pushed me back down.

"I'm not finished with you." She smirked.

"What?"

"You heard me." She glanced at my exposed pussy again. "I'm not done with you yet." She spread my legs again, but the doorbell rang before she could continue.

"You're holding another meeting tonight?" I asked.

"No." She sighed and stood to her feet. "One of the team members probably left something again." She helped me pull my jeans up to my waist before walking away from me.

"Han?" She sounded surprised as she opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I need a reason?" he walked right into the house, and I fastened the button on my jeans. Then I placed a pillow over the new, wet spot on the couch.

"I called you both, but you didn't pick up," Hanbin said. "So, I figured your service lines were busy or something."

"Yes, busy." Lisa shut the door and followed him into the living room.

"Hey, Jennie." He smiled at me. "Are you sleeping any better these days?"

"Yes. A lot better."

"Good." He took a seat and let out a breath. "I've been so pre-occupied with the wedding, that I realized I haven't hung out with the two other closest people in my life. Outside of when I see you at work, that is. Do you mind if I stay for dinner?"

"Translation: You and Rosé are fighting about something stupid right now, and you stopped by because my house is closest to wherever she currently is?" Lisa crossed her arms.

My brother smiled. "I prefer the term arguing, not fighting."

Lisa laughed. "I figured."

"She's being very difficult about this fucking wedding," he said. "I just want to get married."

"And she just wants it to be perfect." I stood up. "I was going to make grilled chicken bagels and salad tonight. Is that good enough for you?"

"Grilled chicken bagels?" he asked. "You know Lisa is a master at cooking real food, right?"

I looked at Lisa in surprise. "No, I didn't. Are you saying I can't cook real food?"

"I'm saying you should let Lisa teach you how to make the type of things that weren't served in your coffee and wine bar," he said. "I learned quite a few things from her after she hacked into a chef's master course."

"You're just saying I can't cook."

"I would never." His phone sounded in his pocket, and he stood to his feet. "Do you mind if I take this out on your terrace, Lisa? It's Rosé."

"Not a problem. It's unlocked."

He walked toward the windows, and Lisa immediately rushed over to the chair where she'd been sitting. She picked up what was left of my tattered panties and put them into her pocket.

"Do you think he saw those?" I asked, my face crimson red.

"I highly doubt it." She motioned for me to follow her into the kitchen. "Let me show you how to cook."

"I know how to cook, Lisa."

"Not better than me."

..

..

An hour later, I set down a second plate of steamed lobster and scallops, and I had to admit that Lisa could cook circles around me without even trying. I also had to admit that she was completely right about not telling my brother shit about us.

"Since your friend isn't coming to San Fran anytime soon, how much longer do you plan on letting your brand-new house sit untouched?" Hanbin asked, setting a napkin in his lap.

"I was going to move in soon."

"Soon?" He raised his eyebrow. "If you're sleeping well again with the medicine, why not just move in this month?"

"I guess I was waiting to get a car, so I could move around on my own."

"Oh, right." He pulled out his phone and tapped a key, holding it up to his ear. "Francis? My little sister is going to stop by your dealership at some point this month. Let her get whatever she wants." He ended the call, and just like that, I knew my nights here with Lisa were going to be few and far between.

"Thank you, Han."

"Always." He picked up a fork, and Lisa placed her hand on my thigh under the table. "So, Lisa. Do you have a date for the wedding yet? I know you have tons of women in your past to choose from."

Lisa coughed and strummed her fingers against me. "I don't have a date yet."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone soon. What about you, Jennie?"

"Not yet."

"Well, be forewarned—" He sipped his wine. "Don't pick just anyone since Rosé is insisting on taking a separate set of pictures for the bridal party and their guests. Plus, I'm going to have the guy's background checked out by Lisa, so make sure he's a decent guy."

"Define decent guy." Lisa's strumming stopped.

"A decent guy?" Hanbin tilted his head to the side, then he smiled. "Any guy who is the opposite of you."

My heart sank, and Lisa downed the rest of her wine in one gulp.

"I hate to leave before finishing dinner," Hanbin said, looking at his phone. "But, it's—"

"Rosé." Lisa and I said in unison.

"Exactly." He stood up from the table and kissed my forehead. "I'll see you around at work."

I looked down at my plate as he left, as Lisa walked him to the front door.

"Hey." Lisa tilted my chin up when she returned. "What's wrong?"

"I think he really would kill you."

She smiled and helped me out of my chair. "He would."

"So, you're not backing away?"

"No." She kissed me. "We'll be discreet, and it's not like this is the first secret we've ever kept from him."

"Our childhood secrets don't count."

"They definitely do count," she said, leading me to her bedroom. "But now that he's gone, I would like to finish what I started on the couch if that's okay with you."

"It's more than okay."

..

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