BENEATH HIS COLD EMPIRE

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(Jae-hyun's pov)

He should've pulled away.

He always did.

But this time… her arms were around him, warm and trembling, and for once—he didn't want to run.

Her scent. Her breath. The way she looked up at him like he wasn't a monster. Like he was worth something.

His hand hovered at her waist as she held him, and his gaze dropped to those lips. Soft. Slightly parted. Daring him.

Tempting him.

Before he could stop himself, he leaned in—and captured her lips in a kiss.

There was no hesitation.

No fear.

Just the crash of years of restraint crumbling into a moment of raw need.

Seo-rin gasped against his mouth, but her hands gripped his shirt tighter, pulling him in closer. The kiss deepened, and Jae-hyun groaned low in his throat, the sound barely restrained. He backed her gently against the wall, one hand tangled in her hair, the other around her waist.

Every part of him—starved.

And her…

She kissed him back like she'd been waiting her whole life.

From the hallway, a soft chuckle broke the silence.

Taeyang stood there, arms crossed, smirking like the smug devil he was.

> "Well, it's about damn time," he said, voice teasing.

"Don't worry—I'll disappear for a bit."

He gave a wink and slipped away like the good wingman he was.

Jae-hyun didn't even glance his way.

He scooped Seo-rin into his arms, effortlessly.

> "We're not stopping now," he whispered hoarsely against her ear.

She nodded, her fingers curling around the collar of his shirt.

He carried her to the bedroom—the one she hadn't stepped in since she first arrived. But tonight… it became theirs.

The door shut behind them.

Their shadows flickered under the dim light.

Clothes whispered to the floor.

Hands explored like they were learning each other from scratch.

And in the quiet storm of tangled sheets and breathless sighs—he left his mark.

A small, dark hickey just below her collarbone.

Possession.

Claim.

Desire he could no longer deny.

Later, when her head rested on his chest and her fingers traced lazy circles across his skin, he didn't speak.

Just held her.

Tight.

As if letting go meant losing her all over again.

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