He would never treat Leila this way.
"Well, since your father retired from being your manager, you've been distant. I thought you were upset with his decision."
Before G.K. could say a word, his father looked at his mother.
"Minsoo, I think you should excuse yourself to the ladies room. Your makeup seems to be smudged." It was not a request but a command. G.K. watched in dismay as his mother dabbed at her lips with the linen napkin and rose gracefully from the table.
"Oh I see, well I'll be right back. A lady never leaves smudged makeup." She joked, before heading off toward the ladies room.
That left father and son alone and the tension snaked out like tentacles.
"Retired?? You told her you
retired
?" G.K. asked incredulously when his mother was out of earshot.
The older man was unapologetic. "I did, because it was none of her business, about how my own family betrayed me."
"None of her business?! She's your WIFE. What else have you not told her? That you tried to ruin Kai's life? That I chose to support my cousin's happiness and for that you disowned me? That you treated all of us like you treat her? That you were
fired?"
G.K. said, struggling not to start screaming at his father.
The older man gazed at his son coolly."I told her nothing. It would only upset her."
"But her thinking that Kai and I don't care enough about her to call isn't hurtful?"
His father rolled his eyes in contempt. “You have always been dramatic, Gi Kwang. So much like a woman.”
G.K. bit back a retort. "I don't feel like arguing with you. I just want to know the truth of why you're here."
"Fine," his father snapped, tossing his napkin to the table. "I came here because you seem intent upon following your ungrateful cousin's lead."
"What are you talking about?" G.K. asked, his voice a harsh whisper.
His father reached down and pulled something from inside his suit jacket and practically threw it onto the table. G.K. eyed it quickly. It was a magazine from Korea, and there right on the front page was a big color photo of G.K. and Leila holding hands, as they were walking outside the dance studio. There was also a full page article naming Leila as one of T4L's dancers and speculations as to their relationship.
He looked at his father with disgust. "So this is why you came here. Not to fix our broken relationship, but to harass me about my girlfriend."
His father's eyes filled with rage. "You admit to a relationship with this woman? Do you realize I have become the laughing stock of Busan because you and Kai lack any sort of decency whatsoever? The both of you have completely ruined this family and my reputation!"
G.K. grew angrier, his fury growing by leaps and bounds. He laughed without humor. “Ruin this family? How could we? The fact that you're in it, has ruined it for everyone. You could care less about Kai’s or my happiness. Everything is all about you," G.K. spat, without concern for who was listening.
His father's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets with rage. "How dare you speak to me that way Gi Kwang! You are an ungrateful bastard!"
Despite the low, angry tones, and the fact that they spoke in Korean several of the restaurants other patrons turned curious eyes upon their table.
"I shouldn't be speaking to you at all since I've been disowned," the younger man pointed out acerbically. "Why should you care about anything I do? Oh yes, your precious reputation."
"Disowned? What are you talking about?"
G.K. looked over at his mother who stood frozen in place. His anger lessened slightly at the sight of her devastated expression. Her eyes darted from between them, seeking answers.
"Ask your husband," G.K. said coldly. He rose, kissed his mother on her shocked, damp cheek before striding away.
Chapter Thirteen
G.K. stormed into his hotel room. He found Leila sitting in bed, wearing one of his t-shirts, watching TV. Had he not been so agitated, the sight would have had his clothes off and on top of her in an instant.
"How was dinner," she asked expectantly. “You weren’t gone for very long.”
"It… how do you say it? Sucked," G.K. spat harshly. He flopped down on the bed, kicked off his shoes, and pulled off his sweater. "Jin Yung was wrong. My father hasn't changed. He'll never change."
Leila turned off the television as G.K. lay down next to her, resting his head on her shoulder.
"He never told my mother anything. About us firing him, about him disowning me, I don't even think she knows the whole story with Kai and Noel."
Leila’s mouth opened in shock, “So what
has
he told her," she asked, running soothing fingers through his hair. The touch slowly drained all the tension and anger from his body.
"He told her he'd retired and that I just hadn't been keeping touch with them."
"And she believed him?"
"My mother has always taken everything that man says as gospel." G.K. tensed up again, thinking about his father's behavior. "You should see the way he treats her, I don't know how I've never noticed before. But it’s as though she's beneath him or as though he’s talking to a child. I've always known him to be arrogant, but to watch him treat my mother like that. I wanted to hurt him."
Leila listened silently,
geez this guy is turning into more of an asshole by the minute
, she thought. "So, did he tell you why they came?"
This was the part G.K. hadn't wanted to tell her but she was owed honesty. He rolled onto his side, propped his head up on his bended arm.
"He came because a picture of the two of us together appeared in some newspaper in Seoul."
He heard Leila draw in a breath. "I can imagine he wasn't particularly pleased considering his reaction to Kai and Noel."
G.K. sighed. "I expected that. Not that his opinion matters in the slightest." He took her hand in his to emphasize that point. "I guess I was hoping to shield us from the press, but that was wishful thinking on my part."
After a short pause he asked, “Does it bother you?”
Leila rested her head against the headboard. "Well it's not like I'm thrilled about having my picture plastered all over Korean magazines, but I knew deep down it was bound to happen when we started dating."
G.K. audibly released the breath he had been holding.
Leila smiled,
he worries so much,
she thought. "So what are you going to do about your father?" G.K. shrugged, before turning to lie on his back once again.
"There's not much I can do. I know why he's here now, and I'm just going to try my best to avoid him." Leila looked at a now silent G.K. thoughtfully
; I don't know if that is the best method...he seems like the persistent type.
However she said nothing, scooting down under blankets next to G.K.
***
The next morning Leila took a quick shower, leaving a still slumbering G.K. with a hand thrown over his eyes. He looked so sweet and innocent like that.
The sluicing water gave her time to think about last night. About G.K.'s father and the reality of their relationship being made public. Right now it was just in Korea, but how long would it take before the internet spread the story worldwide?
As far as G.K.'s father was concerned, he could take a flying leap off a bridge. How any father could treat his son so shabbily made no sense to her. How anyone could ever hate on an awesome woman like Noel was beyond her. Yet it seemed the man was still living in the dark ages.
She stepped out of the shower, and dried herself with one of the luxurious towels that only fine hotels could provide. There was a bottle of rich body cream on the vanity, which she slathered onto her still damp skin. Grinning, she snagged it to put in her dance bag.
No sense in wasting it
, she thought.
Emerging from the steam-filled bathroom wrapped in one of the Turkish cotton robes, she noticed G.K. wide awake and seated against the headboard, the sheet barely covering his waist.
"Come here Leila," he purred seductively as he indicated where he wanted her. "And take off that robe. You won't be needing it."
She gulped silently like a fish. Who was this man and what the hell had he done with the shy G.K.?
Leila's eyes traitorously roamed down the toned body that had brought her such pleasure the night before. She also knew what was barely hidden beneath that blanket and it made her thighs moist.
So much for the shower.
He also looked like a man who wasn't about to take no for an answer.
"Do you know what time it is? I'm pretty sure you have to get ready...for
something
…right?"
G.K. scooted off the bed, sheet still covering him…barely. He reached out, lightly toyed with the ends of the robe's belt, eyes dark with want.
"I have time." He slowly untied the sash. "Plenty of time."
Wicked fingers trailed down her abdomen while the breath caught in her throat. Leila's resolve blew away like sand in the wind. When he pulled her down toward him for a kiss that was both sweet and hot, she couldn't shed the robe fast enough. They tumbled together onto the bed, Leila lying atop his body as he made insistent love to her mouth. She moaned feeling his hands cradle the underside of her breasts.
Tender yet fierce. Leila reveled in G.K.'s growing mastery of her body. He was still cautious, but not enough to stop him from toying with her nipples with his tongue. She ground her naked body against his sheet-covered body.
God he's getting good at this
was Leila's last semi-coherent thought before he slipped a hand between their bodies, finding her wet, hot and ready.
Leila's hands tightened on his shoulders, carried away by the jolting arousal of his questing hands. She sank her nails into his flesh as his fingers played with her. Slid in and out as she tightened around him, only to have him skim her nether lips. It wasn't enough; the torture was driving her crazy.
"You feel amazing Leila," his lips blew hot breath against her ear. "I just want to spend all day making love to you. I want to know what you like."
She used her body, her moans and sighs to guide him, but he seemed perfectly content to have her dancing on the edge of sanity. She wanted more, needed more. She arched against his body, begging for more.
"Enough," Leila gasped, so close to no-return. "I want you! Hard... right now!"
His seductive chuckle rolled over her like warm waves of silk. "Are you sure that's what you want?" He rolled them over, trapping Leila beneath him. "Ask me nicely."
Leila grit her teeth in sensual frustration. She needed him deep inside and he wanted to play games.
She heard G.K. laugh, say something in Korean that she was sure had to be naughty as he ripped open the foil packet and slid on a condom.
Her thighs were spread wide, more than ready to receive him. She did not want slow, but G.K. took his time, inch by tantalizing inch until he was completely within her. For a moment both hung suspended in time. She needed him to move.
And move he did. All she could do was hold on for dear life as the no-longer virgin G.K. started thrusting hard, reaching the deepest core of her. Leila practically screamed, wrapping her legs around his waist, meeting his down-thrusts with urgent upward thrusts of her hips.
When he reached in between their grinding bodies to stroke her already sensitive nub, Leila's body rocked with spasms, her slick walls clenched tightly, desperate to keep him inside. Like a man possessed, G.K. staked his claim on her body and soul and at that moment, she wanted to be owned. Nothing mattered--not his father, not the papers…nothing but the glorious sensation of the beautiful man who'd swept into her life and turned it out. Much like he was doing now.
Leila surrendered to him, to the overwhelming sensations that at the last, shattered her body into a thousand erotic points of light. She cried out his name as she tumbled into the sweet, dark abyss.
Leila lay in a sex-high state of bliss, wrapped in G.K.'s embrace.
His lips nuzzled her hair. "Are you all right?"
She smiled lazily. That was just like him, careful and considerate. She turned to face him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I'm better than just all right. I've heard of 'rock me like a hurricane' but I thought it was just a song by The Scorpions."
G.K. grinned wolfishly. "I guess I rocked you like a hurricane then?"
"Damn right you did. What happened to 'Mr. I've Never Had A Girlfriend Before?'
"
You
happened."
There was nothing else to say, so she was content to lie in his arms and revel in her afterglow.