“Ticket for two adults, please,” said Colin, reaching for his wallet in his back pocket.
God, how do you get an ass that perfect? Before she got too entranced by his backside, Jihae spoke up. “Hey, you don’t have to wine and dine me anymore. We’re partners. I’ll pay for this.”
“But it was my idea...”
“And it’ll be my treat,” she replied, handing over her card.
Colin grumbled under his breath but didn’t protest any further. His mood lifted as soon as they walked into the park to be greeted by neon pink flamingos.
“They smell horrible but they are such a lively sight,” he said in a nasally voice. He was breathing through his mouth, as she was.
“I agree to both observations.”
“Let’s find an animal we could breathe better around, and we could chat about some of the ideas my team and I came up with.”
Jihae’s shoulders drooped a little at the mention of business. Just for a moment, she’d imagined them to be simply enjoying each other’s company. Such silliness. “Good idea. I have some ideas of my own.”
The next animals they visited were the giraffes. They were quiet and still except for munching leaves in their mouths. Their heads were so high up, she didn’t have to worry about them eavesdropping on their production plans.
“Kimberly did a very thorough job of researching and weighing the pros and cons of each of the directors she selected for my preliminary review. I’ve chosen five of them for you to consider. I have my favorite but I won’t tell you until you share your thoughts.”
“Who are they?”
“Stella Merles, Edward Stein, Ken Park, Cora Huang and Mateo Sanchez.” Colin counted off his fingers.
“Mateo Sanchez?”
“Yup.”
“He’s done some amazing work,” she said, excited to have a director of his caliber on their list. “I think he would be sensitive to how we want to treat diversity.”
“But Cora Huang did an incredible job with her last two films,” he said, pushing back from the railing and motioning for her to walk with him. “I was blown away by how she portrayed the female protagonists to be both strong and vulnerable, and to grow with all the clumsiness and faltering of real people.”
“All your picks have their own special strengths. I could narrow it down to three at best, but from there on, I wouldn’t know who to pick. I would be thrilled to have any of them.”
Colin chuckled and said, “You know, the choice isn’t entirely up to us. Those directors are hot commodities. They may turn us down.”
Jihae lifted her chin and gave him her haughtiest look. “If I set my mind on something, I don’t take no for an answer.”
It was true. She was relentless. Of course, she didn’t always get what she wanted, but it wasn’t for not giving it her everything. Some things were worth fighting for.
Colin was quiet for a while as he led them to their next animal. She glanced around and took in her surroundings, and sighed a little wistfully. She couldn’t deny that she enjoyed these easy moments with him.
He stopped in front of the elephants and rested his hand on the railing. When Jihae stopped beside him and saw the baby elephant standing by its mama, she couldn’t hold back her aww. Colin turned and awarded her with a wide grin, and she smiled back happily. The mama and baby elephants were the cutest sight. She stepped closer to the railing and held on with her hands, wanting to be near them.
She inadvertently brushed her pinkie against his, and pulled back as a tremor traveled down her back. She glanced at him from under her lashes, pretending to watch the elephants. Her hand looked pale and small next to his darker, bigger one. An image of their intertwined fingers seared itself into her mind, and she wanted it to be real. She could almost feel the warmth of his hand and the heat burning through her veins.
As though reading her mind, Colin placed his hand over hers and laced their fingers together. Neither of them said anything. They both looked down at their entangled hands with quickening breaths. Finally, his eyes, full of gentle yearning, sought hers out, and she fell into their depths.
“Come with me?” he asked with a soft squeeze of her hand.
“Yes.”
His steps weren’t hurried as he led them down the miniature streets of the zoo. But he picked up speed when they arrived at the entrance of a small aquarium. A narrow, dark hallway led them inside and continued into a semicircle as it opened up into a round aquarium that hugged the outer walls. The blue light emanating from the water gave the interior an otherworldly vibe. And it was deserted.
Colin didn’t stop until they walked into another dark hallway leading into what she presumed was another exhibition. He maneuvered her back against the wall and ran his hands up and down her arms, making her shiver with anticipation.
“I shouldn’t do this,” he said in a rough, low voice.
“Neither should I.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kiss me?”
“God, yes,” he said, crushing his mouth against hers.
Jihae let herself melt against him with a content sigh. When his tongue gently outlined her bottom lip, she parted her mouth and flicked her tongue against his. That earned her a sexy growl from Colin, and his hands pressed against her back, bringing her even closer to him.
Her curious hands traveled down the length of his firm, muscular arms and came to rest on his narrow waist. First her thumbs drew circles on his stomach, then she boldly grabbed his shirt and tugged it out of his pants. She didn’t stop there. She couldn’t. She wanted to touch him. To feel him.
He hummed under his breath and pressed his torso into her hands, so she followed her instincts without hesitation. Her fingers traveled over his stomach, delighting in every muscled groove. Then she moved her palms onto his hard, broad chest. It was so smooth. So hot.
Meanwhile, he kissed her like a man starved, but kept his hands planted firmly on her back. He was holding himself in check—trembling beneath her hands—to give her control of how far they would go. They were semihidden in the darkness of the hallway, but they didn’t exactly have privacy. This shouldn’t go far at all, but she wanted it to last just a little bit longer.
“Goddammit.” Colin suddenly pulled back to her bewilderment. “Sorry. It’s not the kiss. It’s not you. I just have a call I need to return.”
Then in the recesses of her mind, Jihae recalled the subtle ringing of a gong. It must have come from Colin’s phone. He walked through to the other side, his phone against his ear. She stayed behind to give him privacy and to take a moment to gather herself. She realized she was shaking, as well, and she breathed deeply in and out. After straightening her suit, she finally followed Colin into the next room.