The truth was, she couldn’t stand the thought of him near an axe. Not now that he was trying to start over. There was no denying the man Seo Tae-joon used to be, but she saw no need to resurrect that part of him when their life had finally become so normal.
“And he isn’t used to being around other people anymore,” she added, choosing her words with care. “I’m afraid he should stay home for now.”
A grimace twisted Seo Tae-joon’s face. He couldn’t accept the kindness she offered when it felt so much like a cage. He reached out and pulled her toward him.
“W-what?”
“You can’t expect me to do nothing,” he said, his voice low. “That’s not who I am.” Before Ji-woo could protest, he added, “I want your attention. I don’t need your protection.”
Seo Tae-joon turned to face Joo Dong-mi. “I’ll contact you after I discuss it with my wife.” The words were a clear dismissal; he just wanted the woman gone.
Joo Dong-mi blinked. “Your wife?” she repeated, her gaze darting between the two of them. Her eyes landed on Ji-woo. “He’s your husband?!”
Though Joo Dong-mi had an appreciation for men, the thought of this particular man being a husband was jarring.
Tame people are supposed to be with other tame people, aren’t they?
Unable to compose herself, and with no desire to get between them, Joo Dong-mi spun on her heel and left.
Silence settled over the yard after the gate clicked shut.
“Ji-woo, are you ashamed of me?” Seo Tae-joon asked suddenly.
She looked up at him. “Pardon?”
“Just say it. You’re embarrassed that I’m talentless and jobless,” he pressed. “Or is it something else? I think I already know.”
Ji-woo’s gaze fell away, and Seo Tae-joon felt his suspicion harden into certainty. She still didn’t trust him.
“I don’t care if you lock me up in here to protect me.” He cupped the back of her neck, tilting her head until she had to meet his eyes. “But do it because you love me. Not because you’re afraid I’ll turn into a monster the second I’m out of your sight. Not because you don’t trust me.”
“I made a promise yesterday,” he said, his voice tight. “That I’d bury that part of myself. Did you think I was joking?”
Ji-woo’s eyes flew wide. “That’s not it,” she insisted. “I was… jealous.”
“So you’re just going to live in fear of that forever?” Seo Tae-joon demanded. “You don’t seem to understand the weight of your own words.” He watched her glance away again. “Even if I went back to who I was, what would change between us?” he bit out. “I’m completely devoted to you, so what are you so scared of?”
Ji-woo looked at him then, truly looked, and saw the anger in his eyes warring with a deep sadness. “I’m sorry!” she choked out. “I know it’s unfair. I just can’t control how I feel!”
“I don’t care if you work,” Ji-woo admitted, her voice softer now. “But I can’t stand you working with another woman.”
“With another woman?” Seo Tae-joon repeated.
“I’m a little jealous,” she confessed. A hot blush of embarrassment crept up her neck. Jealousy was not an emotion she was proud of.
In the next instant, he pulled her out of her thoughts and into a searing kiss. It was rushed and frantic, and Ji-woo parted her lips to let his tongue slip inside. They tangled together, hot and wet.
Even as he kissed her, she could feel the cold knot of fear in her stomach. It wasn’t something she could get rid of so easily. A part of her, she knew, would always be wary of Seo Tae-joon.
He had never been in a relationship before, and so he held a simple certainty about them that she could not. He saw only the two of them. She still saw the killer and the witness, the plaintiff and the defendant. He had no idea how much she was keeping from him.
Even so, she pushed the thoughts aside and wrapped her arms around his neck. She would accept what she could, even if it all felt like a dream.
Seo Tae-joon’s arms circled her waist, pulling her flush against him as their kiss deepened. Ji-woo tried not to think about how they must look, his large frame towering over hers as they twisted together, practically devouring one another.
She was beginning to realize that the things other people had done to her—the pointing, the beatings, the curses—felt different coming from Seo Tae-joon. Every one of his actions was steeped in affection. Even when he was rough, when he might have hurt her, she felt like a child being held in a fierce, warm embrace.
But she had lied. And sooner or later, those lies would come to light. These fleeting moments of happiness could not last forever.