the back of his head and shrugged. “It’s here to help me with my abysmal cooking skills.”
“Aww, I think that’s rather sweet.” She reached out and gently grazed the herbs with her fingers.
“Really?” he said, breaking into a wide grin. “I’ll take that.”
Once they were back at the wet bar, Jihae got to work. With quick twists of her wrist and fast-moving hands, she muddled the basil with some blueberries and a splash of simple syrup, then poured the mixture into the shaker. Then she added measures of fragrant gin and elderflower liquor into it, and topped it off with ice before she shook the shaker with easy efficiency.
A glint of mischief entered her eyes, then she bumped the shaker from elbow to elbow before throwing it and catching it behind her back. It was an exciting finale. Simple and elegant. Especially when done with her intoxicating half smile. She added a slice serrano chili into two martini glasses and poured the concoction into them.
It was hot. She was hot. Damn.
She pushed a glass toward him and raised hers in the air. “Gun-bae.”
“Gun-bae.” While the salutation meant “bottoms up” in Korean, Colin took a much more careful sip of the drink. His eyes widened and he gawked at Jihae. “Why aren’t you out there selling this stuff? How about if I buy the recipe from you for my clubs?”
“Is that what I’m doing here? Having another business meeting?” She took out the sting in her words with a teasing smile.
“Dammit. Sorry. No.”
“Relax, Song. My claws are officially withdrawn,” she said, raising her curled fingers toward him like little paws. “Besides, I just made the drink up on the spot, so there is no recipe. I’d probably forget it in like two minutes.”
Colin gave her a pained look. He didn’t want to sound like a haggling businessman tonight, but it would be a travesty for the rest of the world to never try her cocktail. He didn’t know what to do, so he bit his lip and stayed quiet.
Jihae’s laughter filled his living room as she took him out of his misery. “Give me a pen and paper. I’ll jot down what I remember.”
He patted his pants for a piece of paper and found a receipt, then grabbed a pen. “Here.”
She turned over the receipt and bit the end of the pen. Then she wrote out the recipe for him. She paused, worrying her bottom lip, then smiled as she scribbled something on top. She handed him the receipt with a look of anticipation in her eyes.
“Once in a Blue Moon,” he read, and looked up to smile at her. “Clever.”
“I figured I won’t be coming to your condo to create brilliant cocktail recipes very often—”
“No,” he blurted, cutting her off in the middle of the sentence.
She cocked her head in question. “No what?”
“No, I want you to come to my condo often—very often—and mix as many amazing drinks as you’d like.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Be with me, Jihae.”
Nine
“Colin, I...” Jihae couldn’t continue because he pressed his index finger against her lips.
Slowly withdrawing his finger, he came around the bar and clasped her hand, then tugged her toward his couch. She couldn’t breathe. What was he doing? Well, she had a vague idea he hadn’t brought her to his condo to talk business, but she wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted.
“I want you, Jihae.”
With gentle pressure on her shoulders, he settled her on the couch then he kneeled in front of her, spreading her legs to get as close to her as possible.
“But...” She didn’t know what she meant to say as the heat in his eyes sucked the air out the room. All she could recall was that she’d told him he would need to get on his knees if he wanted to touch her again. And here he was. On his knees. She was going to have a heart attack.
“May I kiss you?”
“I don’t know. Why now? What’s changed?”
Colin blinked rapidly as though her question had touched a nerve. Before she could wrap her mind around it, he replied, “Me. I’ve changed. I want you, and I can’t hold back anymore.”
He wanted her and he was finally admitting it. Sweet victory. A triumphant smile rose to the surface, and she wet her already tingling lips. “So...you want to kiss me?”
“Very much.”
She had no patience left to gloat because she wanted to kiss him very much, too. Jihae wrapped her arms around his neck and lowered her face toward his. She dropped