The Contract: Sunshine (12 page)

He was so busy getting a thrill from the game of making money he had become full of himself.  Yoon realized he had come to a stall in his career because his own ego was getting in the way.  After just one session of afternoon tea with this woman, he’d learned more about hi
m
self than about her.

She taught him success wasn’t about becoming wealthy and se
l
fish.  It was about becoming wealthy and making a difference in the lives of his own culture first because charity begins at home.  Then he could expand to other countries.

He had failed to consider the hardships his own Korean ance
s
tors had gone through to give him a decent life.  There was always ple
n
ty of money for his education.  Yoon had never known what it felt like to go hungry or live without a roof over his head.

All he had to do was focus on his dreams and study hard.  His f
a
ther’s reputation gave him the startup he needed and he used all that he learned to come to the United States and build a new life for himself.  Yoon was embarrassed to say he had all but laid all things Korean aside.

Yoon had gotten to the point he rarely spoke to his family and Korean friends in his native tongue.  He had found himself replying in English even when they spoke to him in Korean.  Easily, he had forgo
t
ten about where he came from as he conformed to American society to “fit” in with his Caucasion American business ass
o
ciates.

By the end of that meeting, Yoon failed to lock Mrs. Dupree into a signed contract with his investment company, but he went away from the meeting feeling as if it had been the most su
c
cessful venture he’d ever embarked upon.

Yoon reached behind his head for the white fur throw that had been thrown over the back of the sofa.  It actually belong folded in the woven basket at the corner of the fireplace hearth but of course Sunshine wouldn’t have known this.  He spread it, with one hand, over her bare legs and feet doing his best not to wake her.

Once he had the cover over her, he scooted down and with his foot pulled the footrest closer.  He then settled in, relu
c
tant to move from his spot.  It also settled the matter of if he should place her in his bed to sleep with him. 

He felt that was being too presumptuous since she wasn’t awake to a
p
prove or disapprove the idea.  Just because she was up for a make out se
s
sion didn’t mean she had intended to go all the way with him on their first night.  He has slept with too many women to ever think he knew what a woman was thinking when it comes to sex and moral
i
ty.

Yoon most likely would have placed her in one of the guest be
d
rooms for the night but if the housekeeper hadn’t stayed around to clean the living room, she probably didn’t change the sheets on the beds.  He had accommodated a few clients that were too drunk for the ride back to their h
o
tels.

Resting his head on the back of the sofa, he yawned.  Closing his eyes, his thoughts went back to his visit with Sophia Dupree.

In spite of the stories that surrounded her life, she had a shrewdness for business of which was told about in an unauth
o
rized biography written about her.

He found that he liked Mrs. Dupree and her bossy straightfo
r
ward personality was refreshing. 

“Young man, those pictures are displayed there to remind me of where I come from.  A reminder to be grateful for everything I have and for all that I am, because you see...several of those people you’re looking at died so that I could have all of this today.

As she spoke, the piano music background changed into the more haunting Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata which was one of his f
a
vorites.

“My family keeps me humble.  They keep me grounded.  All I have left of my immediate family is my granddaughter.  Yes, that’s it, the frame you got your hand on.  That’s my namesake.  Sunshine Sophia D
u
pree.  Not the best picture of her, but she hates taking portrait shots.”

She laughed and gave him a saucy wink before leaning towards him on the piano bench
—
the
Sunny girl to sit for a portrait on my deathbed.  It’s the only way I’m going to get her to do it, b
e
cause that picture is about twenty years old.  That girl is too stubborn for her own good.”

“I wonder where she gets it from,”
Yoon had said. 

Mrs. D
u
pree’s hazel colored eyes had twinkled and her laughter reminded him of ti
n
kling bells over shop doors in Chinatown.

While she fell silent, she continued to play the piano easily moving from one tune into another.  Yoon had found himself studying the small portrait he held in his hand.

Yoon imagined that is why he remembered really well what Mrs. Dupree’s granddaughter looked like.  That little girl had not inh
e
rited any of her grandmother’s stunning features.  Never had Yoon seen such a fo
r
lorn plain and a word short from just being
ugly
little girl.  If it hadn’t been for her bea
u
tiful eyes, there would not have been any saving grace for the little girl.  All he could think was it was good she was rich as sin because that would be the only way she would be able to get a husband.

There was just no way the beautiful brown skin woman that was sleeping on his lap was that same little girl.  Sunshine is vibrant and unique with a hot body, luscious mouth and eyes to die for.

The real Dupree Food’s Heiress was plain, painfully frail loo
k
ing with braces and bad acne.  She could only dream about growing up to look like the Sunshine Dupree asleep on his lap.  Still, could there be two parents that would scar their children forever by naming them “Su
n
shine?” 

His Sunshine looked too young to be Mrs. Dupree’s granddaug
h
ter, so most likely because of her last name, her parents named her after the heiress.   

Also, there was the fact Sunshine wouldn’t have known he would chase her and blackmail her to help him because until he did it, he wouldn’t have thought he would have the audacity to blackmail a misfortunate woman into doing his bi
d
ding.  

So that led him back to right here and right now.  Who is Sunshine Dupree?  What was her story?  Would he still find her interes
t
ing once he found out more about her?

He wouldn’t worry about it any longer.  If he were still inte
r
ested in seeing her again, he would search the Internet to see if he could find any recent pictures of the heiress.  What if she was still ca
m
era shy and as elusive to the media’s prying as her evasive gran
d
mother?

Pop.  Pop.  Pop.

Started, Yoon jumped and his eyes flew open at Su
n
shine’s hand coming over his.  With eyes heavy with sleep, she moaned and turned on her ot
h
er side facing him.

“Sweetheart, don’t do that,” she muttered.  “Your knuckles will become fat.”  She secured his hand beneath her chin.  “You have sexy hands.” 

Sexy hands?  His eyebrows lifted and he stared at her hoping she was awake so they could fool around some more. 

A soft snore escaped her slightly smarted lips. 

“If you wake up, I will put my ‘sexy hands’ all over your sexier body.”  He tugged to get his right hand loose so he could touch her but she was holding on to him as if he was a safety blanket. 

He’d rather be spending the rest of the night kissing and cares
s
ing her about now but he could be content with the view also.  There was something very sexy about seeing her in something he’d worn.  He could smell his aftershave scent on her.  He didn’t know if it was left over from their make out session or if it was on his shirt.

A woman wrapped in your scent was like a dog pissing to mark his territory. 

Hey guys, stay away.  She’s mine.  Can’t you smell me on her?! 

Huh?
His mouth dropped open as he mulled over that une
x
pected thought.  Sunshine was sexy and her kissing skills were market
a
ble but was he seriously considering dating her?

Why would he even consider it?  He didn’t know her.  They probably didn’t have anything in common other than a sexual attraction.  She was very evasive about her life...well, that was unfair, he hadn’t rea
l
ly spent time past his
jaji,
dick, to find out about her life or if they had anything in common.

I like her
.

He couldn’t think of a better reason to date her than that.  He was also sexually attracted to her and that was an even better reason to date her and get to know her better.

“No commitments,” he murmured.  “I know you find me attra
c
tive and I know you are sexually attracted to me also.  We’re both co
n
senting adults.”  A tingling excitement raced through him as he managed to thumb her finger as she cuddled against his hand.  “I’m sure we can come to some...
agreement
to both our s
a
tisfaction.”

With that in mind, Yoon smiled and leaned back against the sofa with an assured sigh.  All-in-all this had been a good day after all. 

It was obvious she was down on her luck.  He was a generous lover and she caught him in between mistresses.  How could she not be pleased?  If what he suspected about her was true, then she should see his offer to take care of her as the answer to her prayers. 

Yoon let out a resigned sigh.  What great timing.  If he felt any guilt about blackmailing Sunshine, it all fell to the way side because now he had the chance to be her hero and save her, he imagined, and her mother who set her up on that date from poverty.

Feeling better about his decision, Yoon relaxed and his eyes closed into another yawn.  If Sunshine continues pretending to be his fiancée, he would make it worth her while.  Neither of them would have to go on another blind date again.  There was no way she would turn him down.

Because I am a man...

“You want to be my what?”  Yoon choked.

The fork he held hovering over the half eaten plate of eggs benedict
with its rich butter and lemon sauce, ham and English mu
f
fins hit the side of the plate with a clank.

“I want to be your new live in housekeeper,” Sunshine repeated from her vigil next to the oven where she waited for a second batch of chocolate chips cookies.  “It would be strictly professional of course.  I promise no more of what happened between us yesterday.  I don’t know what had come over me.”  She looked away from him.

“I didn’t mind,” he murmured but in his head he yelled:
I want more of yesterday
!  His eyes feasted on her shapely legs peaking from beneath his oversized t-shirt that came to her knees.

Yoon also noted she had well maintained feet and fire engine red toenails which he gave her extra points for.  He had dated some of the most beautiful women in the world only to be disappointed to see they had very unattractive feet.

“I wish I could blame it on too much wine at dinner,” she was saying when his eyes trailed back up to her face.  “But that would be a lie.”

Her lips turned up at the corners and he unconsciously smiled too. 
What is it about you that warms me, Sunshine
? 
I wish it had been the wine then I could get you drunk again so we can finish where we left off yesterday in the car
.   He released a resigned sign as she continued to explain away her actions.

“I’m afraid I was doing what I always do when I’m frustrated and upset.  I turn to sex to make me feel better,” Sunshine was saying.  “I promised myself I wouldn’t be like my mother and there I go behaving badly.  This is why my grandmother wants nothing to do with me until I accept responsibility for my actions.”

“Is that why you agreed to the date with the preacher last night?”  Yoon asked.