Page 18 of Give It a Day (Song-Smith #1)

“I love you, Kaye.” His words land right against my lips, his movements slowing.

My breaths heave in my chest, from his body, from his words. I close my eyes, unable to deny that this feels so fucking good. I feel him finishing inside me, ropes of his seed painting my insides.

With his chest pressed down against mine, I don’t know whose racing heartbeat I’m feeling. Might be his, might be mine. Might be both of ours, in harmony with each other. I close my eyes, hiding my whimper, but I’m sure he feels it in the way my lips are moving against his—a trembling kiss.

My eyes slowly open to look at him. There’s so much sincerity in his gray eyes this time, it stuns me completely.

Warmth floods through my body like it’s in my blood, like his…

love is spreading through me. And that feeling…

I haven’t felt it in forever, and all it makes me want to do is run.

I don’t know what to do with it. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say or do or feel .

I see the way his brows deepen as he looks at me. His voice is less gravelly but still sounds as raw when he says, “I can see it on your beautiful face. Let go, Kaye. Give me rein. I’ll show you that you can trust me.”

His hand tilts my chin up, and I look into his eyes, trying to ground myself in them since I feel so lost. It feels like words are stuck in my throat again, but this time, my chest hurts with it, like it’s cracking open slowly, letting the hurt out.

I don’t want Dae to win another round, but we’re not playing the same game anymore, are we… ?

He rests his forehead against mine, as if demanding my full attention. All it does is make me glower at him. And all that earns me is his amused smirk.

With a kiss, he moans, sounding very much pleased. I practically melt under him, rolling my hips on instinct. The jerk’s still hard. It’s impressive, no matter how demanding he is.

He pulls back a bit, then says, “You hate being told what to do. But I’ve already changed your mind many times in the past few hours alone. And didn’t you enjoy every single second of it? Giving up your need to be put together, so you can easily fall apart, even if it’s only from my mere fingers.”

I frown, looking away at the grass, at the droplets of dew around it, and breathing the sea salt in the air as deep as I can. “You really always get your way, don’t you?”

I can hear the smile in his voice. “Always.” In a rare moment, his voice sounds gentler, while his finger traces my cheek, turning me to face him. “What’s waiting for you on the other end, once you’ve run as fast as you can away from me?”

I furrow my brows. His question makes me remember the terrifying feeling of my feet slipping at the cliff close by. Sighing, I say, “I don’t know, Dae. It’s just what I do.”

His voice is still gentle but firmer this time, as his fingers slowly tangle into my hair. “Tell me about that life you’re so keen on protecting with your sharp tongue and tall walls.”

I study him for a moment before deciding that this is my chance to say things to someone who’ll actually understand me.

I blink, heavy, breathing in the salt in the air before I confess.

“You know what I do, Dae. My family’s line of work isn’t for everyone to know about.

I’ve had to keep my whole life a secret, and I’ve been in shady deals for most of it, finding ways out of trouble, and only knowing how to survive other criminals.

” My chest constricts, so I furrow my brows deeper.

“So I couldn’t trust anyone in my life. I would run and run. It protected me.”

He listens intently, his eyes searching mine. “And has it? Has running protected you, or has it left you alone and isolated?”

I wince, frowning and gritting my teeth. Enough said.

His expression hardens. “And what about what you want?”

“Why do you care?”

His eyes drill into me. “What do you want, out of this life, out of this marriage?” His hands tighten around my hair, making me look at him under my lashes.

Knowing him, he’ll keep asking until I give him a proper answer.

So I really think about it, even in this position, with me still under him, lying so close to the cliff.

The sounds of the sea splashing against the shore below us calms me, or maybe it’s the way he’s looking at me, less like I’m a prized cow, and more like I’m truly his wife he dotes over.

Moments pass and I’m still searching for an answer, until I go with my gut, aiming for honesty.

“I don’t know…” I stare into his eyes, but a wall of tears blurs my vision. “No one’s ever asked me what I want.”

He pulls me against him closer, his arms wrapping around me in a possessive grip. “Then tell me, what makes you happy?”

Chuckling bitterly, I look away, letting a few tears fall. I shake my head, having such a hard time finding an answer that isn’t drinking and hooking up. So I go for honesty again. What else do I have to lose at this point? “I’ve only known crime and violence. So I don’t know, Dae. I really don’t.”

“We’ll find it together,” he says, his voice filled with determination.

I close my eyes, letting the rest of my tears spill down my heated face.

I didn’t expect him to say anything remotely as sweet as that.

I was prepared for him to gloat, to boast, to boss me around.

But not this. Not Dae still being tender.

“Why…?” I ask, shuddering. “Why would you settle for a life just helping me, when I’m pretty much a stranger to you?”

“It’s not settling. You’re my wife.”

He looks at me, eyes as adamant as the rest of him. His shoulders are straight, his head bent down to my eye level. He looks like he means business, but my heart hums, happy to see him so hell-bent on me.

“You’re astonishing, Kaye. You’re a free spirit in a gilded cage.”

“ Hey …” I scold him halfheartedly, feeling the heat grow so much worse at his unexpected praise, so I shift the focus. “That gilded cage was the only place I called home.”

He smiles, this time with warmth in it, which I could admire all day, because it feels like it’s too rare to pass on.

“Is it though?” he counters, standing up and offering his hand to help me up.

Without hesitation, I take it. “Or is it just metal bars you call home because it’s all you’ve ever known? ”

I huff out a little laugh as he flattens the skirt of my dress. “What are you, my therapist ?”

“Maybe I should be. You’ve definitely given me plenty to analyze.” He kneels, helping me put my heels on while I rest my hand on his shoulder to stay steady.

“Oh, great, I’m an A-plus psychiatric patient. A total nut job.”

He stands, sliding his hand on the small of my back. “You’re not any of that. You’re perfect—everything I could ever want in a wife. Beautiful, unafraid, never backs down.”

“I’m pretty sure if you’re pretending to be my therapist, talking to me like this is breaking some sort of regulation,” I joke, smiling up at him and reaching for his lips when I raise myself on my toes.

I guess I can’t help myself. He’s saying all the right things to me again, even the parts when he tells me he wants to take rein.

Because I did like letting go, oddly enough.

He tilts his head down, smiling as our eyes meet. “Maybe I’m not the ideal therapist then.”

“I’d imagine hardened criminals make awful helping professionals. We’re too busy helping ourselves.”

That look of tenderness washes over his face. “Then as your husband, let me help you. And for me to do so, be honest with me.”

“I’ll try. But what will you work on?” I raise my brow, while fixing my hair. He helps me with the parts I can’t see. “I’m working on myself. So how about you, Dae?”

He raises a brow right back at me. “I’m already perfect.”

“Try again,” I say with a scoff.

He adjusts his cuffs. “Fine. I’ll work on being patient and not as pushy . Is that how you’d phrase it?”

“You push and push, and I might fall off the cliff. So be careful, Dae.” I snort out a little laugh as he holds my hand and takes us back to the reception.

“I caught you before you fell, didn’t I, little bird?” He smirks, looking so satisfied with himself. “And besides, it’s more fun when you push back against my push, isn’t it?”

I laugh lightly, not openly agreeing. Can’t keep letting him think he’s winning. Then I wonder out loud, asking, “Why do you call me that? Little bird ?”

“You know how you said my appearance screams must spank a girl ?”

“Yeah.” I laugh again and, for whatever reason, my cheeks feel warm. Definitely not from the way he’s being so funny, nice, and caring. Nope, I’m feeling warm probably from how breathtaking this sunset is. I mean, the sun is right on me!

Dae continues, “Since I saw you, your body language screamed ready to take flight . That’s why you’re my little bird.”

He looks my way as we walk, and I glance back at him. My heart does this little dance. Is it dancing to the music that’s louder now that we reach the musicians? Or is it because of Dae? The sunset makes him look like he stepped out of a portrait.

“I’m not letting you fly away, Kaye. You’re staying by my side. You’re mine .”

I can’t believe it but my warm cheeks hurt because I’m beaming up at him. How is him saying I’m his a good thing? Stupid heart . But would you look at that? He’s smiling right back.

The reception’s thankfully winded down by the time we return. The evening air’s nice and crisp, carrying some of that salty tang of the sea.

The cute little lanterns sway gently in the breeze.

The musicians are playing soft music as the number of guests dwindles.

Way earlier, I’d asked the musicians if they knew Hisaishi’s “Merry-Go-Round of Life”, you know, the song from the movie, Howl’s Moving Castle .

When the musicians answered my request by making faces ranging from ‘Who doesn’t?

’ to ‘Duh’, I ignored their rude stares and asked them to play it to close the party.

I thought it’d be fitting since the title of the song is how I feel like my life’s been.

Except not so merry. Maybe it’s time for a change.

Or maybe it’s time for me to embrace the change I’ve been hurled into.

Dae and I spend a few more lingering moments with the last few guests telling us their goodbyes, and then, spend the rest of the late evening with my parents-in-law showing me around the vineyard. They seem like surprisingly pleasant people.

So they’re rich, good-looking, and pleasant? Pick a lane, people.

As the dusk turns darker, hours passing by, I breathe without a care in the world, the seabreeze soothing my soul. I realize only for a brief moment that I haven’t spent this day drowning myself in worries, and drinking the night away. All because of Dae.

As Clo talks about why the seawater’s mist is good for the vineyard, I stare up at my husband. My husband . Dae is not only gorgeous—with his sea-breeze tousled hair, revealing the perfect structure of his striking face—but he’s also mystifying, because he believes in me.

I’m his wife, except now it’s starting to feel more real than pretend.