Page 90 of Ruthless Touch

A knock at the door interrupts the rest of her sentence.

Elise freezes like she’s been caught under a police searchlight. I rise from the chair at the kitchen table to go answer.

“That must be our special guests,” I say casually. “I’ll get it.”

I open the door to reveal two petite Korean women who bow respectfully before entering with fast footsteps like they’re already late. They’re carrying a large trunk of supplies between them.

Within seconds they’re transforming our living room into a makeshift salon—portable hair dryer, UV lamp for nails, adjustable stools, and an array of products that would make any beauty supply store jealous.

Elise watches in complete shock, her mouth agape and eyes rounder than usual. “What’s all this?”

I step toward her and press an affectionate kiss to her lips. “I noticed how unhappy it makes you being unable to get your braids redone or your manicures and pedicures. So I arranged for some of the best in Seoul to come to you.” I gesture toward the women who are still setting up. “These women do top-of-the-line work. And they do all hair textures.”

The shock on Elise’s face is beautiful—pure, unguarded amazement that softens her features and makes her look almost innocent.

She glances from me to the women arranging their tools with the kind of wonder that you’d see from a child on Christmas morning.

It suggests she’s not used to people paying attention to her needs, much less anticipating and acting on them.

“They can do jumbo box braids? Like the ones I have?”

“They do it all, Goyangi-ne. I made sure before I hired them.” I stroke her jaw, my hand traveling down the arc of her throat and across her shoulder. “Now you can get your hair and nails refreshed like you wanted.”

For a flicker of a second, it seems like she’s on the verge of tears—her eyes go glassy and her breath catches, making me feel even more protective of her.

But she blinks the emotion away quickly, always refusing to let vulnerability show for too long.

She instead loops an arm around my neck and gives me a deep, grateful kiss on the mouth.

“Thank you,” she murmurs against my lips. “How do you even notice these things?”

“I’ve picked up on it,” I say simply. “I spend a lot of time paying attention to you, feline. I have from the moment I first saw you at the nightclub.”

The transformation begins immediately.

Elise settles into the chair the stylists have prepared, and I watch as they begin the process of undoing her existing braids. Their hands are gentle and skillful as they work through each section.

One woman massages her hands and feet while the other detangles her hair.

I can’t help but notice how Elise’s entire body melts into the chair, more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her.

I turn on the TV and queue up Netflix, then bring her some of the leftover japchae I made yesterday, setting it within easy reach while she’s being pampered. She looks like she’s in absolute heaven—eyes half closed, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth as skilled hands work magic on her stressed body.

Next they wash and dry her natural hair before beginning the braiding process. I’m struck by how beautiful she looks with her thick, textured hair loose around her shoulders, framing her face like a cloud.

Hours pass before the stylists finally finish her set of newly painted nails and box braids. I tip them generously and help pack up their supplies, walking them to the door to thank them one last time.

When we’re alone again for the first time in hours, Elise runs her hands over her fresh braids with obvious satisfaction, her burgundy nails shining and perfectly shaped.

“This just might be the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me,” she says with a small smile. “Thank you again, Gun.”

“So long as you feel better, Goyangi.”

She heads off to the bedroom and I return to my laptop to check if Joon’s sent me any more updates regarding the Cheongryong’s search.

I refresh the screen and find nothing new in my inbox.

They must still be following the KD lead, thinking he was the masked man at Noir Norae. The two of usdohave similar builds?—