Chapter 1

My name is Jenny Lane. I'm 25, working as a clerk at an electronics factory.

I grew up in a strict household. I was always told to keep my distance from men. But whenever I saw couples being close, I couldn't help feeling curious and a little drawn in.

There was something about those unfamiliar moments that pulled at me.

My parents set me up with someone. They said I was at the age to get married and told me to take it seriously, to cooperate and give it a real chance.

He was three years older than me, clean-cut and decent-looking.

For our first meeting, he asked me to go to the movies.

On screen, a couple was wrapped up in each other, kissing. That was when he reached over and took my hand, which was resting on my lap.

I flinched, unsure what to do.

Seeing that I didn't pull away, he reached out his other arm and wrapped it around my shoulders, pulling me gently toward him.

When he held me, I could feel the strength in his shoulders and arms. There was a raw, physical presence about him that made my thoughts blur.

"Are you into me?"

He leaned in close, his voice brushing against my ear.

I shivered. It felt like a current ran straight through me. My ears had always been sensitive.

His breath against my skin made me tense, as though he had traced a slow, deep lick over my ear.

At the thought, a shiver stirred through my body, and I couldn't help pressing my thighs together.

The next second, my legs were pushed apart.

My heart jumped. Was this really happening this fast, right here?

A tub of popcorn was suddenly placed between my knees.

"Hold it." His voice snapped me out of it. "That way, it's easier for me to feed you popcorn."

After that, he turned back to the screen as if nothing had happened.

Cheeks still warm, I forced myself to settle down and focus on the movie.

On the screen, the couple was already kissing so deeply that it was almost obscene. They were still in the car, but the man's hand had already slipped beneath the woman's clothes.

Even through her top, you could see he had unfastened her bra, his hand freely caressing the full curve beneath.

I found myself watching the woman's expression, the way she seemed to melt into it. I felt a little envious.

"Want one?"

A piece of popcorn appeared in front of my lips.

I felt shy all over again. He really was such a flirt.

It was only our first meeting, and things were already moving so fast. I was nervous, but underneath that, there was a strange excitement I couldn't ignore.

I parted my lips slightly, trying to take the popcorn in a composed, ladylike way.

But when I bit down, my lips brushed against his fingers. His skin was rough and calloused.

Right, I seemed to recall that he worked with cars.

I flushed and tried to pull back, about to apologize.

But he didn't let go. Instead, his fingers pressed a little further in. Then he released the popcorn, letting it roll onto my tongue.

I stared at him, wide-eyed, like a startled little deer. His gaze was deep, his throat shifting as he swallowed.

"Is it sweet?"

I answered without thinking, "Yeah, it is."

I forgot his fingers were still there. The moment I spoke, my tongue and the inside of my mouth moved together, enveloping them.

His breathing grew heavier for a moment. The arm around me tightened, and his fingers began to stir inside my mouth.

He traced the shape of my teeth with an ambiguous intimacy, lightly squeezed the tip of my tongue, then moved his fingers in and out in a deliberate, thrusting rhythm.

I was shocked by his boldness, but my heart was racing.

I suppressed my giddiness and licked his finger with my tongue.

The next instant, his expression turned dangerously dark.

He leaned close to me and said, "You're pretty bold. Makes me want to take things further. You wouldn't stop me, would you?"

My face burned, but I didn't argue. I just swallowed the popcorn.

He pulled his hand back fully this time, then tilted my chin up and leaned in. His lips met mine, rough with a hint of stubble, pressing hard.

Within seconds, the kiss deepened.

I could barely breathe, my thoughts slipping away.

Then I felt his hand move, slipping under the edge of my clothes. A rush of unfamiliar sensation flooded through me all at once, wiping my mind blank.

So this was it…

This was what I had been curious about all along.