Glowing Kiss

By Angelina Kerner

Nikki Weber, an interpreter for her county, was dared to kiss a man outside her office. You don't kiss strangers. Well, she won't see him ever again, right? Wrong!

Find out what happens when Lim Chan-Yeol decides to get to know the woman who gave him a kiss? Two cultures collide. If you're a fan of Korean dramas, you may find yourself lost in this sweet romance!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Angelina Kerner
• Release date: Aug 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223580744

Book preview

List of Characters

*Korean names - First you say the Last name, then the first name

*Korean first names are usually two names with siblings sharing either the first part or the second

Nikki Weber - Main Female Character

Pepper - Nikki’s Cat

Lim Chan-Yeol - Main Male Character

Lim Sang-Yeol - Chan-Yeol’s brother

Kim Ha-Yoon - Chan-Yeol brother’s bride

Kang Kyung-Hee - Chan-Yeol’s grandmother

Joh Dae-Hyun - A male a bit older than Chan-Yeol, but close in age. Works together with Chan-Yeol and is his best friend

Lee Gun-Woo - Close friend and coworker of Chan-Yeol

Jill - Nikki’s coworker and best friend

Sam - Nikki’s coworker

Cho Haemi - Nikki’s coworker

Nam Ha-Rin - Nikki’s Korean boss

Asher - Nikki’s coworker from the geography department

Kal - Nikki’s Hava Nagila dance partner

Yun Ji-An - Female friend of Chan-Yeol, Dae-Hyun, and Gun-Woo Lee

Yun Bon-Hwa - Ji-An’s grandfather

Mr. and Mrs. Jones - Nikki’s neighbors

Greg Wabash - Nikki’s Ex

Mr. Mead - landlord and manager of Nikki’s apartments

Chang Ga-Ram - housekeeper

Oh Ma-Ri - housekeeper

Han Bong-Cha - Kitchen staff

Playlist

Songs to listen to. This is just a list of K-pop music. None of the songs belong to me and are just listed for your enjoyment. I hope you will check out the bands and enjoy the pretty faces.

1. Make a wish by NCT U

2. Highway to Heaven by NTC 27

3. Boy with Luv by BTS

4. 100 by SuperM

5. Monster by EXO

6. Call me Baby by EXO

7. Monster and Infinity by SuperM

8. One Day by MonstaX

9. Who do u love? by MonstaX

10. Now or Never by SF9

11. Ole Sole Mio by SF9

12. Dynamite from BTS

13. Lovesong aka I love you by TXT

14. Hocus Pocus by PLT

15. Love Scenario by Ikon

16. Come Back Again by Infinite

CHAPTER 1

Halmeoni(m) - Grandmother

Jeol - a bow

Lim Chan-Yeol

Koh Dae-Hyun dramatically sighed after finishing off his cigarette. "I wish you would let Kang halmeoni (grandmother) find you a match, man. You know that woman, being the leader of your family, has the final word anyway. Just do it to make it easier on Lee Gun-Woo and me, over here."

The guys and I were waiting for my brother’s last groomsman to appear in the frigid air in the shade of the government building, avoiding being directly under the sun. The plan was to hold the wedding here to receive an official marriage certificate and then head on over to my well-established restaurant and newly built hotel. I had to give it to Dae-Hyun. He knew how to sound whiny in Korean.

We’re in the States, not in Korea, I replied in Korean, keeping our conversation private from onlooker ears. Things don’t work like that here and she knows it. The lifestyle here is different. I’ll find myself a woman when I’m good and ready.

Gun-Woo scoffed. Yeah, the sea’s full of women. Like that one swaggering toward us.

I twisted my neck to see an alluring redhead in a silk black business suit, wearing red high heels and carrying a suitcase, traverse to the entrance. Her eyes scanned everything around her, depicting nervousness and a bit of annoyance. I wondered what made her feel that way.

She’s much fuller in the chest department than our girls, Gun-Woo mused as she got closer. Foreign women can be lovely and curvy, no? The glint in his eye made me almost miss what happened next.

The woman had made it past me by a couple of steps and lost her footing. In seconds, I caught her with my right arm at her tight flat stomach and my left arm steadily resting on her back. The sweet tangy scent of oranges enveloped me, eliciting a smile.

She let out a yelp and straightened out with my help. I’m so sorry. I seem to be a klutz this morning. Another small yelp escaped her scarlet lips, which I almost missed if I hadn’t been paying attention.

I looked down to see that not only did she stumble, but she also got cut by glass. Her shoe didn’t have an encasing, only straps wrapping around the foot and a little bridge over manicured toes.

I was so focused before on avoiding Kang Kyung-Hee that I missed the broken glass right next to us. Gun-Woo, please go to my car and get the emergency kit. The lady got cut.

Dae-Hyun stepped away to talk on the phone or pretend to. The look he gave me before leaving my side made me think he gave me some private time with the beguiling woman on purpose.

There’s no need for a kit, the woman quavered as I helped her over to a bench and we sat down. The red cheeks and way she tried to avoid rubbing her knees from nervousness, all the while, lifting her cut up foot and unbuckling the thin strap before freeing her foot to see how much damage there was, made her all the more intriguing. I work in the office. There’s a kit inside my desk.

I paused her movement with my hand. You’ll be dragging in blood and probably scaring the daylights out of security, I pointed out as I took over the inspection. It wouldn’t be decent for her to move her leg toward herself to work on it, especially with that silk skirt of hers. Besides, I should have noticed the glass much sooner and thrown it out. Not my job, but it would have been human decency.

Thank you, she whispered.

Gun-Woo ran over with the kit. Two seconds. I think I forgot to lock the car.

I almost rolled my eyes. Those two were as bad as Kang Kyung-Hee. Kang Kyung-Hee had a lot of say in the matters of our private lives and work as the head of the family. She took her responsibility with great stride and always kept herself serious and presentable.

Having her damaged foot resting on my knee, she still tried to reach over to grab at the kit. By doing so, I had a view into her silk white shirt, revealing a beige embroidered bra and a small white dove tattoo. I can do it. Thank you so much.

I cleared my throat and kept the kit in my hands. I’m happy to help you. I proceeded to take the alcohol wipe out of its packaging.

The damsel didn’t wince as the alcohol touched the cut on her foot. As the blood and little bits of glass left her skin, I noticed a scar along her foot. No wonder she gave no reaction; she experienced worse cuts in the past.

I looked up to glance at her poised expression. Only the blues of her eyes indicated the cut had been painful. Well, you don’t need stitches, Miss. I’ll just put on a big Band-Aid and you’ll be all done.

A blush creeped onto her cheeks. She wiggled her foot as a test. Thank you, doctor.

Not a doctor, I replied. But I enjoyed helping you.

Following patching up her foot and making sure no glass resided in her high heel, I slid it on her foot and she got up, testing if she could walk okay. There was a small wince, but she still gifted me a dazzling smile.

Thank you, she said, then placed her hands down along her body and avoided looking me in the eye and bowed. A perfect jeol (a bow).

I blinked in surprise. This woman had an idea of how to show proper appreciation by my culture’s standards.

She continued, Thank you for your help. It’s good to know good men still exist. She straightened out, her blue eyes sparkling in the sun. The incident didn’t ruin her mood at all.

It was a pleasure, I replied.

She was definitely different from Korean beauties, a good different; but I had no time for relationships. The new hotel screamed for attention. It was hard keeping those thoughts while having her size me up and seeing her ring finger empty didn’t help either. Did I pass her inspection?

Is there a way I can pay you? I mean, I did use your emergency supplies, she stressed. Her long hair slapped her in her cheeks from a gust of wind. She quickly collected it to the side and sighed.

I raised my right eyebrow questionably at her. I only used a wipe and a Band-Aid. It’s nothing.

Her character piqued my interest. Not only was she respectful and knew to bow as a way of respect, but she felt uncomfortable using my resources. Intriguing. Work, remember you promised to think about work and not women, no matter how engaging they may be. She has a dove tattoo. I wonder what it means to her.

She opened her mouth to say something else when her phone began to ring. Quickly, she opened her bag to look for the noise, pulling out one of the older iPhone model phones. A cute little penguin hung off its side. Not what I expected at all.

She grunted before giving me an apologetic look.

I nodded, knowing full well that some phone calls couldn’t be ignored.

Hi Sam, how can I help you? She bit her lower lip and let out an eiishhh sound which I hardly ever saw non-Koreans do. I’ll take over for Ha-Rin. A pause. What? In five minutes? You have got to be kidding me! She turned pale, stumbling back a little. I made a move to catch her in case she ended up tripping again. I’m outside. I’ll be there in two minutes. Keep Ha-Rin away from the room and get her some water. I swear that woman needs to stay at her desk in her condition. Bye.

Is everything alright? I questioned. The woman’s mood changed from light and shy to an angered stupor. Whoever Ha-Rin was to this beauty, she shouldn’t have done what she did.

Oh, a coworker sent another coworker to get her Italian food, which will take more than thirty minutes at a really bad time. She really should have sent Sam, not Haemi. Now, I have to step in. Again, she gave a small bow. Thank you for your help. May something good happen to you today.

Then she rushed off with a small wince into the building.

Dae-Hyun, Gun-Woo, and John trooped over.

I told you, you would have an interesting encounter today. Astrology man, astrology, Dae-Hyun sniggered, looking all too pleased.

You read the astrology section of the newspaper out of boredom and I’ll get you for this, I promised, and then nodded to John. Glad you made it, man. Let’s go.

Annyeong Hashimnikka - Hello/Good evening

Samonim - used when addressing an older female client

Kamsahamnida - Thank you

Nikki

My phone rang again as I rushed to the chapel on my bandaged foot. This time, Jill’s name graced my screen.

I picked up, wincing. Damn, cuts on feet hurt. What? I snapped.

She got straight to the point. You didn’t kiss him.

Agh. I knew she walked past us on purpose when we were talking about my job.

Of course, I didn’t. I wanted to hit my head against the wall.

The man was handsome and taller than me. I mean, it wasn’t hard to find taller men than myself, but really it was nice to be gazed down at from where he stood. He was lean and muscular, had strong hands, and a palish face along a nice-looking V-line. What I liked was that he didn’t have long hair and presented a clean look. I admitted a little jealousy about his smooth skin. I bet he didn’t have skin worries like I had. He was kissable, damn, totally kissable.

You lost a bet to me yesterday, and I told you the terms. You had to go over to a man of my choice and kiss him hard, Jill reminded. When you stumbled, I thought for sure you did it on purpose to get close to him to fulfill your end.

Of course not, I