When the song changed into another more high tempo song, Helen finally turned to face him.

"Wanna get a drink?" he asked.

Helen nodded and he took her hand, leading her off the dance floor and back to the bar, where they both quickly ordered another shot of tequila, taking it and 2 lime slices to a quiet corner table with 2 chairs. Helen slid onto a chair and Jungkook dragged the other one over to sit beside her instead of across from her. He quickly licked the salt off the rim of the glass and downed his tequila with a lime chaser. Helen took some salt from the shaker on the table while holding his gaze as she licked the space between her thumb and forefinger to wet the area. He cursed lightly, eyes fixed on her. Shaking the salt on it, she picked up the tequila and lime. Licking the salt off slowly, she kept his gaze with a half smile before breaking it to knock back the shot.

Feeling the tequila burn its way down her throat, she was about to quickly suck on the lime when it was plucked from her hand. Throat burning, she looked up in surprise. Jungkook had placed the peel side between his teeth and was smiling around it. Regarding him for a moment, she then smiled and leaned in slowly to suck on the lime in his mouth, the sour flavor mixing with the salty fiery tequila that remained on her tongue.

Done with the lime slice, Jungkook broke away and tossed it back on the table before leaning in to caress her face. Helen looked on in a heated daze, leaning in herself. Their lips finally met in a fiery kiss, causing her to moan involuntarily. She broke away with a gasp, looking around.

"Let's take this away from prying eyes," she said, standing up.

He grinned, pulling out his phone to order a ride share. "Fine with me, my place or yours? I live about 2 miles from here."

"Yours," she breathed out.

Quickly ordering the car, Jungkook let Helen drag him out of the noisy nightclub through a side door to wait. The cool breeze kissed her burning cheeks in welcome before she was suddenly pinned against the brick wall. Jungkook recaptured her lips immediately, kissing her so fiercely she barely remembered her own name. He tasted like salted lime, the heat of his kiss overwhelming her more than the tequila, with a hint of coolness as her lips brushed against his lip piercing. Helen had never been kissed like this before, like she was his oxygen and he needed her. She was used to sweet pecks, but nothing prepared her for the feeling of Jungkook's body pressed against her, his hands gripping her hips like she might disappear.

"I can't get enough," she thought to herself before being pulled back into the unfamiliar waves of desire.

· ── ·𖥸· ── ·

Jungkook and Helen burst through the door of his apartment, kissing frantically. Kicking the door closed with his foot and blindly locking it, he picked Helen up and supported her bottom. Helen wrapped her legs around him as he kicked off his shoes and reached behind him to take hers off as well. He made a beeline for his bedroom at the end of the hallway.

"Oof!" Helen was suddenly tossed onto Jungkook's bed. Before she could move, he had her trapped underneath him as he trailed heated kisses down her neck.

She untucked his shirt and slipped her hands under the hem, rewarded with the defined bumps of Jungkook's abs and a soft groan.

Jungkook sat up and practically tore his shirt off, popping the last two buttons in his haste. He quickly covered Helen with his body again, picking up where he left off on her collarbone. Slowly, he slid his hands against the hem of her dress, sliding it up above her safety shorts. Slightly confused for a moment, he chuckled.

"An extra obstacle, huh? Works for me, you're like a double wrapped present," he said onto her skin, eliciting a breathy gasp from Helen as she arched into him.

He lifted her dress to her torso and slipped his hands underneath to explore the burning skin of her stomach. Helen trembled underneath him, her senses overwhelmed as she brought her legs up on either side of his body.

Jungkook was kissing the top of her chest, but she wanted more. She cupped his chiseled jaw and drew him back up, kissing him desperately. Except...she began to feel odd.

"I don't like the feeling of tequila in my mouth after so long," Helen thought drunkenly, a little uncomfortable despite enjoying Jungkook's kisses.

"Wait, Jungkook. I'm thirsty and I want to brush my teeth or something, my mouth feels awful," she said, sitting up.

Jungkook stopped what he was doing in confusion before registering her words. He scrunched his eyes closed and lightly smacked his forehead.

"Of course, I can't believe I forgot to ask and be a proper host. I'll go get you some water. If you want to brush your teeth, I've got a few spare toothbrushes and some toothpaste in the second drawer over there," he said while pointing to the ensuite bathroom.

"Thanks, sorry about that," Helen said with a sheepish grin as he got off of her.

"No worries, I want you to be comfortable," he replied before planting a kiss on the corner of her mouth and walking out of the bedroom to get her some water and cool his head for a minute.

Helen got up and stumbled into the bathroom, shaking her head as if to clear a fog from her mind. The alcohol was hitting her so hard she could barely see as she clumsily brushed her teeth and took the opportunity to wash the makeup off her face. She was exhausted. It had been a long day at work, and drinking suddenly made her sleepy. She wanted to get out of her tight dress, so upon finding a T-shirt hanging on the closet door, she took off her dress and safety shorts, tossed them on the floor, and put on the oversized T-shirt, sighing in relief.

"I hope he doesn't mind," she thought to herself as she climbed into the bed, pulling the covers over her. His shirt and sheets smelled amazing and refreshing, like rosewood and bergamot. She rubbed her bare face against the fragrant pillow happily, closing her eyes.

Jungkook came back with a glass of water only to find the beautiful woman curled up adorably in his bed, sheets tucked up to her chin. She had a content half smile on her face as she slept, and her unadorned face lent her an air of open innocence and vulnerability. He didn't know whether to be shocked that Helen actually fell asleep when he was hot and bothered, or to be amused by how cute she looked sleeping peacefully in his bed. He quietly set the glass down on the bedside table and snuck into the bathroom for a cold shower.

When he returned, he changed into a pair of grey jogging pants and slipped into bed next to her, gently cradling her head with one arm as the other drew her closer. In her sleep, Helen rolled over and put her head on his bare chest, wrapping an arm around his torso like he was a teddy bear. Jungkook smiled, finding her terribly endearing. He only knew of her bold and sexy side, but now seeing her cute and vulnerable side was somehow just as intriguing to him, if not more so.

"What is it about you that makes me want to bask in your light, Helen?" Jungkook whispered into her hair before closing his eyes.

· ── ·𖥸· ── ·

The next morning, Helen woke up with a raging hangover. Eyes still closed, she whimpered at the pain in her head and behind her eyes. It felt like everything hurt. Her only comfort was a warmth at her back. She shuffled closer to the warmth, before realising that it felt suspiciously firm and seemed to extend around her waist. Confused, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes before opening them. This was not her room. She widened her eyes and moved her head slightly down. There was a tanned and tattooed arm slung over her waist...her waist that was covered by an oversized shirt she knew wasn't hers. She resisted the urge to scream and closed her eyes tightly for a brief moment.

"What on earth happened last night?! What did I do?!" she thought frantically to herself as her heart accelerated.

"Mmmm. Morning Helen," an unfamiliar raspy deep voice sounded near her ear as the arm drew her closer to the firm warmth behind her that she now realized was a man's chest.

Her curly black hair was brushed aside and a kiss was placed on her already burning ear. She shivered involuntarily and slowly turned around in his arms until she was on her back. Gathering her courage, Helen turned her head to see the face of whoever's bed she was in. Shocked, she sat up abruptly.

"You...you're...the hot stranger at the bar!"

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·