Dakota's cheeks were flushed.
She nervously raised her eyes to glance at Curtis, worried he might say something to everyone.
But Curtis looked incredibly laid-back.
He was still lounging on the sofa, his slender fingers holding a wine glass, occasionally swirling the precious Bordeaux, "Didn't you say it was a rumor?"
Dakota's expression clearly froze for a moment.
Her doubt blurted out, "Rumor?"
Curtis slowly raised his eyes to look at her, the corner of his lips tugging slightly as he raised his chin, taking a sip of his wine, but his gaze never left her.
Lailah turned to look at Dakota.
"Yeah, isn't it just a rumor?"
"That news was obviously fake. Even though Dakota does have a bad habit of acting like a hooligan when drunk, but getting rowdy with Curtis—impossible, right? Who would believe it!"
"Do you believe it?" Lailah looked at Jasiah.
Jasiah scoffed disdainfully, "I'd rather believe pigs can fly!"
"That's exactly what I mean!"
Noe nodded in agreement, "But that photo was photoshopped pretty realistically, even adding the mole on the joint of Dakota's left pinky finger!"
Dakota: "..."
She thought the media had embarrassed her in front of her friends, but never expected it to turn out this way.
"So, it really didn't happen, right?"
The three of them looked at the two individuals involved, seeming to want to hear it from their mouths to be reassured.
Dakota pretended to be calm and collected, sipping her tea, "Of course! My orientation is normal, I don't marry dogs."
Curtis also swirled his wine glass coldly and nonchalantly, sneering, "Who in their right mind would think I'm interested in Miss Gardner?"
Noe and the others laughed and cursed, "We always knew the media has no conscience, always spreading baseless rumors!"
"That's bewitching words mislead the masses!!"
"It's all just spreading rumors!"
"They all have malicious!"
"What they're doing is absolutely intolerable!"
Everyone chimed in agreement, convinced that it was merely a media fabrication. Nobody noticed the secret glances exchanged between the two main characters, and the interrogation about the collarbone bite mark was mysteriously dropped.
The conversation at the table shifted to another topic.
Noe insisted on playing poker with Curtis, betting drinks, and he only grew more enthusiastic the more he lost.
But later, he was so drunk he was vomiting, still swinging his bottle around and jumping around the room, shouting, "Dead leaf butterfly! Curtis, let's go chase the dead leaf butterfly!"
Jasiah was about to explode from the noise.
Seeing Noe about to jump on Curtis, he quickly pulled him back and covered his mouth.
"Sorry, Curtis. Noe's been acting like this lately. Let's meet up another time. I'll take him home now."
Saying this, he dragged him out.
Curtis didn't say a word.
Although he barely lost any games tonight, he had still consumed quite a bit of alcohol during the casual chats, so he got up to go outside for a smoke and some fresh air.
Unbeknownst to him.
Besides Noe, who was also drunk tonight, there was Dakota.
Her tolerance was never great, usually limited to two low-alcohol cocktails. Tonight, taking advantage of nobody noticing, and feeling guilty and nervous, she had drunk more than usual.
Dakota cradled her face in her hands.
Her fair skin was flushed with a beautiful blush, and without her usual arrogance, she appeared unusually docile.
Her gaze followed Curtis.
Seeing his broad shoulders and narrow waist as he got up to leave, Dakota's peach-colored eyes curved gently, and she smiled innocently, "Hehe... It's you again, Mr. Six-Pack!"
She put down her glass and got up.
Taking advantage of the dim and intimate lighting in the room, she followed him out like a little kitten.
Lailah was also a bit tipsy.
She lay on the sofa, hugging a soft pillow, lifting her bleary, drunken eyes, "Hmm? Where's Dakota?"
……
The Night fell.
The moon and the glittering city night view illuminated the rooftop bar of the club through its 360-degree transparent glass walls, creating a wonderful atmosphere.
Tonight, the rooftop bar wasn't accepting individual customers.
It was empty.
Curtis stood next to the butterfly-shaped light hanging in the air, taking out a cigarette and putting it in his mouth.
He bowed his neck and raised his hand to light the flame.
Perhaps to catch his breath, his collar was more open, and his sleeves rolled up, revealing smooth and tight muscle lines.
"Slap—"
The lighter's gears slid, igniting a spark.
Curtis bent his neck again to light the cigarette, but suddenly heard the sound of stumbling high heels behind him.
He turned his head, still biting the cigarette.
The flame had not yet gone out.
Beside the flickering flame, there was a slim figure in emerald green, Dakota was hugging a pink-white lamp post, the light hiding the flush of her intoxication.
"Dakota?"
Curtis squinted at her, using two fingers to remove the cigarette, then flipped his wrist to put it back in the cigarette case, "Did you come out for some air? Are you heading home?"
Dakota blinked obediently.
She shook her head.
Curtis hadn't noticed anything amiss with her yet, so he raised a casual eyebrow, "How about back to our wedding hous?"
Dakota tilted her head, "Sleep with you?"
Curtis snickered leisurely, "Not happening."
He turned his head lazily, and the light illuminated the bite mark on his collarbone again, perhaps intentionally, "I'm afraid a little dog might attack again and take advantage of me."
"At least there are two bedrooms set up at Whispering Pines. You can choose whichever one you like to sleep in."
Curtis thought he had considered everything.
After all, he and Dakota had always been at odds since childhood, and even after getting married, reconciliation wouldn't be easy. Sharing a bed was practically unthinkable—
Oh, the night three days ago was an accident.
It couldn't happen again.
But no matter how much Curtis calculated, he didn't expect Dakota to shake her head firmly in refusal.
She even lifted her face proudly, "No way. I won't choose. How about this: whichever room allows me to use your abs as a pillow, that's where we'll sleep tonight!"
Curtis: ...?
"We?"
He looked at her with a complex expression, lowering his head and gazing at her for a long while with his dark pupils, "Dakota."
The rooftop of the bar was so quiet that you could hear their breathing.
Curtis leaned lazily against the glass wall, adjusting his position after a while and commented slowly, "You're such a pervert."
Dakota neither agreed nor disagreed with this assessment.
Curtis whistled softly, "How did I not notice this before? Are you obsessed with abs?"
Dakota blinked innocently.
Her slightly intoxicated eyes were like plum blossom petals touched by the melting snow of dawn, both rosy and dewy.
"It's definitely possible..."
She pondered with her fingertip pressed against her cheek, then suddenly looked up, beckoning to Curtis mysteriously, "Hey, Mr. Six-Pack."
Curtis: ?
Why is it this embarrassing nickname again?
"Come closer," she said.
Curtis hesitated, leaning against the glass wall, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Dakota licked her lips, "If you come closer, I'll tell you that I actually have many more perverted preferences."
Curtis:"..."
He straightened his posture hesitantly and slowly, observing Dakota as he took steps toward her.
Thanks to the lighting.
Curtis didn't realize Dakota was drunk.
He just thought the puppy was acting strange tonight, wanting to get closer to see if she had drunk too much or if she was mentally affected after getting her marriage certificate with him.
But what Curtis didn't expect was—
As soon as he stood in front of Dakota, she released the lamp post and suddenly leaped onto him!
"Dakota!"
Curtis's expression changed abruptly. He instinctively reached out to grab Dakota's waist, stumbling backward from the unexpected impact.
Before he could recover, Dakota wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed his ear!
