Curtis felt like he must have owed her in a past life.
Last night, she played tricks on him, and this morning she pretended it never happened. Yet, he still had to cater to this princess, preparing lavish meals and letting her sleep in luxurious comfort.
He glanced at Dakota with a faint, brooding look.
And she, with her face tilted up and eyes curved, showed no guilt whatsoever for taking advantage of him.
Curtis was seething inside, almost grinding his teeth, "Take a shower first, and come downstairs for breakfast later."
Dakota tilted her head, "You're so nice."
Curtis: "..."
His heart started to itch again, damn it.
Dakota went to take a shower.
Curtis went downstairs to prepare lunch for her.
……
In the bathroom, steam filled the air.
Through the frosted glass door, a vague silhouette of Dakota's graceful figure could be seen.
Wet hair draped over her fragrant shoulders and milky skin.
Water cascaded down from above.
As if trying to take the opportunity to intimately caress her, it kissed every inch of her skin as it flowed down.
The door was pushed open.
The humid air, infused with floral fragrance, rushed out, filling the cool-toned bedroom instantly.
Dakota emerged beautifully from her bath.
Her fair feet stepped onto the soft cashmere rug, as if enveloped in a cloud bathed in sunshine.
She walked out of the bathroom, drying her wet hair.
Humming a cheerful tune.
It was as if the events of last night had nothing to do with her, that she could just forget everything after blacking out, leaving only Curtis to be troubled and agitated.
Knock knock knock—
At that moment, a knock sounded on the door.
Dakota rubbed her hair and looked up, seeing Curtis lazily leaning against the wall, knocking on her door.
He looked down at her with a cool and unbridled gaze, meeting Dakota's lustrous eyes.
A girl right after a bath always looks the most delicate and clear, with her fair cheeks still misty, her long lashes damp and clustered together, giving a seductive look no matter how she gazes.
Curtis: ? "..."
He suppressed the stirring feelings in his heart, pretending to be indifferent as he averted his gaze, avoiding looking at her.
But Dakota's honey-sweet voice almost drew him in again, "Is lunch ready?"
Curtis's Adam's apple bobbed.
He suddenly thought of last night's kiss, how Dakota's lips were warm and soft, like clouds floating across his skin, just as she was now after her bath—
"Curtis!"
But the next second, Dakota's frustrated voice unexpectedly interrupted his wandering thoughts.
Curtis focused and turned his head to look at her.
His gaze fell on Dakota's ill-fitting bathrobe.
She had been leaning to dry her hair, making the neckline of her robe rather loose, exposing a lot of her fair skin.
Dakota was completely unaware, looking at the man with a slight reproach, "Did you hear what I said?"
Curtis pursed his lips and averted his gaze again.
He raised his hand to rub his burning ears, speaking lazily, "I heard you. Put on some proper clothes and come downstairs for lunch."
Dakota's expression turned incredulous.
She didn't notice Curtis's red ears in time, puzzled about what was wrong with her clothes, and hurriedly adjusted them after a quick glance down.
Then she stomped her foot angrily at Curtis's departing back, "Ah! Pervert!"
Curtis ignored her accusation.
Only sneering inwardly.
Who knows who was the real pervert last night.
Dakota eventually changed her clothes. After all, Curtis was a man, and although they were legally married, she wasn't prepared to act like a married couple just yet.
When she came down, Curtis was sitting in the dining room, looking ruggedly handsome in a high-quality black shirt and trousers, wild and unrestrained, except for the bite mark on his chin.
Dakota's gaze lingered a bit.
She studied the bite mark for a moment, "Who bit you? It's kind of artistic."
Curtis: "..."
He lifted his eyelids to look at her, hummed, and didn't answer her question.
Dakota wasn't interested in the bite mark either.
Thinking about it, she figured it was probably Noe who got drunk and bit him last night.
So she started enjoying her lunch.
BBQ ribs, lemon pepper chicken wings, stuffed bell peppers, mac and cheese, eggplant Parmesan, and chicken noodle soup…
Have to admit, though Curtis may be a bit of a jerk, he surprisingly has some taste when it comes to cooking, and everything was to her liking, seasoned just right.
But Curtis had little appetite.
He picked at his rice with his chopsticks like a chick pecking at grain, his gaze lingering on Dakota.
Doesn't she have anything to say?
Doesn't she want to take responsibility or apologize for her behavior last night?
Or does she really not remember anything?
Then why did she kiss him?
Was it just because she was drunk and being a hooligan, or was it because she had secretly liked him all along?
"Curtis." Dakota suddenly called his name.
Curtis lifted his eyes almost instantly, his nerves tightening, "What's up?"
He thought Dakota was finally going to talk about last night.
He was quick to respond.
But Dakota just added a piece of BBQ ribs, "Did you make these dishes yourself or order takeout?"
Curtis: "..."
"Takeout." He stared at her with narrowed eyes, as if assessing or testing her, "That's all you wanted to ask?"
"What else would there be?" She was confused.
Curtis was silent.
He couldn't describe the feeling, but in short, this sense of not getting answers and being left hanging made him feel resentful and agitated.
So Curtis lifted his eyes again, scrutinizing Dakota's expression. Dakota, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, finally put down her chopsticks, "Curtis."
"Can you stop staring at me while eating?"
Dakota crossed her arms irritably, "What are you doing? You're not really harboring a crush on me, are you?"
Curtis was speechless.
He almost immediately scoffed, his tone full of sarcasm, "Who's harboring a crush on who?"
"Kota, don't turn the tables on me."
Dakota's expression turned incredulous.
What does 'turn the tables' mean? She wasn't harboring a crush on him; you can't just use idioms like that.
Dakota felt that Curtis was being passive-aggressive today.
But considering the delicious meal, she didn't bother arguing with him and continued to focus on her food.
But Curtis was getting frustrated with her.
He kept staring at Dakota from time to time, as if trying to discern something from her, but found no trace of anything unusual.
Regarding last night's events, it seemed like he was the only one playing mind games with Dakota, but this heartless woman gave no response at all.
From then on, whenever Curtis had free time, he began to wonder: Does Dakota actually harbor a crush on me?
But the truth proved—
That Curtis had thought too much about the idea of a crush.
Because Dakota had no intention of living here, and Curtis, who had been taken advantage of twice, started spending nights alone shortly after their marriage.
Their married life looked very peaceful, as if neither wanted to provoke the other.
But in the scorching summer of J City,
The C Street was shaded by lush greenery, with sunlight filtering through the layers of leaves, accompanied by the noisy chirping of cicadas, making the noon bright and vibrant.
