Dakota's heart fluttered as she lifted her gaze.
Unexpectedly, she was drawn into a pair of deep, affectionate dark eyes.
When Curtis gazed down at her, his elongated eyes resembled a deep, clear yet intense pool, seemingly calm on the surface but swirling with hidden emotions underneath.
Dakota felt her heartbeat pause for a moment.
In that moment, she couldn't quite grasp what Curtis's words implied about his feelings for her.
But the overwhelming possessiveness, at least mingled with the lingering perfume on her shoulders, entwining with her quickening breaths.
Curtis's gaze never wavered,
straight and unwavering,
he reached out to close the open collar of the suit jacket around Dakota, hiding the view beneath.
"Go."
Curtis nodded toward the direction of the hot springs.
He straightened his posture slowly, crushing the mint between his back teeth, then pulled out a simple gold cigarette case from his pocket, placing a cigarette between his lips as he looked at Dakota.
Dakota was a bit bewildered by these actions.
She adjusted the jacket on her shoulders,
turned around,
On her way to the hot springs, her mind kept replaying Curtis's words—
"Dakota, I don't want to share your beauty with any other man."
What did that mean?
Simple possessiveness from a married man, or…
Could he possibly be developing feelings for her?!
This thought startled Dakota, causing her heart to beat uncontrollably.
This July night seemed even hotter.
A restless feeling, neither up nor down, kept colliding with her unsettled chest.
It felt like the air was vibrating along with her.
And after Dakota walked away, Curtis lit the cigarette he had been biting, the sensation of nicotine clearing his muddled head considerably.
He gazed deeply at Dakota's retreating back.
She was wearing his suit jacket.
Perhaps because it was oversized, it hid her swimsuit entirely, revealing only her fair legs, making them appear even more enticing under the man's suit.
The scenery he had just seen, kept revolving in Curtis's mind.
The smooth curves, the delicate back, the slender waist barely concealed by the semi-transparent black chiffon.
How he wanted to...
"Damn." Curtis clenched the cigarette harder.
He closed his eyes to dispel these unhealthy thoughts, took the cigarette out with his fingers, and then strode briskly into the hotel lobby.
He happened to see Lailah coming out, dressed in her swimsuit.
But she had wrapped herself in a long coat and waved to Curtis, "Hey! Curtis—" "Hey? Curtis!"
But before she could finish her greeting,
she saw Curtis pass by like a fierce gust of wind, as if he hadn't seen her at all.
Lailah was baffled, "So strange…"
She turned to look at Curtis suspiciously, sensing an almost uncontrollable desire radiating from him.
Where did this intense desire come from?
Lailah blinked, and as she turned her gaze back toward the hot springs, she suddenly remembered Dakota's swimsuit.
Did she perhaps hook him?
Noe didn't dunk Jasiah into the water.
Instead, Jasiah beat up Noe's swollen face, making Noe rage with impotence, "Damn it! Jasiah, you bastard! Curtis, come on, you gotta back me up here!"
"Stop whining, Curtis has no time for you."
Jasiah, fully aware of Curtis's secret, shoved Noe's head down again. "Stay down!" he barked.
These two were acting like elementary school kids fighting.
Curtis truly didn't bother with them.
He had just taken a cold shower in his room, taking almost half an hour to come out, then changed into swimming trunks and got into the hot spring.
The atmosphere of being away from the city's hustle and bustle was peaceful.
But his restless heart wouldn't settle, so he asked the butler to bring some wine since he couldn't smoke.
He lounged at the edge of the hot spring, sipping his wine while looking at the embroidered screen separating the men's and women's pools, lost in thought.
And on the other side, Dakota had also gotten into the water.
As Lailah came over, she noticed a men's suit jacket placed nearby. While getting into the water, she asked curiously, "Huh? Isn't this the jacket Curtis was wearing today?"
Dakota was lost in thought, recalling what had just happened.
When Lailah asked, she quickly snapped back to reality, lifting her chin proudly, "Yeah, I felt a bit chilly when I came out, so I just took it off him."
Lailah didn't doubt it.
It sounded like something she would do, so it explained why Dakota and Curtis had indeed met earlier and why Curtis was acting strange.
But Dakota felt rather irritable.
She asked the butler for some wine too, turned around and lay on the edge of the hot spring, her two pale arms supporting her outside, sipping it slowly while asking Lailah, "Lailah, tell me, if a man suddenly told you that he doesn't want to share your beauty with others, what do you think his mindset is?"
Lailah had no dating experience,
but she had read many romances.
She clinked her glass with Dakota's, "What else could it be? Possessiveness, jealousy, liking!"
When she heard the word 'liking,' Dakota's heart skipped a beat, a tingling sensation spreading through her. She took a small sip of her wine and murmured, "How could it be liking..."
Though she often teased Curtis face-to-face, it was just a playful rivalry, as if they were competing to see who would lose their composure first—
Look, now that we're married, sooner or later we'll end up sleeping in the same bed. Let's see who loses their resolve first and actually develops feelings for their nemesis.
And now...
Dakota slumped into the water, drinking her wine while thinking, how could she feel like she's about to lose?
Meanwhile, Lailah remained on the sidelines, "What's wrong? Who told you this? Let me guess... some lecherous man was captivated by your swimsuit!"
She recalled the suit jacket beside her and the way Curtis walked past her earlier, full of pent-up desire.
She turned with a gleeful expression, propping her cheek to look at her with interest, "Curtis, huh?"
