Dakota's cheeks were flushed pink from the steam.
The air in the bathroom was swirling, her bath lotion's fragrance intertwining with the cold scent Curtis had left behind, creating an ambivalent atmosphere.
The door was only opened a crack.
Curtis could see Dakota's wet hair hanging over her shoulders through the gap, the water clearly not wiped off, trickling down her neck.
"Um..."
Dakota's fingers gripped the edge of the door, the pressure turning the pink nail tips a bit white, "I forgot to bring in my change of clothes."
She felt that the embarrassment now was no less than when she reminded Curtis to wear underwear before getting into bed.
but she had to grit her teeth and finish her sentence, "There are bras and pajamas in the closet, can you pick a set and bring it in for me?"
For a moment, the air seemed to still for a moment.
Curtis froze for a couple of seconds before quickly regaining his composure, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he looked at her.
"Pound——"
Dakota quickly shut the bathroom door.
She wasn't dressed, and the quick rush of air felt chilly, causing her to shiver, "If you don't want to, never mind!"
Clearly, it was a statement of either shyness or pouting.
After all, if Curtis didn't help her, she wouldn't have many options. At most, she'd have to wrap herself in a robe and go find the clothes herself before coming back to change in the bathroom.
But Curtis, of course, wouldn't refuse to help.
He just hadn't expected that Mrs. Pineda, who had just reminded him to wear underwear, hadn't brought her own lingerie either.
"I'll help."
Curtis slowly slipped out of bed, walked to the closet with his long strides, paused for a second, and then turned his head toward the bathroom, "Which style do you want?"
"..."
"Black lace or white tie-up?"
"..."
Dakota didn't want to respond to Curtis at all, feeling he was shameless, but her face heated up.
Unbeknownst to him.
Curtis was equally unfamiliar with these things.
He had intended to reach out directly, but when he opened his palm and it covered the curve of the lingerie, dirty thoughts unexpectedly popped into his head.
It was an intangible, distant sensation, like a grasp through thin air, that sent an inexplicable tingle through his still empty palm.
Curtis felt his face flush with embarrassment.
In the end, he didn't take the time to carefully choose a lace or a strap, and he just grabbed a shoulder strap, picking it up with his fingers and pulling it out of the closet without much thought.
Then she used another finger to grab a pair of underwear, and then grabbed a nightgown before turning and walking towards the bathroom.
Knock knock knock—
The knocking sounded.
Dakota, with her back against the door, tilted her head slightly.
"Click—"
The bathroom door was opened just a little bit, and Dakota hid her body behind it. She crouched down and peered through the crack, and saw Curtis's fingers.
His hands are very nice-looking.
Pale, slender, with clear knuckles, each one looked like it had been intricately carved from jade due to his fair skin.
But at that moment, his fingers were hooked with her lingerie.
Dakota widened the crack and quickly reached out to grab all the clothes.
"Pound——"
Then the bathroom door was shut again.
The slight, almost imperceptible hints of flirtation were instantly isolated on both sides of the door.
Dakota was extremely tormented.
Fortunately, she managed to get her lingerie and didn't have to go out in just a robe, avoiding the awkwardness that would have ensued despite the extreme embarrassment of the entire ordeal.
Curtis lifted his chin slightly.
His fingertips still retained a bit of warmth, as if they had been burned by the straps and lace of Dakota's lingerie.
The burning in his ears was like a wildfire, surging in waves, unstoppable as it rushed through his abdomen.
Curtis's lips tightened slightly.
He bowed his head, gently touched his brow, and then muttered a low "Damn," before swiftly turning and leaving the room to take another cold shower.
When Dakota came out of the bathroom,
Curtis was nowhere to be seen.
She had deliberately dressed very conservatively and neatly, blowing her hair nearly dry before coming out.
Dakota didn't want to ask where he had gone.
She felt it was best if he didn't come back.
She pulled back the covers, got into bed, and picked up her tablet to review the D City elements she needed to draw for work tomorrow.
"Click—"
At that moment, the sound of the door opening echoed.
Dakota jumped like a startled rabbit, looking up to see Curtis walking in from outside.
The man looked like he had just taken another shower.
Wearing loose dark-colored pajamas with a casual, unbuttoned neckline, his wet black hair hung lazily on his forehead, making his slightly raised, elongated eyes appear more mischievously lazy.
Curtis had no extra expressions.
His Adam's apple was prominent, unmoving, yet even with a calm demeanor, he somehow exuded a sense of desire.
It was hard to pinpoint where this sexual tension was emanating from…
Dakota felt inexplicably nervous.
She turned off the tablet, looking up at Curtis, feeling her heartbeat speed up with every step he took closer.
Then, she saw him walk to the side of the bed.
He lifted the covers and sat down.
Dakota's already elevated heart sank with the sway of the mattress as he sat down.
She couldn't help but grip the tablet tightly.
Holding her breath.
Curtis got into bed and pulled the covers over himself, turning his head to look at Dakota, "Are you going to sleep?"
Dakota: "..."
Her breathing was rapid, and she didn't dare to respond.
Perhaps because the atmosphere had been so ambiguous, the question "Are you going to sleep?" didn't seem like a simple inquiry anymore. Instead, it carried a hint of something deeper, worth pondering.
She fumbled to put down the tablet and then slid into the covers like a dolphin.
Lying down, lying very obediently.
Then she reached out to pull the covers over herself, pulling them up a bit higher to cover half of her face, "Goodnight."
Curtis gave a light affirmation.
He reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
Dakota lay there, feeling incredibly tense.
While it wasn't the first time they shared a bed while awake, she felt something was different this time.
She heard rustling sounds beside her.
Maybe because her vision was blocked, her other senses were heightened.
She heard Curtis pulling the blanket.
With the mattress shifting, he seemed to lie down, and the clean, woody scent of his skin unexpectedly invaded Dakota's senses.
It enveloped her like a siege.
Dakota felt it would be hard for her to fall asleep.
She reached out to tug at the blanket, planning to turn over and face away from Curtis to try and feel sleepy.
Before she could react, a low, magnetic voice sounded by her ear. Curtis tilted his head and asked, "Can I hold you while we sleep?"
