Saturday, 5:30 a.m., the alarm went off on time. Dallas picked up his phone to silence it, finding two messages from "Averi," sent at 1:03 a.m.
The first line was simple yet intense: I want you.
The second was an address, an apartment in the eastern district.
Dallas stared at that line for a long time, typed "What do you mean" into the chat box, looked at it for a moment, then erased it word by word, changing it to "When."
His finger hovered over the send button, retreated to delete, and, in the end, he didn't respond.
If she texted him, it meant she wanted him to come. Asking again would only be humiliating himself.
*
Without a response, Averi assumed Dallas was playing hard to get.
That would be dull, then.
She put down her phone and settled into her rare day off.
There wasn't anything particularly planned, just sleeping, reading, and taking a bath.
She had bought this apartment with her first year's salary. Very few people knew about it. Only Jordan and Odin were aware—not even Eli knew. When the doorbell rang, she assumed it was Jordan with urgent documents and opened the door right away.
Seeing the man at the door, Averi was indeed surprised, but that quickly turned into interest.
This man was truly interesting; he had come just like that.
She stepped back, making space at the entrance. "Come in."
Not only her; Dallas also felt a bit surprised. Her apartment wasn't large—a one-bedroom, one-living-room setup, simply decorated. A long-pile carpet lay in the center of the living room, casting a warm reflection on the floor-to-ceiling windows.
On the wall hung a photograph of her in a graduation gown beside a middle-aged woman. The woman was well-preserved, showing little sign of age, her chin slightly raised. Though smiling, she exuded a strong sense of authority, while Averi's expression showed only a faint smile.
Today, she looked different—no makeup, dressed in loose, soft T-shirt and pants, her hair casually tied up, looking both youthful and relaxed.
Averi handed him a glass of lemon water, taking another glass for herself as she walked to the sofa, curling one leg beneath her as she sat down. "Sit down."
Only then did Dallas sit across from her, his back still perfectly straight.
Averi maliciously wondered, would a person like him go down on his girlfriend? And when she went down on him, would he move his hips to thrust himself further down her throat?
Dallas had no idea what she was thinking; he only saw her sitting there, drinking water with her gaze fixed on the view outside. Watching her glass empty, she remarked casually, "The weather's really nice today."
Without waiting for his answer, she got up and returned to the bedroom. After some rustling sounds, she came out holding a fluffy pink object.
His pupils shrank as he saw what was in her hand, and his gaze turned completely cold.
So, she liked this kind of thing. No wonder she needed him.
Averi deliberately jingled the handcuffs, making a clanking sound. "Do you like it? I got it just for you. I thought this color suited you." With that, she clicked the cuff onto the man's left wrist, then secured the other end to a nearby shelf.
Dallas avoided looking at her, quietly waiting for the next phase of torment.
However, Averi only glanced at him, dropped a casual "I'm going to sleep for a bit," and went back to the bedroom.
After waiting for what seemed like a long time, Dallas frowned and glanced at the closed bedroom door. He then tried to pull against the restraint on his hand, causing the metal to clash and make a crisp sound.
The handcuffs weren't secure; with a little force, he could break free.
During his missions in South America to combat human trafficking, he had seen an underground brothel catering to wealthy officials with peculiar fetishes. The rooms where the girls were kept were filled with handcuffs, chains, whips, and various other items with uses he couldn't imagine.
Recalling that scene, he felt a wave of disgust.
Seeing the pink on his wrist, his disgust turned into confusion.
So… what exactly was she doing?
*
Averi felt like she had slept for a long time, and when she woke up, she was in a great mood.
Jordan had repeatedly said she was like a machine, always staying up late and waking up early while maintaining emotional stability, which was inexplicable. But to Averi, it was simple; you just had to keep a tight string. Jordan, being an only child, couldn't understand what it was like to have an older brother more than ten years older and a younger brother who was already an adult.
When she walked out of the room, she saw Dallas still sitting on the sofa, and Averi couldn't help but chuckle.
He hadn't even changed his posture; his back was still perfectly straight.
She raised an eyebrow and said, "I cuffed you, and you actually didn't move? Guess that makes you a statue." She glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Two hours—impressive self-control."
Dallas met her gaze calmly. "Is this really that entertaining?"
He didn't understand the joy in toying with others and couldn't grasp why she seemed so happy while mocking him. He was a soldier, and even in retirement, some things were ingrained in his very being, like respecting life and following orders.
Averi affectionately sat on his lap, hooking her finger under his chin and carefully observing his expression. "Yes."
She leaned forward, her nose almost touching his. Her dark pupils shimmered in the sunlight as she softly asked, "Are you angry?"
The softness and resilience on his thigh made Dallas's breath hitch, though he couldn't tell if it was due to caution or something else.
A spark of amusement grew in her fox-like eyes. After planting a light kiss on his cheek, she pressed her lips close to his ear, "Don't give in too quickly, or it won't be any fun for me."
As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled away briskly, took a small key from her pocket, and unlocked the handcuffs, asking, "Feeling a bit hungry. Anything in particular you'd like to eat?"
Dallas paused briefly before replying, "No."
"Then we'll go somewhere I like."
She was harsh, yet also kind.
