Averi had been working late every night recently, which left Jordan equally sleep-deprived. So when she got a call from Averi saying she wouldn't be going into the office, she happily blurted, "Thank you, Averi."—finally, a normal weekend.
After hanging up, Averi saw Dallas sitting on the edge of the bed, seriously looking at his phone. The bed was so soft, yet his back was still perfectly straight.
"What are you looking at?"
"Contraceptive pills."
Averi stared, confused. "Contraceptive pills?"
"Yeah, which kind are you taking?" Dallas looked up, his face expressionless but somehow serious. "I want to check."
Averi raised an eyebrow, her expression clearly saying, "You can't be serious," but Dallas held firm, staring at her intently.
Amused and a bit exasperated, Averi simply handed him the pill box.
Dallas didn't hesitate. He took out the information leaflet, unfolded it, and started reading it carefully.
As he read the side effects section, his brows furrowed more and more.
"You said it wouldn't harm your body." His tone sounded like she'd deceived him.
Averi took the leaflet back and read aloud, "Some people may experience mood swings, dizziness, fatigue, or a decrease in libido." She looked up and said, "But these are rare cases. I've been taking it for two months and haven't felt depressed, dizzy, or tired. As for libido…" She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled teasingly. "Do you think it's decreased?"
"Two months?" Knowing she was teasing him, Dallas held onto the topic.
"Yep, it doesn't work right away; it takes a week to kick in. Since you'd come back eventually, I just started early." Averi's lips curved into a smile. "Besides, using condoms is a bit inconvenient."
Dallas's Adam's apple bobbed as he nearly lost his composure. His brows furrowed, then relaxed, as he said, "I don't find it inconvenient."
"Dallas, do you know some people are allergic to latex? So, technically, condoms have side effects, too." Averi slid onto his lap, a hazy smile on her face. "I think they're inconvenient, alright? Sometimes we don't exactly stick to the bed, you know?" She looked into his eyes and gave him a light kiss. "Besides, I'm only ever doing this with you now, so there's no worry about diseases. Plus—"
Plus what?
Dallas's pupils contracted, and his hand on her waist grew almost hot.
The first part was sweet enough, but that "plus" left his heart hanging, eagerly waiting for more.
She took a deep breath, tilted her head to lick his ear, then slowly took his earlobe into her mouth, teasing him for a full half minute until he was burning with heat. Finally, she murmured, "I like it when you finish inside."
Dallas's breathing became slightly erratic, and just as he was about to kiss her, Averi stood up abruptly.
She glanced at the stained sheets in the corner and let out a soft scoff, her seductive smile fading. "These sheets are done for."
Dallas pulled her into his arms, soothing her. "I'll get you new ones."
"The mattress needs to be replaced too," she said, not wanting to sleep on her own stains.
"I'll replace that, too." Dallas didn't even think twice, looking like he'd agree to anything she said.
Averi gave him a half-smile, as if to say, "So you're that rich?"
Thinking she might be upset, Dallas brushed his lips over the top of her head. "We'll go buy them later, alright?"
Averi couldn't help but smile, her dark eyes filling with a tender warmth.
*
Before heading out, Averi put on a mask and a baseball cap. Though the paparazzi shots last time were arranged on purpose, being cautious never hurt.
Dallas didn't ask many questions, speaking earnestly, "I won't let anyone snap pictures of you."
Averi reminded him, "Dallas, you're not my bodyguard anymore."
He paused, his gaze softening as he looked at her slightly curved smiling eyes.
They really did go to buy a mattress and bedding set. Before checking out, Averi spotted a pair of men's pajama pants in the window display that she liked, and asked Dallas if he liked them. Dallas said it was fine as long as she liked them. Averi, with a mischievous glint in her eye, smiled and had the salesperson pack them up.
Once they were outside, she motioned for him to lean down, then whispered in his ear, "I like you better without clothes on."
Dallas's ears turned hot, but his expression remained cool. He looked around vigilantly, treating paparazzi like terrorists, yet his hand intertwined with hers, his fingertips caressing the delicate skin of her handback continuously.
Averi slowly savored a different kind of flavor, a sensual one.
They didn't eat out, instead going to the supermarket to buy some fruits, vegetables, and returning to the apartment to cook themselves.
Dallas was the chef, and Averi assisted. They only had one small bear-patterned apron that came with the pan, which looked particularly cramped on Dallas, making his chiseled face seem even funnier.
Averi stifled her laughter, walking around to tie the strings at the back for him.
Her breath was soft and barely audible, fingers occasionally brushing his lower back, near the base of his spine.
Dallas stiffened, wanting to hurry her along, but unwilling to do so, willingly enduring the torture.
Averi couldn't help much, watching for a while before being called away by a work call. Once she left, Dallas worked quickly, soon preparing three dishes and a soup.
Seeing him take off the apron, Averi tilted her head, holding the phone between her cheek and shoulder, bringing her laptop over to look, surprised by the excellent presentation of the dishes, her gaze landing on the mushroom and bok choy.
Dallas understood, picking up a piece of mushroom and feeding it to her.
Chewing a couple of times, Averi mouthed "delicious" and wanted more, but something was said on the other end of the line, causing her to frown, and she quickly returned to the sofa.
Her pale ankles gleamed golden in the sunlight, and Dallas noticed she was barefoot. Looking around, he found the slippers scattered at the bedroom entrance, picked them up, and squatted down beside Averi to slip them onto her feet.
Even squatting, he was tall, with clearly defined arm muscles that exuded undeniable strength. A small shadow fell on his side face, highlighting the sharp lines where light and dark met.
Just looking at his face, there was a cold, distant feel to it, yet this person was putting on her shoes for her.
"Wait," Averi said to both the person on the phone and Dallas.
Her expression still in work mode, she suddenly leaned down, kissing his lips. "Thank you."
After the kiss, she straightened up, continuing her call, her toes curling in comfort.
Dallas stayed in a crouching position for three or four seconds before standing up and returning to the kitchen, turning his back to Averi to pour water.
He couldn't help but feel more and more messed up, especially when he realized he'd just thought about biting her toes. Maybe it wasn't biting, but more like sucking them into his mouth...
Dallas gripped his glass tightly, sipping water slowly, waiting for his body to cool down before returning to the table to wait for her.
The call lasted about five or six minutes. Afterward, Averi spent some time on documents, finally finishing them. They ate dinner earnestly and were in the middle of clearing the dishes when the doorbell rang.
"It must be Jordan, coming to drop off some files," Averi put down what she was holding and peered through the peephole, only to see someone unexpected.
"Who is it?" Dallas, noticing her unusual expression, asked proactively.
Averi replied, "My mom."
She took another look; Teagan outside was calm and patient, not even pressing the doorbell a second time, clearly sure that she was home.
