* * *
Even while eating, showering, or lounging on the sofa, if our eyes met, we ended up entangled.
Throughout our stay at the hotel, I was practically bare, and after a long while, I was allowed to wear just one roomy shirt.
Feeling like I was reenacting Adam and Eve, I finally snapped at Doha, who ended up lending me one of his extra shirts.
The shirt was so loose that, despite being short-sleeved, it slipped down to my elbows, and the collar was so wide it felt like it would fall off my shoulders.
Since I had only one suit to wear, I put it on, though it felt odd.
The scent of him lingered everywhere — on my body, on the shirt.
Suppressing a sigh, I held my hand just above his skin, close enough to touch but never quite making contact, carefully tracing the air over him.
From his earlobe, along the line of his jaw, down to his soft lips, the sharp bridge of his nose, the prominent brow bone, and finally, his tightly closed eyelids.
He felt like a priceless sculpture I couldn’t bear to disturb.
In the end, I traced around his features, not quite touching, and turned away.
“Ouch…”
It felt like my back was breaking. I was sure I might actually die.
Doha, over the past week, had been an unrelenting flame.
I always knew he was physically strong, but now, with all inhibitions gone, he was an untamed beast who burned through me, leaving nothing but ash.
Both my mind and body were utterly drained, with only a hollow shell left.
I let out a shaky breath as I struggled to stand up, feeling like my lower half had been completely wrecked.
I sat on the edge of the bed, grasping the nearby table and trembling as I pushed myself up. T
hat’s when I felt something wet and sticky drip from me, sliding down my thigh and pooling on the floor.
My face paled.
I’d never experienced this before…
Thinking back, whenever I’d woken up after passing out, my body was always clean — at the hotel over the weekend, even during the holiday.
Realizing that Doha had been taking care of these things, I let out a hollow laugh.
All this time, it was thanks to him that I could even move afterward.
Thinking of how Doha had indulged in me throughout my rut, I took a deep breath.
I needed to wash up.
As an omega, pregnancy wasn’t completely off the table, after all…
Maybe I should also take some precautions.
Damn it, what do I even know about omegas?
I let out a long sigh, rubbing my face.
“…Yul-ah.”
At the sound of my name, my body jolted.
I barely managed to turn my head and saw Doha, half-awake, lying on his stomach, looking at my back as I held onto the shelf.
His sleepy, low voice was intensely seductive, sending a tingle through every inch of my skin.
I held myself upright, trying to control my twitching body.
“You look really sexy.”
A strange look of satisfaction spread across his face.
His gaze was especially soft and calm as he looked at me.
After finally managing to wash up with his help, I collapsed onto the sofa wearing an oversized sweatshirt and just a pair of shorts.
The overwhelming fatigue made even breathing feel like an effort.
Though he’d said he was helping me, his touch had been so suggestive that any remaining focus was completely sapped.
“If you sleep like that, you’ll catch a cold.”
“I didn’t think you’d care so much about other people’s business.”
“I don’t care about anyone else’s. No reason to.”
“…”
“My attention has always been on you.”
My heart pounded.
It felt like it would leap out if I opened my mouth.
Pressing my lips together, I tried to hide my face against the sofa, but he slipped his hand under my arm, lifting me up.
Doha then started to dry my hair with practiced hands.
The noisy hum of the dryer and the warm air gently brushed through my hair.
His fingers occasionally grazed my scalp, and soon, the dryer’s sound faded away.
“All done.”
He sat on the sofa and wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.
As he toyed with my fingers, he let out a soft chuckle.
“When you finished your bath, your hands were warm, but now only your nails are pink. You’re so beautiful, you know?”
It was almost comical how many times he called me beautiful.
I sighed, questioning him in return.
“You really shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why not? Isn’t this what people usually do with someone they like?”
Doha suddenly paused, his expression showing he realized he might’ve misspoken.
I couldn’t help but frown as he looked down at my hand, lightly pursing his lips.
Surely he had someone he liked.
With a face like that, it would be impossible if he didn’t.
“Is… that person…”
Would he even answer if I asked?
It couldn’t possibly be Hong Yookyung, could it?
My tongue itched with curiosity, but I held back, not wanting to create any awkwardness if he said another name.
Imagining the worst made me dizzy, so I decided to shift my frustration toward Doha instead.
Who talks about someone they like right after they’ve slept with someone?
This shameless bastard.
I pouted, deciding to ask something else instead.
“Your rut is over, right?”
“Unless you want to keep calling me names, can’t you just call me by my name?”
“Yes, CEO.”
At my firm response, Doha gave a small smile and leaned in, nipping my neck.
I winced as he left a gentle but stubborn mark, determined to make his presence known.
Feeling a sudden surge of embarrassment, I pushed his face away with both hands.
He grumbled under his breath.
“You’re going to just use me and discard me now, aren’t you?”
“…What?”
“We had a great time for a week, didn’t we? I even, you know, made you scream for more.”
My face immediately turned red. I could only stammer, sounding like an idiot, before I clamped my hand over his mouth.
That dirty mouth of his!
My face was hot, and as I glared at him, he gently licked my palm.
I flinched at the ticklish sensation and tried to pull away, but he grabbed my wrist.
“Agh… It tickles! Stop!”
“But you liked it, didn’t you? Now you’re just tossing me aside?”
As I opened my mouth to respond, he pressed a kiss to my hand before slipping my finger into his mouth.
The slick sound of his tongue sent shivers down my spine.
I wanted to pull away, but he held my wrist firmly.
“Ugh…”
“Already tired of me, huh?”
“Fine, stop it!”
“Stop what? You used me and now you’re ditching me?”
“Doha! Doha!”
When I shouted his name, he let my hand go, a faint white string snapping as he did.
I was exhausted, even though nothing had really happened.
Catching my breath, I watched him press his lips together.
“Give me a kiss.”
“Doha, your rut’s over.”
“Oh, so now you’re done with me too?”
Quickly, I grabbed his shoulders and gave him a brief kiss.
Doha’s expression twisted strangely, and I realized I’d made a mistake, but before I could move, he pushed me down on the sofa, caging me with his arms.
“I can’t go anywhere else now.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’m yours. Just think of it as a label without a price tag.”
As our lips met, his warm, soft tongue slipped into my mouth when I parted my lips to protest the insanity of it all.
I tried to push him away reflexively… but at some point, my arms were already wrapped around his neck.
I took breaths through the occasional gaps, greedily savoring his pheromones.
No matter how harshly Doha spoke, I couldn’t deny the warmth and affection pouring over me.
Experiencing such intimate warmth and emotion for the first time felt addictive, like a drug.
Even after our lips finally parted, I couldn’t hide my heavy breaths.
I took a moment to collect myself, then quietly asked him, the man who was now showering my face with gentle kisses.
“You were able to hold back from rut all this time. So why did you go to Hong Yookyung?”
“…Does it really matter to you who I’m with? You’ve never shown interest before. You’re the one who always told me to give my best even with just a casual partner…”
“…”
“Are you jealous?”
Faced with that familiar question, I leaned into him a bit more.
Jealousy… Was this really jealousy?
“No.”
His low sigh brushed against the back of my neck, as though he wasn’t disappointed.
I could tell he was about to say something, his lips slightly moving, but I spoke first.
“But it bothers me. That you… have a fiancée, that you went to meet her, and even spent the night with someone else, even if it was just for one night… It bothers me. Not that I hate it… or, maybe I should say I do? Either way, it bothers me.”
“Let’s just say it bothers you instead of saying you hate it. You’re not even jealous. Just a little bothered. I was the one who was jealous. Jealous of the clothes you wear, the air you breathe.”
With an amused mumble, he lifted me to sit up and pulled me in close, his arm around my waist.
My heart kept racing.
I had questions I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t bring myself to voice them.
I wished I could just let it all out and be done with it, yet I was scared this delicate balance between us might shatter.
I never knew I was such a coward.
If I were to ask about… our arrangement, if I were to ask for the truth… would he still treat me the same way?
The answer wasn’t far off.
Doha wouldn’t hide anything.
He had no reason to.
If he had only been with Omegas, I wouldn’t feel this trapped.
The memory of his history with men, all Betas, made me chuckle bitterly.
Doha seemed to interpret my laughter in some way, tightening his grip on me as he held my hands, still interlocked with his.
I watched him as he leaned in for another short kiss, then murmured my next question.
“You said it was a mix of vacation and work, but you did everything on your own… Why didn’t you tell me the truth? I could have helped you if you’d told me. And why did you return early?”
“I made it a point to find somewhere far so you’d take a break from work, too. If I’d told you, you wouldn’t have rested anyway. You barely even rest when you’re breathing.”
His words stung like a blow, leaving me at a loss for words.
He was so right I couldn’t argue.
* * *
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