Desire Me If You Can-Chapter 101

Grayson sat across the table, his face full of dissatisfaction. One cheek still bore a red handprint. He rubbed his cheek and grumbled,

"Your hand is too heavy."

"I told you to stop..."

Dein clenched his fists on the table, trembling, and ground his teeth. He hadn’t known the balcony was connected to the neighboring room because he hadn’t stepped out there the day before.

What’s the point of locking the door when the balcony is wide open?

The fact that Grayson had the nerve to act like he didn’t know this, locking the door and pretending like everything was fine, made Dein seethe with anger.

As he glared at Grayson with a threatening look, Grayson seemed to want to say something, but he remained silent, though his displeased expression didn’t change. Where does this guy get the gall to act like the victim...? Dein was dumbfounded, but quickly calmed himself. This was just another reaction Grayson had fabricated. There was no need to respond to everything. More importantly...

If I keep reacting to every little thing, I’ll never survive here.

But even as he thought that, the words came out automatically.

"What’s the deal with the balcony?"

Muttering to himself, Grayson quickly answered,

"Romeo and Juliet..."

"Shut up."

Dein shot Grayson another menacing look, and Grayson immediately sealed his lips. He still wore a dissatisfied expression but ignored it and turned his gaze to the table, only to pale as he looked at the food.

Even if he were invited to a grand dinner, there would be no spread like this. There were five types of fruit juices: tomato, lemon, kiwi, orange, and blueberry, and the yogurt and milk were standard, with ten types of bread, from pastries to loaf bread. The jams for the pancakes were in different colors and varieties, and the syrups—Dein couldn’t even begin to count them.

Bacon came in several cooking styles: lightly cooked, blanched, and crisped. Eggs, too, were prepared in various ways. And how many types of omelets were there? There were even several steaks lined up according to how they were cooked. Seeing the vast amount of food spread out on the table made Dein lose his appetite before even starting.

Grayson smiled brightly at Dein, who was staring at the enormous spread with a pale face.

"It’s your first morning here, so I thought I’d make it special."

"Look..."

Dein felt a headache and dizziness creeping in. Who eats this much for breakfast? Until now, he had barely eaten a slice of bread with coffee, and sometimes, he even skipped that.

Unable to hold back a heavy sigh, Dein let it escape repeatedly. He had no idea where to start. It hadn’t even been an hour since he got up, and already, he felt like he’d run five miles in a fire zone. He spoke in a tired voice.

"Coffee is enough."

"Espresso? Decaf? Americano? What kind of beans do you like? Brazil? Kenya...?"

"Coffee."

Dein clenched his teeth and responded. The one redeeming quality about Grayson was that he was quick to catch on. Without dragging it out, Grayson immediately stood up and brought back a strong cup of coffee. The rich aroma that hit Dein was unlike anything he had smelled before. He couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed as he brought the cup to his lips.

Hah.

A wave of relaxation washed over him, and his body seemed to release its tension. So this is what good coffee is like. For the longest time, he had thought coffee was just a way to wake up, never bothering with its taste or aroma.

"What kind of coffee is this?"

Curious, Dein asked, and Grayson beamed, replying,

"Cat poop..."

"Enough."

Dein could barely hold back from stopping him. The moment Grayson started to speak again, his face was already filled with dissatisfaction. Looking at the coffee he had just enjoyed, Dein twisted his face but soon gave up and took another sip. He hesitated briefly before bringing the cup to his lips again.

Wearing nothing but old sweatpants and a t-shirt, Dein, as usual, had his upper body exposed. Sitting at the table, sipping coffee to clear his mind, he suddenly realized Grayson was staring at him intently. Frowning, he muttered,

"What’s the deal? Why aren’t you eating? Just staring at me? No, forget it."

Dein immediately regretted speaking, as Grayson’s reaction made him certain that his assumptions were right.

What is that guy trying to do?

Even as he thought this, Dein subtly moved aside, covering his chest with his arm and drank his coffee. It was hot, almost burning his mouth, but he didn’t mind, draining the cup in one go. He quickly stood up, turning to head toward his room, when Grayson suddenly spoke.

"Oh, there’s something I forgot to mention yesterday."

Dein gave him an unwilling look, as if to ask, What now? Grayson continued casually,

"There’s a dog in the garden."

"A dog?"

"Yeah."

Grayson nodded and continued,

"Alex is getting old, so he’s not as fast as before. He looks intimidating, but he’s actually a gentle guy, so don’t worry. Darling will be inside, and Alex will be outside."

Dein stood still for a moment. He seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Grayson, waiting for a response, seemed puzzled.

Watching Grayson, Dein found himself conflicted. It would probably take a lot of care to keep an old dog in the garden, and that didn’t seem right, but he wasn’t sure if he should say anything about it. If it were someone else’s business, he would ignore it, but since it involved an animal, he couldn’t help but feel concerned.

He’s rich, so I’m sure it’s well taken care of, but do I really need to get involved...?

I’m not staying here forever, so it’s better not to get too involved. With that thought, he made up his mind and nodded.

"Alright. Is there anything else you’ve forgotten?"

"Hmm, not right now."

Dein’s gaze sharpened. What does that even mean? Grayson casually replied with a smile,

"I’m saying there’s nothing else I can think of right now. I’ll let you know if something comes up."

"...Alright."

Dein nodded and left the room. It was already almost time to go to work. He didn’t have the luxury of dragging things out, so he headed back to his room to get ready. When he checked, it seemed Darling had already eaten and used the litter box. He took Darling out, gently stroked the cat, refilled the food and water, then left the room, making sure to lock all the windows and doors before he left.

After checking the doors multiple times, he turned around and immediately locked eyes with Grayson. Without thinking, he stepped back, opening his mouth.

"You weren’t waiting here for me, were you?"

"Why wouldn’t I? Since we’re lovers, of course we should go to work together."

Seeing Grayson’s response, as if waiting for him to say this, Dein’s world seemed to collapse. This wouldn’t work. He needed a plan.

Right now.

"Wait, I’m setting some conditions for staying in this house."

Grayson, who had been about to approach in excitement, froze at the sudden declaration. Dein spoke in a stern tone,

"Separate work hours. Don’t follow me around for more than three hours a day. Those are my conditions."

Grayson looked down at «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» him with an empty expression. Silence hung between them.

"Are you joking?"

Grayson was the first to break the silence, smiling in his usual way but with that same awkward expression that always made Dein uncomfortable. Of course, Dein’s answer was firm.

"Of course, I’m serious, idiot. Have I ever joked with you?"

After grumbling, he stopped. The moment he saw Grayson’s face contort in a look of utter devastation, Dein realized that he had been right all along.