CH 10.3

Michael went to class, Lila and Lucas headed to the greenhouse. Remembering that she had mentioned that she had been to the greenhouse before, he suggested that they go, and Lila agreed.

“Are you sure you don’t want to change in your room?”

Lila asked, unable to find a place to look away from his shirt, which had dried a bit but still showed off his body.

Lucas smiled at her expression and replied.

“It’s okay, I’m almost dry.”

“I don’t think so…”

“It’s dried. Do you want to touch it?”

Lucas asked with a smile as he pulled her hand and placed it on his chest.

“How’s that, dry?”

“…Yes, yeah.”

She could feel his thumping heartbeat. Her face flushed as red as a ripe strawberry in the heat.

Gently touching her flushed cheek, Lucas said.

“You look just like a strawberry.”

His eyes seemed to drip with honey as he smiled so deeply. Lila blinked, unsure of what she was seeing.

“Shall we go in?”

Lucas tugged on her hand as they stood in front of the greenhouse. With his other hand, he pushed open the greenhouse door.

A sweet scent wafted through the open doorway.

As they entered the greenhouse, they walked hand in hand. Being with a jacaranda tree full of purple petals reminded her of the northern festival.

Even then, they walked through the streets holding each other’s hands tightly…

“Let’s go to the summer festival again next year.”

As if she wasn’t the only one thinking of the festival, Lucas asked in a low voice.

“Yeah, I’d love to.”

“That sounds good to me too.”

The mood was relaxed as they walked through the greenhouse, hand in hand, admiring the flowers.

Even without a topic, the conversation was steady. When they ran out of things to talk about, they simply looked around.

Lucas sat Lila down on a bench and reached for her hand. The bonnet she’d worn earlier, hiding her face, was cumbersome.

“I gave it to you, but… I forbid you to wear it when you’re with me.”

“What?”

“I’m here to see you after a crazy day at work… Shouldn’t I at least be able to see your face?”

Lucas, who had tossed his pack aside like a man annoyed by a bonnet, sat down beside her.

“How are you feeling now?”

Lila’s eyes narrowed at Lucas’s comment, which brought back memories of that day.

“I’m feeling a little better, but… could you be a little more careful next time?”

Lucas replied, studying her face as she spoke in a sarcastic tone. His voice was filled with laughter.

“Glad to hear there’s a next time. I was worried you’d never let me touch you again.”

With a gentle tug on her chin, Lucas met her gaze. His cologne was thicker than a jacaranda’s blossoms.

She inhaled the scent without realizing it, and Lucas pressed his lips to hers unexpectedly.

Surprised, she parted her lips and bit down on his lower lip. The hot flesh that had invaded without missing a beat wandered brazenly back to its place.

His tongue darted out, then curled, then stood upright, rubbing the roof of her mouth with a rich slurp.

“Hmm.”

Each time he pressed against the roof of her mouth, Lila forced herself to curl up on her toes.

A shiver ran down her spine at the exhilarating sensation. She slid her hands up his hard forearms and held on tight.

Kissing him made her dizzy, like riding a roller coaster, and she wanted to grab onto something.

A slurping sound filled the greenhouse. Lucas explored her lips and the inside of her mouth. He sucked in her saliva relentlessly, like a thirsty man.

Long threads of saliva drifted from his lips as he rubbed his even teeth together.

Breaking it lightly with his tongue, he gently lifted a panting, blushing Lila and sat her on his lap.

He took a handful of her flowing mauve hair and gently pressed his lips to it. Then, tugging gently but not painfully on the hair in his grasp, he spoke.

“I want to be kissed by you first.”

He was always the impatient one. It’s not a complaint, but the look on her face as she struggles is so cute that he’s tempted to tease her like this.

“…me first?”

“Yeah, you first.”

The corners of his mouth curled into a tight smile as he watched her pursing her lips, unsure of what to do.

At the playfulness in his expression, Lila clenched her fists and punched him in the shoulder.

“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

“I’m not.”

His freckled face was like that of a mischievous child.

Lyla smiled broadly at the thought that crossed her mind.

“Well, I am a year older than the Duke.”

She knew she was being unreasonably grumpy, but she wanted to get back at him for the constant teasing. Waiting for his confused expression, Lila crossed her arms over her lap.

But Lucas didn’t look embarrassed at all. In fact, his eyes widened slightly, as if her words had awakened something in him.

“Then you have to take the lead, noona.”

Lila froze in place at the sight of him calling her ‘noona’ in a polite tone, even when he wasn’t speaking to her.

As her mouth dropped open in surprise, Lucas tapped his finger against her waist.

“Why are you so stiff? Huh?”

Looking down at him, Lila’s eyelids slowly fluttered open, and she curled her lips in silence, thinking it was kind of cute.

“Noona, aren’t you going to kiss me?”

He smirked, and Lila was almost swayed. Not wanting to tease, but not wanting to let her get away with it. She stuttered and opened her mouth.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“No?”

Lucas repeated, quickly wiping the grim look off his face at her refusal. Lila gave him a look of determination that said she wasn’t going to be talked out of it.

“Why are you talking back? No, if you’re going to be respectful, be respectful. Why do you have to go from respectful to disrespectful to confusing?”

Lila’s averted gaze snapped back into place with a look that said, ‘If I had to say it this strongly, I’d say it.’

The moment she met his intense mint-colored eyes, Lucas blurted out.

“Then, you speak casually too.”

“…Yes?”

“Good, because I’m sick of hearing you call me ‘Duke.’ Now, call me Lucas.”

As if her lips were glued together with honey, Lila couldn’t form a response. His lips curled up into a smile, but his eyes burned.

A large hand gripped her pelvis tightly. The corners of his mouth turned up in a pout as he slowly pulled her toward him.

Tears stood out in the corners of his slanted eyes.

“Call me Lucas, Lila. Come on.”

Lucas grinned lecherously as he took her ankle and ran his thumb along her sternum.

Stroking the nape of her stiff neck with a delicate touch, he demanded again.

“Lila, call me.”

Grabbing Lila’s ankle when she still didn’t respond, he slowly lifted her up and said meaningfully.

“If you don’t, I’m going to do something naughty.”

Lila found her legs draped over his shoulders and gripped his shoulders tightly.

“Lu, Lu…”

He asked her, too embarrassed and awkward to say his name properly.

“Is that my nickname?”

“Lucas!”

She spat his name out of her mouth, and it felt weird. Lila blinked slowly, looking up at him.

Satisfaction lingered in his mint-colored eyes.

“Yes, Lila.”

He called out, and it was easy from there.

“Lucas, put me down.”

Lila said, struggling to get her legs down from the awkward position they were in.

But Lucas, as if he didn’t hear her, lifted her other leg as well.

Feeling like crying at the sight of her exposed lower body, Lila punched him in the shoulder with a small fist.

“Really! Put me down!”

For a moment, she wanted to bash her head in for even thinking about messing with him. Lila struggled with all her might.

She felt embarrassed and ashamed. But when she heard his answer, she couldn’t get any words out.

“I don’t want to, noona.”

Lila swallowed hard as she caught a whiff of his cologne, surprised at the strange situation she found herself in.

There was a strange magic in his scent that urged her on. The kind of power she could never resist.

Lila shuddered at the sensation of his gentle entry into her.

Her breath caught in her throat at the heat beneath her and the sensation of his fingers.

A moan escaped her lips. The pleasure of their first night was still with her.

Just that one experience had made her look forward to it. Of course, it hadn’t really been one time.

Lucas whispered in her ear as she hugged his neck tightly and let out a ragged breath.

“So soft. Like that cream tart we had earlier.”

Lucas continued to whisper as he worked his way through her tense body.

“So sweet. In fact, I think we should keep doing this. I can’t even do my job because of you… So take responsibility.”

“Mmm!”

Lila tried to stifle a moan at the hot rush of her need that finally hit her, but it wasn’t working.

Hot breath puffed out of her with each rough movement. Lucas lifted her to her feet, listening to her lustful moans as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He said, his voice flat and unlike hers, not even breathless.

“Hold on tight.”

With his words, Lila couldn’t even moan. She felt the pleasure take over her head as she clung to him, trying not to fall.

Lucas thought for a moment that her mauve hair, rising with every movement, looked like jacaranda petals.

He wrapped his arms around Lila, his favorite flower, and closed his eyes against the boiling heat.