When I pester Sean Sackman, my childhood sweetheart, for a second time, he rejects me.

"I don't have time for you now," he says. "It's Valentine's Day today, and the campus belle just agreed to go on a date with me this afternoon."

Just as I am about to pleasure myself, his housemate, Chad Huxley, comes back.

Several comments suddenly appear in front of me.

"This is hilarious. The second male lead is literally burning with desire when he sees the female lead in her nightrobe. But he still has to hold it in and pretend to be unfazed. He's like a grumpy little puppy!"

"I think the female lead should turn to the second male lead instead. Every time she goes to find her childhood sweetheart, the second male lead ends up taking a cold shower. Poor guy."

"The second male lead might have an addiction, but he always keeps his hands to himself. Girl, a feast is literally right in front of you. Stop getting hung up on that idiot!"

My eyes light up as I stare at Chad.

"Can you help me with something?"

When I pestered Sean Sackman for the second time, he turned me down. He pushed me aside and got up, sliding into his pants. He even began styling his hair in front of the mirror, his fingers coated with mousse as he ran them through it.

"I don't have time for your games," he said. "It's Valentine's Day today, and the campus belle has agreed to go on a date with me this afternoon.

"Oh, and don't call me later. I'm worried she might misunderstand. You have no idea how long I've been pursuing her."

I stared at him in a daze, the blanket still wrapped around me.

"You're going on a date with the campus belle? Then why did you make me come over in the first place?"

He turned around and said brazenly, "It's my first date with her, so I called you over to give me some tips on my hair and outfit. I want to leave a good impression on her.

"Nessa, we go way back. You don't mind, do you?"

I was just about to reply when several comments suddenly appeared in front of me.

"So the female lead is abandoned after the male lead gets a taste of forbidden fruit. Then he realizes his mistake and goes chasing after her again. Are you seriously expecting VIP clients to watch such a cliched romance trope?"

"I've had enough of the girl always sucking up to the guy. Women are not sluts!"

"She decided to sleep with her childhood sweetheart even though they're not in a relationship. It's her own fault if she gets dumped."

I tilted my head to the side, confused by the sudden flood of comments before me. Since when did a succubus need a proper relationship to pleasure herself?

I grew up with Sean, and we had always been close. When I was 18, he tricked me into doing the deed with him. That one night I spent with him accidentally awakened my succubus nature, and my desires needed to be sated from time to time.

I didn't tell anyone about this, but Sean and I tacitly agreed to be friends with benefits.

Honestly, it had started to get boring over time. But still…

I eyed his waist beneath the fabric of his black T-shirt, suppressing my discomfort.

"You should've at least ended this properly, since you started it in the first place," I gritted out.

We only did it once, and I was far from satisfied. I couldn't believe he was actually leaving now. He was such an unsatisfactory partner.

"We're just friends with benefits," he shot back, sneering. "You have no right to be jealous. You can't possibly think we're in a relationship, can you?"

I widened my eyes in disbelief. "Of course not."

Sean truly was overthinking it.

At first, I had looked forward to our arrangement. But after the past few nights together, I realized he was merely mediocre.

But before I could say anything else, he cut me off.

"Good. We grew up together, and I see you as nothing more than a sister. If I were to date you, I'd be better off dating my right hand, don't you think?

"But I have to admit that your body is really to die for. You're pretty, too…"

His tone suddenly shifted. "Don't worry. Even if I start seeing the campus belle, I'll still look out for you."

Did Sean mean that he still wanted to keep our arrangement?

I was baffled by his confidence. Given his ability, I would starve to death if he were two-timing.

"Leave me alone," I quickly said. "Just focus on the campus belle. We can remain as ordinary friends."

Truthfully, I had wanted to end things with Sean for a while. His performance had always left much to be desired. Still, because we'd been childhood friends, I couldn't bring myself to say it outright.

Another reason was that finding a hassle-free partner these days wasn't easy. That was why I had dragged this out for so long.

Hearing that he was about to get into a relationship was honestly a relief.

However, he seemed to have misunderstood.

"Nessa, are you playing hard to get now? That isn't like you. Have you forgotten how obsessed you are with me?

"Stop playing tricks. I don't have time to coax you right now. And remember, don't call me later. Rachel's different from you—she's really innocent. I don't want her to misunderstand."

With that, he hurried out the door.

"Hey!" I shouted after him. "Are you insane?"

The only reason I clung to him was that I was never fully satisfied whenever we hooked up, so I had no choice but to go for more rounds. I had even suggested he try being less vanilla, but that only offended him.

"Why are you always so troublesome?" he had complained back then.

Since we'd grown up together, I held my tongue to spare his fragile ego.

Who would've thought that the boy who once promised to marry me would grow into such a scumbag in college?

I couldn't believe the nerve he had, juggling two women at once when he was so utterly lacking.

Muttering curses under my breath, I figured that I had no choice but to pleasure myself. But just as my hand moved downward, a sound came from the door.

I was stunned. Did Sean come back?

I quickly threw on a silk nightrobe and went to answer the door. As I stepped out of the bedroom, the door opened. The first thing I saw was a pair of legs in gray sweatpants.

My gaze fell on a man in a white T-shirt, his expression cold and unreadable. It was Sean's housemate, Chad Huxley.

He stared at me as if I owed him money.

I had been to Sean's place countless times, yet Chad had never once greeted me warmly. I had no idea how I had offended him.

Still, I had no intention of tolerating his attitude. I couldn't even be bothered to greet him.

Just as I turned to leave, the comments appeared again.

"This is hilarious. The second male lead is practically burning with desire at the sight of the female lead in a nightrobe, yet he must pretend he feels nothing. He's like a grumpy little puppy!"

"The female lead should definitely shift her attention to the second male lead. Every time she goes over to her childhood sweetheart's place, the second male lead ends up taking a cold shower. Poor guy."

"The second male lead might struggle with his urges, but he's only attracted to the female lead. When she failed to win the main guy back and left, he was devastated and even fell into depression. The angst is killing me."

I stopped short.

So the comments said that Chad, who had always treated me with cold indifference, actually had a secret crush on me?

A guy who struggled with his urges...

Unbidden thoughts rushed in, and I swallowed hard. My eyes lit up as I studied Chad's chiseled features and long legs.

I wondered how well-equipped he was.

With that thought, I leaned against the doorframe and tilted forward slightly, letting my robe fall looser at the neckline. I was seducing him on purpose.

"Chad, does my nightrobe look good?"

He fell silent for a moment before looking away.

"No," he said flatly. "It's too revealing."

I smirked and said, "Oh, really?"

My gaze dropped to Chad's fists that were clenched so tightly that the veins on the backs of his hands stood out.

"What a dishonest little puppy," I mused.

But I loved training puppies.

I sashayed toward Chad, holding his gaze the entire time. Shock flashed across his eyes, and he froze. Only when the tip of my nose nearly brushed his chin did I finally stop.

Standing so close, I could hear his heartbeat racing. A flush spread across his neck, making him all the more enticing.

Comments appeared in front of me again.

"What's going on? Is Vanessa seducing Chad now? Is she trying to use him to make Sean jealous?"

"Oh my god… She just smiled at him, and now he's blushing like crazy."

"Goodness! Her chest is pressing against his! Oh my… She's literally squishing her girls against him."

"Guys, look closer. He's not just blushing…"

I glanced down and smirked. I was pleased by what I saw.

Anyway, I was more than satisfied.

"Chad, I have a project. Would you like to work on it with me?"

Lust flickered across his face, tinting the corners of his eyes red. His voice dropped into a low rasp as he pleaded, "Stop it… You're Sean's girlfriend…"

This was my first time hearing him speak from so close. I hadn't expected his voice to be so deep and captivating, given how angelic he looked.

That deep baritone stirred something inside me. Deep down, I wanted to hear him whimper in that voice.

Excitement surged through me like a tidal wave, and I nearly lost control of my tail. Thank goodness my true succubus form wasn't something docile like a rabbit or a cat. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to restrain him.

After all, the last thing I wanted was to scare Chad away. But at the same time, my succubus side was also very dominant in moments like this.

"Is she really a weak female lead? She's fearless, diving straight in without hesitation. I love her!"

"Vanessa's a bit gross here, don't you think? She moves on so quickly to another guy after getting dumped."

"Stop slut-shaming women. Why should she deserve to be alone when Sean can go on a date with the campus belle?"

"Chad, stop pretending. Once this opportunity is gone, you'll never get another one again. Even if Vanessa only sees you as a tool, it isn't necessarily bad for you."

"Vanessa, you have to take control when dealing with a stubborn guy like him!"

The comments made a lot of sense, so I grabbed Chad by the collar and pinned him down on the couch. His skin was scorching hot, even a few degrees above mine.

I couldn't help but rub against his abs.

"I had a fight with Sean," I said. "And I'm not his girlfriend anyway. I just want to be with you right now…"

Chad tilted his head back, his Adam's apple rolled as his neck flushed crimson. I couldn't resist pressing a gentle kiss on it.

He drew in a sharp breath.

"Chad," I whispered.

He hummed in acknowledgement.

I rewarded him with a playful bite on his lips, then loosened the belt of my silk robe. Pinning his hands above his head, I tied them loosely with the belt.

I leaned close to his ear and murmured, "Chad, do you know a person's name is the shortest spell in the world?

"You answered my call, and now you will always be bound to me."