While I was shopping, Caleb sent me a message with the code to his house.

He mentioned that he was afraid he would sleep like a log and not hear me ring the doorbell later.

What did that imply? It was as clear as day!

I made a hasty purchase and rushed over to his place.

True to his word, he was fast asleep, and my arrival didn't stir him in the slightest.

I put the groceries down quietly and tiptoed into his bedroom.

Inside, a wall sconce was on, casting a dim, moody light that made the atmosphere feel incredibly intimate.

Caleb was sound asleep in his bed, topless, with his strong arms exposed and a hint of his chest visible.

It was quite a tantalizing sight, and I had to swallow hard, admittedly captivated.

It seemed a bit unfair to take advantage of someone while they were asleep, didn't it?

Moreover, as a girl, my sense of propriety is quite strong.

After wavering for a few moments, I was about to retreat, but at that very moment, Caleb suddenly opened his eyes. His piercing gaze locked onto me, immobilizing me on the spot.

"Um, I bought the ingredients..." I felt like I had to say something.

He nodded, glanced at the little penguin alarm clock on the nightstand, and then said, "It's still early, first come keep me company in sleep."

Keep him company in sleep? Did he really say that?

After he spoke those words, he rose and grasped my wrist, and with a single motion, he pulled me onto the bed.

I became a cuddler, entirely encircled by Caleb's arms.

He was fully clothed in nothing but a pair of boxers, just as he had been during our first encounter.

I was surrounded by the scent of testosterone and, drowsily, I pondered, "This has to be considered hooliganism, doesn't it?"

Not wanting to be at a disadvantage, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

After a bit of fumbling and a couple of brushes against him where I shouldn't have, Caleb let out a soft chuckle in my ear.

I immediately blushed and tilted my head back to give him a stern look. "What are you laughing at?"

"Your impatience."

"You're the one who pulled me into bed in the first place!" I retorted.

"Then you'll have to give me some time to catch some sleep first," he said, pausing for a moment before deliberately rubbing the corner of my forehead with his scruff, "I'll take care of you after dinner, I promise you'll be pleased."

"..."

He truly knew what I was attempting to do!

But what made him think that after being teased over and over again, I would just lie down and take it?

I pushed him away, "Sorry, I'm not interested anymore."

Caleb froze and then sat up after I did.

Ignoring him, I got out of bed and rushed out the door.

But with his long legs, he had the advantage and chased me to the door, stopping me.

I stared at him warily, "What, are you trying to use force on me?"

He was at a loss for words.

He looked a little annoyed, glanced around, and then said, "The ingredients are here, let's eat before you leave."

"No."

"Then let's go out and eat."

After he finished speaking, he went back inside to get dressed, leaving me alone with a messy mind.

In truth, I just wanted him to experience the feeling of being hot and cold as well. After all, he was the one who enjoyed playing tricks on others.

When he came out dressed, I said, "I'm tired of eating out. I don't want to go."

Without even a moment's hesitation, he turned his head and made his way into the kitchen.

I followed, leaning against the kitchen doorframe to watch him wash and cook.

No matter what, a handsome man was always a sight to behold, no matter the task at hand.

By the time the three dishes and the soup were ready, I had completely forgotten the times he had been a pain in my neck.

Halfway through the meal, I even asked him, "Can I still come over for dinner?"

"I rarely cook," Caleb replied.

The light in my eyes dimmed.

He added meaningfully, "I suppose I could reluctantly cook a few more times if that's what you want."

Reluctantly, really?

Why did I get the sense of a boyfriend pampering his girlfriend?

I didn't overthink it, did I?

After we finished our meal, Caleb mentioned he was going to take out the trash and asked if I'd like to join him for an after-dinner stroll.

My head was a mess of X-rated daydreams that really that really needed some clearing out.

But as soon as we started our walk—before we could even think about holding hands—his parents, Daniel and Jean, showed up out of the blue.

"Sarah, what are you doing with Kale?"

Kale...what a fun nickname.

Confronted with Daniel and Jean's confused expressions, I suppressed a laugh and quickly racked my brain for an excuse.

After pondering for some time without coming up with a suitable explanation, I simply turned to Caleb and passed the buck to him.

"Your lovely daughter was worried I'd spend the rest of my life alone, so she tried setting me up with her charming friend, Zoe," Caleb said calmly.

Daniel and Jean were taken aback.

They hadn't seen their son in a while and had come to visit.

To their surprise, their son got a girlfriend, and she was someone they knew!

They exchanged glances and quickly disappeared from the scene.

I was left speechless.

-

Caleb offered me a lift home, but I turned him down.

I questioned him, "What was that all about, what you told your parents?"

"Didn't you say something about making this desert bloom with roses?" he asked.

"..."

I really shouldn't trust Zoe!

She showed me the chat logs between her and Caleb and then leaked my words to Caleb, playing the nice guy on both sides!

I threw caution to the wind and admitted, "I did, what's the problem?"

"Nothing," Caleb said, sounding indifferent.