L*ck Me If You Can-Chapter 50

Suddenly, Koi snapped out of it. His heart, which had been fluttering in excitement just moments before, now raced for a completely different reason. He tried to jerk back in surprise, but Ashley still had him by the arm, so he only flinched in place.

“I—I smell?”

He stammered as he looked up at Ashley. Ashley responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Of course.”

Then, just as casually, he added,

“You smell like Koi.”

“You mean... I smell?”

Koi’s voice shot up in alarm. Again, Ashley nodded without hesitation.

“Yeah.”

Panicked, Koi quickly asked,

“Uh—like what?”

He tensed, bracing himself, while Ashley paused to think. “Hmm,” he murmured, then answered,

“A tasty smell?”

“Huh?”

Koi blinked in a daze. Ashley grinned, and it finally hit Koi what was going on.

He was messing with him.

Koi let out a relieved laugh.

“What the hell.”

Seeing him relax and smile, Ashley furrowed his brows and said with a serious look,

“I’m not joking. I always want to eat you, Koi.”

Koi shook his head, still laughing.

“You can’t. I don’t taste good.”

Ashley tilted his head, gazing down at him.

“Really? You look delicious to me.”

Then Ashley leaned in again. This time, instead of just breath, his lips brushed against the spot he’d breathed on earlier. Koi froze in shock, completely unprepared. Then Ashley parted his lips and bit his neck.

“Ow.”

It didn’t actually hurt at all, but the sound slipped out reflexively. It tickled so badly that Koi wanted to wriggle away, but Ashley still had him firmly by the arms, and all he could do was scrunch up his shoulders.

“Don’t,”

Koi said urgently, and Ashley slowly bared his teeth. He bit down gently, like he was taking a bite of a soft marshmallow, and then didn’t move for a while. Koi, embarrassed and overwhelmed by the ticklish sensation, squirmed and tried to push him away.

“Stop it, seriously. That tickles.”

It would’ve been effortless for Ashley to pin both of Koi’s wrists and keep him from moving. If he wanted to, he could’ve taken Koi right there—and Koi probably wouldn’t even realize what was happening.

But Ashley held himself back and lifted his head. He couldn’t resist leaving a strong, wet kiss behind before pulling away, though.

Looking down at the red mark he’d left on Koi’s pale neck, Ashley felt pleased. Then he shifted his gaze back up to Koi’s face.

Koi looked dazed, blinking like he was dreaming. He clearly had no idea what had just happened. With a teasing smile, Ashley asked,

“Can I have another bite?”

“Ah—no!” Koi blurted, his face turning beet red. “I’m not food!”

Yanking his arm free, he bolted for the backroom they used as a changing room and storeroom. He didn’t even say “wait a sec” or “I’ll be right back.”

Ashley stared at the door that had slammed shut with a loud bang, and slowly ran his thumb across his lips. The sensation still lingered vividly.

“Ahh...”

He let out a low sigh, fingers still touching his mouth.

“I want more.”

*

It took Koi a whole fifteen minutes to come out. All he’d done was change into his usual stained T-shirt and worn-out jeans—nothing fancy—but Ashley pretended not to know the reason for the delay.

“Wow, I thought you were getting all dressed up or something.”

“S-Sorry.”

Koi apologized in a rush, scratching his head. Then he saw Ashley and went completely blank.

Ashley, who usually wore comfortable T-shirts and jeans, looked completely different today. His bluish shirt had a few buttons undone, and his deep green-gray slacks revealed his ankles. Instead of his usual sneakers, he was wearing sepia-toned loafers.

His hair, always slicked back with wax, now fell naturally over his forehead, and a pair of oversized black sunglasses shaded his eyes. On top of that, he had a light gray jacket draped over his shoulders. Koi had never seen him look like this.

“What is it?”

Ashley asked with a smile. Koi blinked slowly and replied,

“Uh, you... you look kinda different today.”

“Yeah?”

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Ashley kept it casual, but Koi’s reaction pleased him. He’d been planning this moment since the night before. Dressing up like some kind of peacock wasn’t really his thing—he wouldn’t even do it for anything related to his father—but today was different. If his father’s secretary found out about this, she’d probably report it straight to the man himself.

But who cares? They’re probably reporting everything anyway.

Ashley decided to focus on the fun. After locking the store, Koi hurried over to where Ashley waited.

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“What about the others? Are they having fun?”

Koi was a little hesitant—was it okay for the party’s host to be out here like this? As he asked, Ashley suddenly grabbed his empty hand. Koi jumped, startled, but Ashley acted like nothing happened and started walking toward the parked car.

“No idea. I haven’t checked.”

“Is that okay?”

Koi tried to focus on the conversation, but all he could think about was the hand holding his. It was impossible to ignore. Ashley, fully aware of Koi’s flustered state, kept walking as he replied,

“I told my dad’s secretary. She’ll take care of it.”

“O-Oh... okay.”

Koi nodded, but his mind wasn’t working right. Just holding hands was enough to make his heart race—and today, Ashley looked too good. He was always handsome, but today it was like he’d leveled up somehow. Koi couldn’t help but feel awed... and a little guilty. Could someone like him really walk beside someone like Ashley?

His briefly soaring heart began to sink. As he grew disheartened, he tried to pull his hand away, but Ashley only gripped it tighter. Then, deliberately preventing Koi from escaping, Ashley asked,

“What’s wrong, Koi?”

“Huh? Uh...”

Koi tried to say “nothing,” but just then, he saw the car in front of them and hesitated. It wasn’t the Cayenne he always saw. He tilted his head in confusion. Ashley, still holding Koi’s hand, pulled a smart key from his other pocket and pressed a button. Beep-beep—a soft electronic chime, followed by the heavy click of the doors unlocking.

Koi stared, startled.

“This is your car?”

“It’s my dad’s, technically.”

The exact same exchange as earlier with the customer—but this time, the mood was totally different. Ashley answered with a warm smile, and Koi let out a quiet “Wow...”

Even someone like Koi, who didn’t know much about cars, could see how elegant and cool this sedan was.

“Get in.”

Ashley opened the passenger door. Snapping out of it, Koi quickly bowed and climbed inside.

The interior was even more luxurious than it looked from the outside. As soon as his back hit the soft leather seat, he sighed in satisfaction. This wasn’t like any car he’d ever been in. The center console, the glove compartment, the instrument panel—everything shimmered, high-end and overwhelming. Even the leather on the door handle felt unbelievably smooth as he ran his fingers over it.

Ashley walked around and got into the driver’s seat.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh? Oh—uh...”

Ashley’s voice had a hint of amusement. Koi flinched and stammered. He reached for the seatbelt, but he fumbled, unable to find the buckle in his nervousness.

“Hold on.”

Ashley leaned over to help. Koi held his breath as Ashley’s arm reached across his body. He watched with wide eyes as Ashley grabbed the seatbelt and clicked it into place.

All Koi could see was the top of Ashley’s head. His platinum blond hair sparkled like silver thread in the light. Koi stared at it, mesmerized.

It wasn’t often he got to see Ashley’s crown, since the guy was over twenty centimeters taller than him. Suddenly, he remembered the time ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) Ashley tied his skate laces for him. That same fluttering feeling washed over him again.

Thump... thump...

Koi slowly raised his hand. He wanted to touch Ashley’s hair. How soft would it feel? How warm would his cheek be? His jaw? His nose?

His lips.

Then Ashley suddenly looked up. Their eyes met, and Koi froze.

Ashley’s eyes narrowed slightly. Koi watched, entranced, as his lips parted slowly.

He might kiss me.

Koi held his breath.

He’s really going to kiss me.

The warm breath from Ashley’s slightly parted lips ghosted across his own, making them tingle.