Chapter 5

Gray hair and piercing blue eyes shimmered in the darkness.

A mysterious creature cloaked in black.

No… perhaps he was a dangerous beast that shouldn’t be approached.

“M-Mr. Hayden. I get it—you’ve got nine inches, and apparently the angle’s impressive—but I don’t want it.”

Lee Soo’s tightly pressed lips trembled.

He let out a husky laugh.

“Even if you begged to see it, I’d still have to think about it.”

He bent down, picked up his trousers, and held them out in front of her.

“You’re awfully impatient.”

His voice remained calm and smooth.

Lee Soo let out a quiet sigh.

“Ah…”

He lightly shook the trousers, urging her to take them.

Still dazed, she accepted them and lowered her head.

Embarrassment and humiliation darkened her vision.

She felt like she was being toyed with by a man far more experienced than she was, and she couldn’t bring herself to look up.

“Th-thank you… No, I mean, I’m fi—”

“I’ll add it to your bill.”

He carried the table by the window outside.

The scented candle that had been sitting on top was placed carefully in the corner of the cottage.

Lee Soo, who had been standing there frozen like a broken clock, finally came to her senses and put on his trousers.

“Thank you. And… I’m sorry for misunderstanding.”

Hayden glanced at her before crouching to tie his sneakers.

“I didn’t think you misunderstood.”

“I thought you liked it.”

He was now wearing only his shirt, vest, navy boxer briefs beneath the trousers he’d removed, and white sneakers. It was an outfit that would have looked ridiculous on almost anyone else, but his tall frame somehow made it work.

Lee Soo forced her gaze away from his long, muscular legs before answering.

“There’s no way I’d suddenly like a man I’ve only just met.”

He chuckled softly.

Having proper pants to wear was a relief.

Unfortunately, a new problem appeared.

The trousers were made for someone with much longer legs, leaving nearly two hand spans of extra fabric at the hems, and the waist was far too loose.

Even the legs were absurdly wide.

She tightened the belt as much as she could, but there weren’t any holes small enough to fit her waist.

Without fastening it, the trousers barely stayed balanced on her hips.

It was still better than walking around in underwear, but only barely.

“Hmm… You wear some pretty big pants, Mr. Hayden.”

He gave her a playful wink.

“Because of the nine inches.”

A question suddenly crossed her mind.

How exactly had he measured those nine inches?

“Did… you actually measure it?”

Maybe it was because the conversation had wandered into such an instinctive subject, but before she knew it, she found herself getting swept up in his pace.

When she snapped back to her senses, he was already standing right in front of her.

“Why?”

“Want to measure it yourself?”

His tone was so casual, as though shamelessly suggestive conversations were an everyday occurrence.

The question left her dizzy.

Besides, what would she even measure it for?

Her face turned bright red.

“N-No… I don’t.”

She opened her mouth to make it absolutely clear that she didn’t, but no words came.

As she fumbled speechlessly, Hayden bit down on the repair pin from the back of his watch and pulled it free with his teeth.

The thin metal pin gleamed sharply between his lips.

For a moment, Lee Soo’s attention drifted to it.

Then he pinched the pin between his thumb and forefinger.

With his other hand, he pulled the belt around her waist tight.

The sharp pin drove straight into the leather.

Rrip.

The belt practically screamed as it tore.

A moment later, there was a brand-new hole.

Hayden looked at it with satisfaction.

“So we’ve reached the stage where I’m punching new holes in your belt.”

The curve of his lips made him look like a smooth-talking villain.

Or perhaps someone trying to tempt her.

Trying to seduce someone while stranded on a deserted island should have been the last thing on anyone’s mind.

By the same logic, finding herself interested in a man under these circumstances wasn’t exactly normal either.

So why couldn’t she look away?

She shut her eyes instead.

The rain outside had weakened, but droplets still fell steadily from the ceiling.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The rhythmic sound echoed through the cottage.

Then Hayden laughed quietly.

“I’ll make a hole anywhere.”

“If you desperately want it…”

“I have a feeling I’d become even kinder than I am now.”

Almost entranced, Lee Soo repeated his words.

“If I desperately want it…”

A person’s taste in partners often reflected their sexual preferences.

Someone who wanted passionate sex naturally sought a partner who matched that desire.

But this man…

He seemed to have a deep need for affection from women.

That surprised her.

A man blessed with flawless looks, an ideal physique, and obvious wealth hardly seemed like someone who would suffer from emotional deprivation.

“So as long as a woman desperately clings to you, you’ll always like it?”

She asked under the assumption that he was the type who never turned away women seeking affection.

Her question was half sarcastic, half probing.

Hayden didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

He answered with the same easy composure.

“Depends.”

“Depends on what she’s clinging to.”

His piercing blue eyes drifted downward, as if indicating exactly where she ought to cling—to the prominent bulge beneath his boxer briefs.

Lee Soo barely swallowed the words about to burst out.

What a pervert.

As if nothing had happened, he went back to carrying more junk outside.

But ending the conversation there suddenly felt like a waste.

She wanted to know more about him.

“Where are you from?”

“London.”

“What do you do?”

“Security business.”

That answer caught her off guard.

He carried himself with the refined, intelligent air of someone who belonged in finance.

Rolling up the overly long pant legs, she asked,

“Do you work as a bodyguard yourself?”

“Depends on the client.”

“If I asked for your help… would you accept? I don’t know how much money I have, but I can earn it if I have to.”

He looked unconvinced that a woman who’d first appeared wearing nothing but underwear had much money to offer.

“Maybe.”

She wanted to promise him whatever fee he asked for.

But she had no idea how much money she even possessed.

She still had to repay him for the jacket, the belt, and now the trousers.

If she ever made it home…

Would she be able to repay everything?

No…

Would she even make it home at all?

Where was home?

She remembered nothing—her name, her age, where she lived.

Yet somehow she could still remember the names of ordinary objects and random pieces of knowledge.

The more she thought about it, the more her head throbbed.

Just then, Declan and the others returned, completely soaked.

“Wow… I can’t remember the last time I got rained on like this.”

Everyone stopped by the entrance, shaking water from their hair and wringing out their clothes.

Jenna wiped away what remained of her makeup as she stepped inside first.

“The fog’s too thick. I still have no idea where we are.”

Declan came in after her with a sigh.

“At least we left an SOS signal. Now we just have to hope we’re lucky.”

The dim room, lit faintly by the moonlight, had been cleaned considerably.

The trash that had been scattered across the floor was gone.

Dusty crates and broken chairs had been stacked neatly in one corner.

Declan frowned at the pile of wooden boxes taking up precious space.

“Why stack those over there? This place is cramped enough already. Just throw them outside.”

Hayden scratched his ear as though he’d just heard something pointless.

“They’ll make decent firewood if we need it.”

Declan looked Hayden up and down.

Seeing a man wearing only a shirt, vest, boxer briefs, and sneakers from the waist down made him feel as if he’d wandered into a football locker room.

“What’s with that outfit?”

Jenna, meanwhile, turned her attention to Lee Soo.

Just moments ago she’d been wearing only Hayden’s jacket like a dress.

Now she was also wearing his trousers, the hems rolled up several times.

Hayden, meanwhile, still had his powerful thighs fully exposed.

His legs were so smooth they looked waxed.

The navy silk boxer briefs hugged the unmistakably full outline at the front.

Judging by how much room they occupied, the underwear itself seemed far too small for what it contained.

She was certain the body hidden beneath his shirt had to be equally impressive.

It was a shame she couldn’t actually see it.

Jenna glanced over his shirt, vest, and expensive watch before asking,

“Where do you live, Hayden? Is asking your age too personal?”

Undoing the buttons on his vest, Hayden answered with obvious impatience.

“London. Twenty-eight.”

“Last name? Rich family?”

“Wyatt.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop digging into my personal information.”

He narrowed his brows, clearly irritated.

Jenna wasn’t intimidated.

“I’m not digging.”

“I’m showing interest.”

A crooked smile tugged at Hayden’s lips.

“I’m not interested in attention from blondes.”

“That’s pretty harsh coming from someone with almost the same hair color.”

He seemed not to hear her complaint.

After taking off his vest, Hayden spread it across the cleanest spot beside the wall near the window before looking at Lee Soo.

“Lee Soo. Lie here.”

Giving her his clothes and even preparing a place for her to sleep…

Anyone could see he was treating her differently.

Watching the exchange, Jenna folded her arms and smirked.

“So black hair gets your attention?”

“Was your first fantasy about an Asian nanny?”

From their perspective, there was no reason a wealthy heir like Hayden would be interested in an Asian woman.

A man like him probably had women who looked like angels throwing themselves at him without effort.

Everyone’s attention shifted to Hayden.

His gaze turned icy as he looked straight at Jenna.

“My first love was an attractive Asian.”

“If you’re going to keep spouting idiotic racist comments like Declan, you’d be better off keeping your mouth shut.”

His aristocratic accent only made the harsh language sound even sharper.

Realizing there was nothing to gain from provoking him further, Jenna forced a relaxed smile.

“You’ve got a sexy way of talking.”

“You’re too kind.”

Hayden held her gaze for another moment before turning back to Lee Soo.

With the atmosphere growing tense, Lee Soo quietly sat where he’d indicated without arguing.

The floor beneath her was wooden, and his vest kept the cold from seeping through.

It was still damp from the rain, but considering all her clothes were already wet, she hardly noticed.

Everyone found a place to settle down.

A single bottle of water was passed around, each person taking only a sip.

They agreed to worry about food after sunrise.

Soft whispers drifted through the cottage.

Oddly enough, Lee Soo found the sound comforting.

Hearing other people’s voices made her feel protected.

If Hayden hadn’t been lying directly across from her…

…she probably would have fallen asleep already.

He lay on his side with his arms folded.

His rain-soaked hair had begun drying, exposing his smooth forehead.

The loose strands around it made him look almost boyish.

Yet the deep blue eyes reflecting the moonlight carried the unmistakable maturity of a grown man.

Was it really true…

…that his first love had been an Asian woman?

Was that why he’d been so kind to her?

Whatever his reasons were, one thing didn’t change.

He had saved her life.

He had given her his clothes.

Without him, she would have suffocated in that smoke-filled building.

She wanted him to know how grateful she was.

“Thank you.”

A faint smile crossed his lips.

Then he answered with an easy wink.

The light caught his eyelashes, making his eyes gleam.

He really was an attractive man.

His cold, expressionless face…

The slight smiles…

Even that casual wink.

Afraid he might somehow read her thoughts, Lee Soo lowered her head.

Just then, Jenna, who had been chatting with the football players, looked toward the space in front of Hayden and said,

“I’ll sleep there.”