Prologue

Blinding summer sunlight poured through the window, spilling over a bed whiter than snow.

Buried beneath cloud-like sheets, a man and woman lay tangled together.

Even the cool air from the air conditioner running all night wasn’t enough to calm the sticky, burning heat left in their wake.

Taeseok’s deep, intense gaze was fixed on Iseo’s face, still peaceful in slumber.

Her words—“It’s my first time”—hadn’t been a lie.

The woman who clung to him, awkward and unsure, moving with unpracticed gestures.

Iseo had accepted all of Taeseok’s fervent desire with her whole body, meeting the peak of passion with gasping breaths, despite the unfamiliar pain.

Recalling her sweet voice, her wet and trembling movements, a slow smile curved Taeseok’s lips.

Had he ever wanted anyone this desperately before?

The more he had her, the deeper his feelings grew.

There wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t beautiful.

The woman who cried and laughed beneath him all night long—he found her unbearably lovable.

Choi Iseo…

Her name lingered on his lips.

As Taeseok softly repeated her name, a glimmer of emotion welled up in his dark eyes.

That smooth forehead, the long lashes beneath it, her high nose, and those strikingly red lips.

Taeseok’s heart stirred as he remembered her gaze—those pure, slightly trembling eyes meeting his while she exhaled humid breaths.

His finger traced down the lines of her face, nose, and lips, eventually resting on her soft chest. Sensing his touch, Iseo slowly opened her eyes.

“Good morning.”

A low voice whispered in her ear.

Taeseok left a soft kiss on her earlobe, making Iseo’s shoulders flinch slightly.

“That tickles…”

As she reached for the blanket with a slightly flushed face, Taeseok swiftly caught her hand.

“You know that’s cheating, right?”

“It’s morning…”

“I like it even more when it’s bright.”

Toned abs. A chiseled six-pack.

The memories from last night came flooding back, and Iseo’s cheeks turned crimson.

“Looks like you’re thinking the same thing I am.”

A faint chuckle escaped Taeseok as he spoke.

The moment his lips met Iseo’s again—soft and warm—a dull ache stirred deep in his body.

“Wh-why is this happening again…?” Iseo stammered, flustered.

Before she could finish, Taeseok pulled her tightly into his arms.

“He recognizes his owner, that’s all.”

His kiss plunged into her mouth in an instant, and he began to move slowly, like a gentle waltz.
In Iseo’s eyes, drawn to his every movement, there was only him—only Taeseok.