All Bets Are Off

Chapter 17

"Yeah, no kidding," Dara mused as she fell into step beside Donghae who started to walk towards the wide open door. She could hear faint yellings and splashes from afar.

They went inside the spacious room and Dara could see from the window that there's already a group of teenagers already playing in the water slide. She paused as she looked out the window, her mouth slightly opening as her eyes flit from one group to another.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Dara looked up. Donghae is already ascending the stairs and was just waiting for her. She followed him go up. "Chaerin is really the only girl in your family?" She asked in disbelief. All she had seen so far are all boys.

"Yup. Except for our mothers, and the new generations, of course. We've got three little girls from my older cousins but they're just 2 to 3 years old."

Donghae opened one of the mahogany doors and walked in, opening the light and putting her bag on top of the table. Dara was awed as she walked over to the balcony overlooking the wide sea. It's so beautiful. She turned to Donghae to tell him that when she noticed that there are two single beds in the room. Her eyes were round as it fixed its gaze on the beds before lifting them up to meet Donghae's.

"You're not-you're not thinking of sleeping in here too, do you?"

Donghae rewarded her with a lazy grin while he crossed his arms and leaned on the wall. "What if I am?"

Dara could only meet his lazy gaze, her eyes gradually narrowing as his smirk became more pronounced. She was about to protest but her snarkiness is too deeply ingrained in her that she returned Donghae's smirk with one of her own before walking slowly over to him. Donghae just watched her go to him before his smile gradually faded when Dara chose to stand as close to him as possible. She lifted her hands and trailed her fingers from Donghae's chest to his shoulders, her smirk turning into, what she hoped, a seductive smile as she watched Donghae's adam's apple bob up and down as he looked down at her.

Then she grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled it roughly towards her so that Donghae's face is at level with her.

"Just make sure you stay on your side of the bed unless you want to meet a plastic surgeon tomorrow to reconstruct your face," she said with gritted teeth, her eyes blazing, before letting him go by pushing him. Does he honestly think she would turn tail and run? She won't lose on this battle of wills.

Donghae felt all the air rushing out at him as his back felt the wall he was leaning earlier. He couldn't speak for a minute as Dara's touch on the skin of his neck had made him feel like he'd gone crazy for that second. He watched Dara strode to where he put her bag and took it then saw him looking like he was zonked out.

"What?" Dara said before putting the bag on the bed near the balcony. She proceeded to open the bag when she glanced at Donghae still looking catatonic, his face turning into a slight shade of red. Her brows furrowed wondering what was up with him. She snapped her fingers and the sound probably shook him off his stupor. "Zoning out already?" She shook her head as Donghae blinked before clearing his throat.

"I thought you said you don't have any problems with physical contact?" Donghae said hating that his voice sounds hoarse before realizing that was a wrong thing to say. Isn't it already obvious that Dara really doesn't have problems with physical contact at all?

"I don't," Dara said simply. "Why do you think i love hitting people?"

"Aish," Donghae said already feeling his senses going back. "You should've clarified that you meant you don't have problems getting physically violent." He straightened up from leaning on the wall feeling like he needs to get outta here. "And you didn't have to worry. I don't plan to be in the same room with a war freak tomboy. If you can remember, you were the one who stole a kiss from me. So if there's anyone who should be wary around here, it's me."