Arden's towel hit the floor as he slid beneath the sheets, his skin radiating heat against Scarlet's camisole. Her breath hitched when his palm found the curve of her waist.
"You started this, Hayes." His thumb traced the lace trim along her hip. "No backing out now."
Her answering smile trembled at the edges. "Who said anything about backing out?" Fingers tangled in his damp hair, she pulled him down. Their mouths crashed together—hot, hungry, tasting of mint toothpaste. Scarlet rolled atop him, the thin silk of her nightgown riding up her thighs. "First round's mine."
She won that one with her mouth—lips trailing fire down his abdomen while her hands pinned his wrists to the mattress. Arden's groan vibrated against her palm when she muffled him. Victory tasted like salt and shuddering breaths against her tongue.
Round two went to Arden. He flipped them, a hand fisted in scarlet hair as he mapped every inch of skin above her waistband with his lips. She arched, gasping, when his teeth grazed the inside of her thigh. Her camisole ended up on the floor.
"Cheater," she panted, writhing as his tongue circled her navel. "Distracting me—"
"Strategizing." His chuckle ghosted over her hipbone. "Admit defeat?"
"Never." She hooked a leg around his waist, rolling him again. This time her victory came slower—a torturous campaign of feather-light touches and withheld pressure that had Arden bucking beneath her. She rode the tremors of his release with a triumphant purr, nails scraping his pectorals. "Three-zero."
Arden merely grinned, sweat gleaming on his collarbones. "Keeping score? Dangerous game."
He proved it in round four. When Scarlet reached for him, he caught her wrist, pressing it into the pillow above her head. His free hand explored—thumbs brushing peaked nipples, palms skimming quivering abs, fingers dipping beneath the waistband of her panties only to retreat. Scarlet whimpered, hips lifting in a silent plea. "You're... cruel."
"Patient." He finally let her touch him. Her cry when he reciprocated shattered against his shoulder.
They lost track after seven rounds. The digital clock bled from 1:07 AM to 3:42. Scarlet's victories came farther apart—a desperate clutch of his hair as she crested over his fingers, a breathless "I yield" gasped into his neck after he reduced her to trembling with just his mouth on her breasts. Her stamina flagged beautifully: muscles trembling, skin flushed from collarbones to cheeks, green eyes glazed.
Arden felt the shift when round twelve began. Scarlet's kiss lacked its earlier ferocity, her hands sliding limply from his shoulders. He gentled his touch, tracing the sweat-damp hollow of her throat. "Tired?"
"Mm." She nuzzled his jaw. "But you're not done."
He wasn't. The sight of her—sprawled bonelessly across rumpled sheets, purple silk twisted at her waist, hair a fiery halo—ignited something in him. He kissed her slow and deep, swallowing her moans as his hands rediscovered every sensitive place he'd cataloged hours before. Her back arched off the mattress, a broken sound escaping when he circled her clit with relentless precision. "Arden—"
"Almost there, Red." He watched her unravel—toes curling, thighs clamping around his wrist, a high whine tearing from her throat as she came. Fourteen. He followed her over seconds later, his groan harsh in the dark as her fist worked him through the aftershocks.
Silence settled, thick with the scent of sex and exhaustion. Scarlet traced the hard line of his bicep, her voice raspy. "You win."
Arden pressed a kiss to her temple. "Draw. You tapped out my stamina too."
"Liar." Her smile was sleepy against his skin. "You're still hard."
He chuckled, shifting her sticky thigh off his hip. "Refractory period's a myth around you." But he made no move to continue, gathering her against his chest instead. Her breathing evened out within minutes.
Outside, Pennbrook slept. Inside, tangled in sweat-damp sheets, they hovered at the edge of everything—closer than before, but not yet crossed.
damp towel forgotten on the floor, Arden slid beneath the sheets, his bare skin meeting Scarlet's silk camisole. Her breath hitched as his calloused palm found the dip of her waist. "You lit the fuse, Hayes," his voice roughened, thumb tracing the lace edge riding high on her thigh. "No retreating now."
Green eyes flashed defiance despite the blush staining her cheeks. "Who's retreating?" Her fingers tangled in his damp hair, pulling him down. Their mouths collided—mint and hunger and the electric promise of surrender. Scarlet rolled atop him, the nightgown pooling around her hips as she straddled his waist. "First point's mine."
Round 1: She claimed it with her mouth—lips blazing a trail down his abdomen while her palms pinned his wrists. Arden's groan choked off when she swallowed him whole, victory measured in the shudder ripping through his hips and the choked gasp she silenced against her palm.
Round 2: Arden flipped her, the sheets twisting. A fist in crimson hair held her still as his mouth mapped territory—the frantic pulse at her throat, the swell of her breasts through silk, the sharp intake of breath when his teeth grazed her inner thigh. The camisole hit the floor. "Cheater," Scarlet panted, back arching. "Using—distractions—"
"Strategy." His laugh vibrated against her hipbone. "Yield?"
"Never." She hooked a leg around his waist, reversing their positions. Her win came slow this time—feather-light touches that skirted where he burned, withholding pressure until he bucked beneath her. She rode the tremors of his release with a feline purr, nails scoring his chest. "Three-zero, West."
Round 4: Arden caught her wrist mid-reach, pinning it above her head. His free hand became a tormentor—thumbs brushing stiffened nipples, palms skating over quivering abs, fingers dipping beneath lace only to retreat. Scarlet whimpered, hips lifting. "Cruel."
"Thorough." He finally relented. Her cry when his fingers found her wet heat fractured against his shoulder.
Round 7: Midnight bled into 2 AM. Scarlet's victories grew ragged—a desperate clutch of his hair as she came undone over his tongue, a breathless "I yield" gasped into his neck after he reduced her to tremors with just his mouth on her breasts. Sweat gleamed in the hollow of her throat. Her stamina frayed, muscles trembling under his hands, green eyes glazed and unfocused.
Round 10: Arden felt the shift. Scarlet's kiss lacked its earlier fire, her hands sliding limply from his shoulders. He gentled his touch, tracing a damp tendril stuck to her temple. "Done?"
"Mm." She nuzzled his jaw, voice slurred. "You're not."
Round 14: Need surged at the sight of her—sprawled bonelessly, skin flushed from collarbones to cheeks, hair a fiery snarl across the pillow. He kissed her slowly, deeply, swallowing her whimpers as his thumb found her clit. Relentless circles. Her back bowed off the mattress. "Arden—!"
"Almost, Red." He watched her shatter—toes curling, thighs clamping around his wrist, a raw cry tearing free as she convulsed. Fourteen. He followed seconds later, his groan harsh against her neck as her fist milked him through the aftershocks.
Silence. Thick with salt and exertion and spent lust. Scarlet traced the rigid line of his bicep, her voice shredded. "You win."
Arden pressed his lips to her sweat-damp temple. "Draw. You emptied me too."
Her sleepy laugh ghosted over his skin. "Liar. Still hard."
He shifted her sticky thigh off his hip. "You short-circuit my recovery time." He pulled her closer, her head finding the hollow of his shoulder.
***
[Ding! Detected that the host's activity frequency is excessively high. This a high level of indulgence! Even for a new relationship, such physically taxing behavior is extreme. Reward: Lottery chances +1]
Glancing at the system panel, he'd already accumulated three lottery chances.
Arden planned to save up a few more and find an opportunity for a consecutive draw spree.
Right now, Arden was holding Scarlet, who was draped across him, her breathing clearly exhausted.
She'd obviously been thoroughly worn out by Arden.
She couldn't remember how many rounds they'd gone tonight. After all, when you're intensely happy, your head tends to get dizzy.
Now, Scarlet felt completely lightheaded, soft and weak from head to toe.
How is this possible? She'd clearly won several rounds against Arden, yet his energy seemed endless while she was about to collapse.
What she didn't know was that the system automatically eliminated the negative effects of indulgence for Arden.
In other words, no matter how wild Arden got, he could always maintain optimal energy levels.
Scarlet could barely catch her breath, clearly in a state of total surrender.
But after only a short while, she felt Arden's fighting spirit rising again.
While inwardly astonished, she also felt a strange sense of pride.
He really likes me.
"Babe, do you know anything about Imogen's financial situation?" Arden suddenly asked.
"I haven't talked to her about it directly, but as a roommate, I've observed her daily routines, so I have some guesses..."
"She seems really short on cash."
"Yeah, only those of us in the same suite subtly notice. She usually doesn't show it outwardly."
"Then what's the reason she's broke?"
"I'm not sure. We guess it might be because someone in her family is seriously ill, or maybe she's in debt."
"I see."
It basically matched Arden's guess.
Seeing Arden lost in thought, Scarlet playfully scolded, "Babe, you're seriously something else. You're holding me, but you're asking about another girl. You scoundrel~"
"You're her roommate. The fact that I'm asking you means I trust you."
"I don't care—scoundrel, scoundrel~"
Scarlet gently slapped Arden's chest, acting coy and charming.
Damn, this girl is way too good at being cute.
Arden feigned anger. "Seems like the intensity wasn't enough."
"No, no, no!" Scarlet quickly begged for mercy. "I don't have any strength left... Please, babe, spare me."
"Are you still calling me 'babe' when you're begging for mercy?"
"..." Scarlet adjusted her emotions, then shyly called out, "Daddy~"
That one word sent shivers down Arden's spine.
Ignoring Scarlet's pleas, Arden pulled her into another round.
Only then was he finally satisfied.
This time, Scarlet completely gave out, humming incoherently for a few moments before clutching Arden's arm and soon falling asleep, entering sweet dreams.