Desire Me If You Can [Novel] - Chapter 24

“Okay, ready? One, two…”
Wilkins checked before giving the signal. Their colleagues lined up on both sides, chanting Dane and Grayson’s names in enthusiastic support.
Dane leaned his upper body forward, ready to sprint.
NEBULA
İSTER INANIN ISTER INANMAYIN,
NE ZAMAN VE KIMINLE EVLENECEĞINIZI BILIYORUZ
@
TESTI BAŞLAT
Wilkins looked back and forth between the two, then yelled nervously,
“Three!”
“Wooo!”
“Dane, Dane! Our hope! Our hero!”
“Grayson, my love!”
“Run, run! Grayson, you have to win!”
“Dane, you’re our pride!”
As the starting signal was given, a flurry of enthusiastic cheers erupted, and the two men shot off. Their colleagues watched from below, able to see them, albeit as small figures, except for when they rounded the newly added section of the course.
That part of the course dipped into a steep slope that goes around the hill, hidden from view. Their colleagues watching from below wouldn’t be able to see Dane and Grayson until they emerged on the other side of the hill. That was where Dane would earn his money.
The flat ground ended quickly, and the uphill path began. This replaced the first stage of the usual test, the stair climb, and here, they had to drag a fire hose halfway up the hill.
Even though it was a small hill, the slope was quite steep, and the fire hose was heavy, so it was incredibly taxing from the start. The only advantage was that the hose was empty, unlike during their regular training exercises on flat ground, when it was filled with water.
As Dane skillfully pulled the fire hose uphill, he eventually reached the spot where the equipment was placed. He dropped the hose and started dragging the firefighting gear.
The moment the target came into view, he practically threw the hose aside and picked up the pre- prepared equipment. Holding two chainsaws, one in each hand, he had to run about 100 meters, circling a designated tree, and return to the starting point.
He had to repeat this twice before moving on to the next stage. Of course, dropping the chainsaws would result in immediate disqualification. Since their colleagues below could see them, even the slightest mistake was not allowed.
Damn it, why am I going through all this trouble…?
Dane cursed under his breath, feeling the sweat soaking his back. As he circled the trees, he inevitably ran into Grayson.
He instinctively tensed, but surprisingly, Grayson simply ran past him without a word, continuing his loop around the tree. Dane almost lost the lead in that brief moment of distraction, but he quickly picked up the pace and pulled ahead.
Next, a substitute for the ladder climb, Dane grabbed the hanging rope and scaled the rock face. He could faintly hear his colleagues cheering from below, but their voices sounded distant, like the buzzing of insects. As soon as he finished climbing the rope, he grabbed a tree branch and crossed the small stream.
The uphill climb continued. Dane moved his body mechanically, running without stopping even once until he reached the pre-determined spot. After completing a couple more obstacles, he rounded the hill and entered the slope, recognizing it as the place he had been waiting for.
The faint cheers disappeared completely. In the silence, he quickly looked back. Grayson wasn’t there yet. Dane caught his breath and quickly scanned his surroundings.
This area, clearly added as a part of the test, was a substitute for the search and rescue portion. The path disappeared here, making it difficult to find stable footing. He found a relatively flat spot, planted his feet, and adjusted his stance.
Two and a half good hits should be enough for thirty-eight dollars and twenty-five cents.
Come on, then.
He stood still, listening intently, when he heard a faint rustling sound.
Grayson’s footsteps.
It was approaching at an incredible speed, and now it seemed about to reveal itself right before his eyes. Dane held his breath, waiting for the right moment.
One, two.
And finally…
Grayson appeared from behind the small slope and stopped abruptly. At the end of his gaze stood Dane, blocking his path. Seeing Grayson’s long eyes narrow, he nodded.
“Hello, pretty boy.”
His sleazy tone was laced with sarcasm. Grayson simply stared at him without a word.
For a while, the two simply stared at each other in silence. Or rather, Grayson glared, and Dane looked back at him indifferently. Grayson was the first to speak.
“To think you’d wait for me like this! Were you worried about me? As expected of a firefighter, our hero! How could this possibly be so touching…”
“Let’s just get to the hitting.”
Since listening to nonsense wasn’t part of the deal, Dane cut him off without mercy. As Dane warmed up, rolling his shoulder, rotating his arm, and tilting his head from side to side, Grayson’s eyes widened, and
he asked,
“Hitting? Me? Are you saying you’re going to hit me? Out of nowhere? Why?”
The man was excessively talkative. For Dane, who wasn’t usually one for many words, it was almost
enough to make his ears ring.
“Because I got a request.”
“A request?”
“Yeah.”
He let go of the hand that was rubbing his muscle and said,
“Let’s make it quick-just $38.25 worth of hitting.”
Grayson’s face twisted. One might think he was flustered by the current situation, but that would only
apply to an ordinary person.
“$38? That’s all I’m worth for a beating?”
He asked incredulously, clutching his forehead. He seemed more shocked by the amount than the fact he was about to get hit.
As the infamous playboy of the great Miller family, countless people had tried to get something out of him for money up until now. That “something” had sometimes been love or seduction, but just as often, it had been requests for assault or even murder.
Of course, it was the karma he had accumulated throughout his life. The numerous “fleeting flings” he had discarded were always sharpening their blades for revenge.
However, that was Grayson’s business, and Dane had zero interest in such matters. He just figured that since Grayson was filthy rich, the paltry sum of $38 must’ve been a shock to him.
Fair enough.
Dane easily accepted the explanation and nodded indifferently.
“Yeah, and I don’t take counter-requests. It damages my credibility.”
“Ah, that’s a problem. Credibility is very important, after all. It’s just…”
Grayson waved his hand exaggeratedly as if it were absurd, then let out a disappointed sigh.
“That’s too cheap. Out of all the guys who’ve come to beat me up for money, you were the cheapest. Most people wouldn’t even think of doing it for such a small sum, at least out of fear of the Miller Law Firm. Why didn’t you ask for more? Or is that your usual fee? You’re quite a bargain.”
He went on and on, essentially amounted to calling Dane “You’re such a cheapskate,” but Dane wasn’t swayed by his provocations. He ran a hand through his hair and said, slyly.
“No surprise there. It just means that’s all you’re worth. If you want me to charge more, why don’t you
raise your own value?”
Dane looked Grayson over once and added,
“If you try hard, maybe you could be worth up to $40.”
“Hmm.”
Grayson blinked, then broke into a strange smile.
“Not bad.”
While not particularly pleasant, this man had a remarkable talent for getting under people’s skin. If Dane
had even the slightest interest in others like most people did, he might have been offended by Grayson’s
words just now.
But Dane had a natural talent for not even letting the words of irrelevant people graze his ears. It was even more laughable to think that Grayson Miller’s words could offend him.
Seeing that Dane wasn’t reacting as expected, Grayson soon shifted the conversation elsewhere. His gaze
moved to Dane’s hand as he asked,
“Is that it? The tool you’re going to use to kiss me?”
He’s also got a talent for making things feel repulsive.
Dane added that to his mental evaluation of Grayson, then replied,
“If saying it that way makes it less painful for you, sure, let’s call it a deep kiss.”
“Deep kiss. I like that. Very much.”
Grayson clapped his hands as if he’d made some grand discovery. Dane was starting to get tired of talking
to this lunatic. He’d ended up exchanging too many words with someone who didn’t seem entirely sane.
Without wasting any more time, he threw a punch. He’d given enough warning, and Grayson had had more than enough time to escape.
In the quiet forest, a loud thwack echoed through the air.