Desire Me If You Can [Novel] - Chapter 48

Dane walked across the shower floor with wet footsteps, brushing his damp hair away. He didn’t notice the  presence of another person until he lifted his head, letting out a tired sigh. And then, unguarded, he met eyes with Grayson Miller, who had been waiting for him. Immediately, Dane’s brow furrowed.
“What’s this?”
Dane spoke his thoughts aloud, and Grayson opened his mouth again. He seemed to be struggling to say something, but Dane waited, watching his furrowed brow, for him to speak. However, Grayson couldn’t find the words. His gaze was fixated on Dane’s chest, unblinking, as if nailed to it.
In the silence, the only sound was the steady dripping of water from the shower, each droplet making a rhythmic tick on the floor. Grayson, not even blinking, stared in a daze at Dane’s chest, completely entranced.
Had he ever seen such a perfect chest before?
The well-formed flesh filled out the space of the chest without any gaps. The pinkish nipples were perfectly sized, and the small areola formed a flawless circle. The chest, suspended on a perfectly defined six-pack, was so enticing that just looking at it made Grayson’s mouth water. Such a beautiful, alluring chest really existed in the world.
Grayson rubbed his eyes with his arm, blinking a few times. Yet, was still there. That perfect chest.
Grayson’s stomach churned, and his lower body stiffened. He blinked blankly, his words vanishing as only Dane’s chest remained in his mind.
That perfect chest.
Meanwhile, Dane felt uncomfortable as he watched Grayson, who had lowered his head without a word. Usually, he would have ignored someone like him, thinking him unworthy of his attention, but not this time. The reason was clear. Grayson had shown him an unexpected side of himself.
Even if Grayson were to act foolish again, it wouldn’t be the same as before. He couldn’t easily dismiss him with pheromones and just run away. The reason was the same.
Though he hadn’t wanted or even thought about it, what had happened was already done. Dane had figured it out, and he couldn’t ignore it.
Sighing deeply, Dane took a long breath, and as he exhaled, his beautiful chest rose and fell. Grayson’s eyes were glued to the mesmerizing sight, not missing a single moment of it.
“If you have something to say, I’ll listen another time. But today, you should leave. I’m too tired to wait,” Dane said calmly, a tone unlike himself. He moved his body slightly and left the room. As he passed Grayson, he lightly tapped his arm as if to offer encouragement. He then bent over, picking up the clothes that had been left by the door and walking out.
The sound of wet footsteps gradually faded. Grayson turned his head, but by then, Dane was already gone. He stood there, still dazed, recalling the chest that was now imprinted in his mind, and suddenly, a forgotten realization came to him.
Right, that perfect chest.
He had thought so before. That he would never see such a magnificent chest again.
When? When was that?
… That time.
Suddenly, Grayson realized. He had completely forgotten the thoughts he’d had about the extreme omega he’d been searching for. Strangely enough, the one who had filled his mind all this time was none other than that man. Dane Striker.
The sudden realization shook him deeply. He wasn’t sure how to process this new fact.
Had he forgotten the fateful mate he had been searching for all his life? That was everything to him-how could he forget such an existence? How could someone else take over his mind so completely? And so perfectly?
“That can’t be right,” Grayson muttered to himself, rubbing his face with one hand, still unsure.
Dane Striker couldn’t be an omega. He was clearly the epitome of a beta male. How could someone so overflowing with testosterone be an omega? It didn’t make sense. His mind must have been playing tricks on him. Yes, there could only be one reason.
“…Pheromones.”
He muttered under his breath.
“I need to take them out.”
Once the decision was made, Grayson acted swiftly. Without hesitation, he turned around and left the room. He got into the car he had parked outside and drove away, already convinced. That man was definitely not an omega.
But could it really be that way?
After handing his car keys to the valet and entering the mansion, Grayson found himself in deep thought. There couldn’t possibly be another chest like that, right? The size, the roundness, that incredible elasticity-could there really be another chest like that in the world? That was just impossible!
The only thing he could remember clearly was seeing such a perfect chest. He couldn’t recall the shape or color, but that one detail, that chest, was burned into his mind. And the most amazing chest he had ever seen, and would likely never see again, was Dane Striker’s.
‘Was it big?’
The words he had asked the fortune teller suddenly came to mind.
“Grayson! It’s been so long!”
The host, spotting Grayson as soon as he entered the hall, greeted him with a wide smile, his arms open in welcome. With a cheerful face, the host scanned Grayson from head to toe.
“How’ve you been? Where have you been all this time?”
At the light rebuke, Grayson feigned memory loss and answered, glancing at the host.
“Has it been that long? I was at the last party.”
He was referring to the orgy party disguised as a pheromone party. The host glanced sideways and scolded Grayson.
“You didn’t come to my party! I’ve been waiting forever!”
“Sorry, sorry. I’ve been a bit busy.”
Grayson apologized with a smile, and the host tilted his head, looking up at him.
“The famous bum is too busy, huh?”
The host, fully aware of Grayson’s reputation as a slacker, expressed his doubt out loud, but Grayson casually responded.
“I got a job as a firefighter.”
“What? A firefighter? How did that happen? And wait, you’re alone? Where’s your partner?”
The host’s voice rose in surprise as he asked one after another. People nearby turned and stared at them, surprised. Grayson shrugged off the questions.
“I just wanted to try it. There’s no special someone, so isn’t that why I’m here?”
With that, he answered all the questions at once. The host nodded, though not fully convinced, and stopped probing.
Grayson looked around the hall intentionally, then said,
“Well then, I should go achieve the purpose of why I came to this party… it was good to see you, nice party.”
After a standard goodbye, Grayson walked towards the center of the chaos. Just then, as if waiting for this moment, another man approached the host.
“Grayson’s a firefighter? Is that really what I heard?”
“Yeah, I’m also questioning my own ears. You all heard it too, right?”
The others nodded in agreement. The host muttered to himself, still staring in the direction Grayson had gone. “What kind of change of heart is this?”