In Haliçis -
the morning sun cast a golden glow over the room. It was a beautiful, serene morning. Dylan had woken up earlier than Ember, his gaze fixed on her as she slept peacefully beside him. He couldn't help but admire her beauty—the way her dark lashes rested against her cheeks, the gentle rise and fall of her chest with each breath. His fingers traced through her long, silky black hair, savoring the softness.
His eyes traveled to her neck, where the faint marks of his love remained—a reminder of their passion from the night before. A smirk played on his lips as he held her delicate hand, his thumb grazing over the ring he had slipped onto her finger just yesterday.
"It looks so beautiful on her hand," he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to her knuckles.
Just then, Ember stirred. A faint tremble ran through her body, and a lone tear escaped from the corner of her closed eyes. Dylan's smile faded as concern took over. Gently, he brushed the tear away with his thumb. But she didn't wake. His heart clenched at the sight of her distress, and without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her close as he rubbed soothing circles on her back.
After a few moments, Ember's eyes fluttered open. At first, her vision was hazy, but as the blur cleared, the first thing she saw was Dylan's bare chest, warm and firm beneath her fingers. Her breath hitched.
"Oh my God…" her mind screamed as heat rushed to her cheeks.
Carefully, she looked up, only to find Dylan still—his eyes closed as if he were lost in sleep. Was he really sleeping? Or just pretending? Curiosity got the best of her. Slowly, she traced her fingers across his chest, her touch feather-light.
"Wow…" she whispered in awe.
Ember's hand drifted lower, gliding over the hard ridges of his toned abs. Her heart pounded against her ribs.
"Oh my God… His abs are too good," she breathed.
What she didn't know was that Dylan had been secretly peeking through half-lidded eyes, watching her every move. A smirk threatened to break his façade. But just as she ran her fingers , she hesitated and glanced up—only to find his piercing gaze locked onto hers.
Their eyes met. Ember's breath caught in her throat. Panic surged through her, and before she could react, her body jerked back in shock—too far back.
"Ahh!" she yelped as she tumbled off the bed.
Dylan's arms shot out to catch her, but he was a second too late. With a soft thud, she hit the floor.
"Ouch!" she groaned, rubbing her side.
Dylan looked at Ember, sprawled on the floor, and couldn't help but chuckle. His lips curled into a teasing smirk as he leaned over the edge of the bed.
"You are really clumsy," he mused, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"You just couldn't resist touching me, could you?" he teased, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction.
Ember's cheeks burned hotter than ever. She shot him a glare, but the laughter in his deep, husky voice made her stomach flip in a way she couldn't ignore.
He reached out his hand, and despite her embarrassment, Ember took it hesitantly. With a gentle pull, he lifted her back onto her feet. She avoided his gaze, her cheeks burning with mortification. Without saying a word, she quickly made her way to the bathroom, desperate to escape his teasing.
As the warm water cascaded over her, she let out a sigh, hoping the embarrassment would wash away with it. But the moment she stepped out and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her breath hitched. Faint but unmistakable love bites trailed down her neck and collarbone—a possessive mark of last night's passion. Her heart pounded.
"Dylan…" she thought, her fingers brushing over the marks.
Snapping out of her trance, she quickly wear her dress and rushed out of the bathroom, determined to confront him. She found him in another room, his back turned to her. But just as she stepped inside, she froze.
Dylan was changing.
Her breath hitched, and she immediately spun around, facing the opposite direction.
"Sorry!" she blurted, squeezing her eyes shut as if it would erase what she had just seen.
Dylan paused, then smirked as he turned his head slightly toward her. He couldn't see her face, but her flustered reaction was enough to amuse him. He took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them, and leaned in until his lips were just beside her ear.
"Didn't you see it all yesterday? Why so shy now?" he whispered, his voice deep and teasing.
A shiver ran down Ember's spine. Her hands clenched into fists as she fought the urge to flee, but before she could make a move, his strong arms snaked around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.
"Running away again?" Dylan murmured, his breath warm against her skin.
Panic surged through her, and she stammered, "D-Dylan, get dressed properly! W-We will talk later!"
But Dylan wasn't going to let her escape so easily, even though he is fully dressed he want to tease her . Though he couldn't see her face, he could tell just from the way she stiffened that she was blushing—looking irresistibly cute as she tried to resist him. His grip tightened slightly, and his smirk deepened.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, his voice low and playful.
Ember jolted, remembering why she had stormed into his room in the first place. Pushing against his hold, she huffed , crossing her arms over her chest. Her cheeks were still tinged pink, but now her eyes held a fiery glare.
"I'm really angry at you, so you better apologize!" she demanded, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.
Dylan's brows furrowed slightly. He tilted his head, watching her with a mixture of confusion and amusement.
"Angry? What did I do?" he asked, genuinely curious about what had made her this upset.
His innocent expression only made Ember more annoyed. Crossing her arms tighter, she narrowed her eyes.
"Think about it!" she shot back.
Dylan stared at her back, still trying to figure out what he had done to deserve this adorable but fiery wrath. But one thing was certain—he was enjoying every second of it
Dylan loosened his grip, releasing Ember from his embrace just enough to see her face.
She looked like a pouting fish, her cheeks puffed up in frustration. The sight was too adorable, and an irresistible urge to poke her balloon-like cheeks overtook him. A mischievous smile played on his lips as he reached out with his index finger, ready to do just that.
But before he could, Ember swiftly caught his hand, her eyes narrowing.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice filled with suspicion.
That was when Dylan finally noticed—something was really bothering her. Her playful irritation wasn't just for show. As she released his finger, her hand instinctively moved to her neck, covering a spot he knew all too well.
His teasing demeanor vanished instantly. Gently, he took her hand and guided her to sit on the bed, kneeling in front of her so he could look into her eyes.
"What's wrong, Ember? What's bothering you?" he asked, his voice softer now, laced with concern.
Ember kept her gaze on the floor, avoiding his eyes. Her fingers clutched the fabric of her dress tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Dylan, you're really bad… You can't do that again," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dylan frowned, still confused. He took her hands gently in his own, rubbing soothing circles over her knuckles.
"What did I do?" he asked, his tone patient. "If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to stop myself from doing it?"
Ember hesitated for a moment before finally letting go of her dress. Slowly, she raised her hand and pointed to her neck, her voice coming out in a quiet murmur.
"You… You can't do this," she whispered.
Dylan followed her gaze, his eyes landing on the faint marks trailing down her skin. Realization hit him, but what really got to him was the way she looked at him—her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, her lips slightly parted, her entire posture radiating a mix of embarrassment and something even more enticing.
She looked too tempting. Too breathtaking.
His heart pounded as he leaned in slightly, his voice dipping into a teasing whisper.
"You don't like it when I kiss you?" he asked.
Ember's eyes widened in panic.
"No! It's not like that!" she blurted out, shaking her head frantically.
Then, after a brief pause, she averted her gaze and muttered under her breath,
"Just… don't leave marks on me. What if my parents see them…?"
Dylan blinked, then grinned. So that was it. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. She was too adorable.
Dylan gazed at Ember, his lips curving into a mischievous smile.
"You are so cute," he murmured before suddenly pouncing on her, pushing her gently onto the bed. Hovering over her, he cupped her cheeks, his eyes burning with adoration. "You're really, really cute, Ember."
Before she could react, he pressed a soft kiss against her warm cheek.
His voice dropped into a husky whisper as he added, "Babe, if I don't mark you as mine… what if someone tries to steal you away from me?"
Ember's heart pounded, but she refused to let him win this time. A teasing smile played on her lips as she leaned up and kissed his cheek in return.
"Dylan, stop being so jealous," she giggled, gently brushing her fingers through his hair. "I'm only yours. But you need to understand—I have to go to college tomorrow. I can't show up looking like this. You need to think about me too, right?"
Dylan sighed dramatically, pulling back slightly.
"Okay, I understand, but…" his voice trailed off, and his expression fell.
Ember's heart clenched at the sight of him sulking. She didn't know how to comfort him, so she decided to distract him in the only way she knew.
Puffing out her cheeks, she clung to his arm and whined, "Honey, I'm really hungry right now."
Dylan blinked, then let out a soft chuckle, his mood lifting slightly.
"Alright, let's have some breakfast first."
They made their way to the upper deck, enjoying their meal while taking in the gentle waves around them. But as Ember sipped her juice, something caught her attention—the yacht was moving back toward the dock.
Her brows furrowed.
"Dylan," she called softly, but he didn't respond. His mind seemed elsewhere, still lost in thought.
After finishing their breakfast, they arrived at the dock. Dylan remained silent as he helped her off the yacht. Even as they walked to the car, he didn't say a word. He opened the car door for her, as he always did, but there was no teasing remark, no lingering touch—just quiet.
Ember's chest tightened. She hated seeing him like this.
She climbed into the car, but just as Dylan was about to close the door, she reached out, grabbing his collar and pulling him down to her level.
His breath hitched as she leaned in, her lips brushing against his ear.
"I'll give you permission to mark me… but only where no one can see, okay?" she whispered, her voice laced with playful seduction. Then, before he could react, she pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.
Dylan's eyes widened slightly. Her words echoed in his mind, swirling around like an intoxicating spell. His hesitation melted away as he cupped her face and captured her lips in a lingering kiss.
"Okay," he murmured against her lips before pulling away, a smirk returning to his face.
With that, he straightened up and moved to the driver's seat. As they drove, he stole a glance at her before asking, "Ember… did anyone notice it?"
Ember hesitated, biting her lip.
"I tried my best to cover it, but… it's hard to hide something like this when they're all around me," she admitted, her voice quiet. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "I think someone noticed."
Dylan's grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"Who?" he asked sharply, his tone laced with concern—and possessiveness.
Ember hesitated for a moment before replying,
"I think… Zayne. He came to our house today, and when he left, he didn't say much. Something felt off. So, I think he might have noticed something… And also, I told him before I have a boyfriend."
Dylan's expression shifted, a smirk ghosting his lips as he muttered under his breath, "Wow. The right person saw it. That's fate."
"What?" Ember asked, tilting her head. She hadn't caught what he said.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Dylan quickly covered it up. "Nothing," he said casually before adding, "I mean, it's not great, but it's not that bad either. Your parents didn't see it, and he didn't tell them, so there's a chance he didn't notice anything."
But in his mind, Dylan wasn't fooled. 'He definitely saw the love bite on Ember. That's why he was acting differently. That's great for me.'
After a brief silence, his mood suddenly shifted. His lips curled into an excited grin as he turned to Ember with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"So… where can I leave a mark on you?" he asked, his voice thick with anticipation.
Ember's breath hitched, her cheeks instantly flushing. She turned her face away, avoiding his intense gaze.
"A-anywhere… just not where it's visible," she muttered shyly.
Dylan's eyes widened in delight.
"Really?" he asked, his excitement evident in his tone.
Ember nodded, still too flustered to look at him.
"Yes."
Dylan smirked, his mind already racing with ideas.
Just then, they pulled up to the apartment.