Criminal Love

30. What I Like About You

Saturday night, in bed

"Didi..."

As soon as Dylan hears Yue's mellifluous voice calling him by his term of endearment, his heart sinks to his stomach. He has it so bad for this woman that pretending he didn't want to eat her like a delicious cookie after their conversation in the linen closet has been excruciating.

"Yes, sweetie?" he replies, lying on his side, facing the nightstand, and doing his best to keep his hormones under control, hence avoiding eye and physical contact with Yue from the moment they decided to go to sleep.

Dylan is shirtless because the AC isn't working due to the blackout, so he is wearing his boxers only. Yue has been staring at his back for the past 10 minutes, examining his tattoo in the dim light provided by a fake candle she placed on her nightstand, wondering what the design means.

"Are all your tats related to your father's gang?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"Could you have chosen not to get them?"

Dylan sighs and his husky voice floats to her ears as he ruefully speaks. "I couldn't. I would have been disowned..."

"Oh. Did they hurt?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"A lot?"

"A lot."

Yue stays quiet for a minute and Dylan struggles to fall asleep; he even starts counting sheep in a desperate attempt to forget the beautiful woman, no, his gorgeous wife, actually, lying next to him on the bed, wearing his pajama shirt and lace panties... Yes, he peeked when Yue skittered to the bed like a cute little squirrel again and the fabric flapped, providing a guilty view of her back cheeks hugged by provocative white lace. Gulp. And she isn't even wearing a bra! Yes, yes, he also peeped when she was changing, and he shouldn't have, because now the image is regretfully seared on his brain, and the sheep he's counting are mocking him for summoning them to help him slumber while he should be exhausted from making newlywed love and falling asleep on his sweetheart's cushy bosom. Damn.

"Didi..."

Oh, for crying out loud! She must be running some sort of experiment on me to see how much I will endure before I either cut my veins or jump on her, otherwise why would she say my name the same way as when I make love to her?

Yue stretches her hand to trace the tattoo on his back and Dylan winces, therefore, Yue recoils and blurts "Sorry!"

Exasperated and puffing, Dylan shifts on his back and stares at the ceiling. "Sweetie, listen, you can touch me, it's okay because I'm all yours. You're the queen of my castle. But if you do touch me, you need to understand that there will be consequences. That's just how it is."

Yue scoots closer, chasing his eyes until Dylan finally turns his head and dignifies her with a glance. She smiles and he can sense even in the dark that she is directing affectionate vibes towards him. Shoots. What is her deal? Didn't she say they had enough sex already, that she was overwhelmed and that she didn't know if he was too lustful?

I taste you in the air, your
Energy everywhere, uh-huh

It's borderline unfair

You know, I can see your brain, it's screamin' my name, oh

And if it's up to me, I'd
I'd meet you in-between my
Midnight Egyptian sheets