The Devil Doesn't Bargain | Daerin

34 | A Cruise Trip

𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐎𝐕

I wake up to the soft morning light streaming into my eyes. My body feels different, a little sore but in the best way possible.

Memories of last night flood my mind—how Haerin made love to me in a way we never had before. It was intense, passionate, but with an underlying tenderness that left me feeling cherished, not just desired. She fucked me like I was a queen, not just a body to be used.

For so long, I thought love was black and white, tinged with sorrow and regret like it had been with Ryan. He loved me for my body, nothing more, and I carried the weight of that emptiness for years.

But Haerin... Haerin shows me what real love is. It's golden—the most beautiful thing in the world. The things she does for me, the way she cares, it's just... crazy. I mean, who in the world would orchestrate an entire illegal surgery just to save the person they love? Only Kang Haerin would do that.

I turn to my side and see Haerin sleeping peacefully beside me. She's so beautiful, the most beautiful person I've ever known. Her cat-like features—those sharp, almond-shaped eyes, the defined curve of her nose, the soft curl of her lips—make her look so graceful, even in her sleep.

I don't know how long I just lie there, admiring her, tracing the lines of her face with my eyes.

I lean in and start kissing her face, gentle pecks on her cheeks, her forehead, the tip of her nose. I want to shower her with all the love she's given me, to make her feel as loved as she's made me feel.

Haerin's eyes flutter open. The first thing she does is smile at me—that sleepy, content smile that always makes all the butterflies fly happily in my stomach.

"Good morning, sunshine." Her voice husky with sleep as she says.

"Good morning, my love," I reply.

"How'd you sleep?" She asks, her hand finding its way to my waist, pulling me closer. "How's your body feeling?"

I smile, running my fingers over the hard planes of her abs, tracing the lines of muscle. "A little sore. But good. Really good."

Haerin chuckles, the sound vibrating through her chest. "I'm all yours." She presses a kiss to my forehead.

Then, she stretches, getting ready to get up and start the day. But as she turns her back to me, I notice something that makes my eyes widen. Red marks and faint scratches trailed down her back.

My heart sinks. I did that to her. I must've scratched her during the night.

I immediately sit up, my hands tracing over the marks, guilt washing over me. "Oh my God, Haerin, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I really didn't."

Haerin just chuckles again, her laughter sounds so light and genuine that it makes me almost lose my mind. She turns back to me, pulling me into a hug.

"It's okay, unnie. I didn't even notice. Besides, it's nothing."

"But I hurt you," I insist, hugging her back tightly, burying my face in her neck. "I'm so, so sorry."

She pulls back slightly, cupping my face in her hands. She looks into my eyes with that soft, loving gaze that always melts away my worries.

"You didn't hurt me," she says firmly. "You could never hurt me, sunshine. They're just scratches. They'll heal."

I nod, but the guilt still gnaws at me. God, why does she love me so much? What did I do to deserve the sweetest human being on this earth?

"I promise I'll treat them," I say, already thinking about where I left the first-aid kit. "Let me just—"