Define The Relationship Novel - Chapter 9

As Ash said, Karlyle had requested that no unnecessary emotions be mixed into their relationship. But that was less a statement aimed specifically at Ash and more a rule.

From the start, there was no way he could do anything with an Alpha. Of course, due to special circumstances, they were in a relationship where sex was implied to happen soon, but that was the extent of it.

Karlyle’s future was clear. As he was slowly reaching the appropriate age for marriage, an fiancée would be decided in the near future, and a life of fulfilling his duty to his Omega fiancée was Karlyle’s only future.

While thinking this, Karlyle turned his gaze sideways at the breath brushing his ear. Ash’s lips were touching his ear.

‘What are you thinking, Karlyle?’

Warm breath tickled his earlobe. A whisper that seeped into his ear canal sent shivers down his spine. His ears were already sensitive. Karlyle, who had dutifully performed foreplay but disliked receiving it himself, was unfamiliar with such stimulation. Pleasure would immediately be replaced by discomfort.

‘I wasn’t thinking about anything.’

His throat was tight. When he heard Ash whisper softly, similar to himself, Ash moved his lips again. This time, soft lips gently bit his earlobe.

Soft, smooth skin bit and released his earlobe, then moved to his ear canal. At the soft sensation of something touching his ear, Karlyle tightened his grip. Veins stood out on the back of the hand that was intertwined with Ash’s. His body stiffened.

‘Is the movie boring?’

Embarrassingly, he hadn’t concentrated on the movie at all. Karlyle felt ashamed of his inadequacy. If asked about the movie’s content, he wouldn’t be able to answer anything.

He hadn’t even retained the most basic information, like the protagonist’s name. This was unusual for Karlyle Frost, who usually found listening, retaining, and remembering things to be effortless.

‘No, it’s not.’

A slightly protruding tongue licked his ear. At a sensation incomparable to lips, Karlyle squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. He swallowed his trembling breaths. Why was he doing this?

‘Ash…’

He should have called his name and stopped him, but he felt an unintended sound would escape if he opened his mouth. Karlyle endured, keeping his mouth shut. He tried to bear it, believing it was a sensation that would subside with patience.

‘I think it’s boring.’

Ash, returning the words, lightly kissed Karlyle’s cheek. Then he met his eyes.

‘Shall we leave?’

His neck felt hot from the sensation that was warming his entire body. He managed to nod, and Ash gently led him.

As they walked out into the carpeted hallway, people emerging from other screening rooms passed them. Karlyle pressed himself against the hallway wall. Ash slightly turned his body, shielding Karlyle from the crowd. His eyes, looking down, were smiling. Silence descended once more on the hallway after the small crowd passed. All around was quiet.

“I apologize.”

Ash suddenly said. Karlyle looked up at him. Without realizing the position he was in, as if trapped between Ash and the wall, he asked again,

“For what reason are you apologizing?”

“For choosing a boring movie.”

Karlyle, who couldn’t even evaluate whether the movie was boring because he didn’t know its content, parted his lips.

“It was fine.”

His conscience pricked him at the answer, which was no different from a lie. Silence and lies were separate. Although he had confused the other person with silence, Karlyle, who had almost no memory of telling lies, somehow felt as if he was committing a great wrong.

“Next time, I’ll choose something more interesting.”

Karlyle flinched at the word “next.” Karlyle, who was caught in their intertwined gaze, lowered his eyelashes.

“You don’t necessarily have to.”

Instead of saying there wouldn’t be a next time, these words came out. Ash chuckled softly and leaned down slightly. Their eye levels met.

“Indeed, Karlyle didn’t seem to necessarily have to come out.”

“To be precise, neither of us…”

He was speechless. Their faces were so close, their noses almost touching. He noticed Ash’s lips, subtly tinged with red. The perfectly closed upper and lower lips, and their painted-on color, appeared in sequence.

“Ash.”

In the strange atmosphere, Karlyle called his name. Ash replied with an eye-smile. Karlyle hesitated, then raised a hand and gripped Ash’s shoulder. With a slight push, as if to push him away, Karlyle said,

“In a public place, such actions…”

“Such actions?”

A sense of dismay washed over him at the innocent repetition of his words. The back of his neck burned. Ash hadn’t done anything yet. This made it sound as if Karlyle himself had been expecting something first.

“What kind of actions are you talking about, Karlyle?”

“That’s…”

“Perhaps, something like this?”

As soon as Ash finished speaking, his lips lightly touched Karlyle’s. His gaze remained fixed on Karlyle. He felt a sensation like a soft feather touching and then pulling away.

His hand, gripping Ash’s shoulder, tightened. He thought for a moment that he might be hurting Ash, then remembered that Ash was an Alpha. His body stiffened at the minor, brief contact.

“Or, like this?”

Before he could stop him, Ash moved again. Ash bit Karlyle’s lower lip with his own and lightly sucked it. Karlyle’s lower lip was drawn into Ash’s lips, stretching slightly. A shiver ran through him at the sensation of his moist mucous membrane being sucked. His lower back tingled.

“Ash, someone… might see…”

His expressionless facade crumbled. An unintended long breath escaped. At the panting breath that seeped out, Ash’s eyes deepened. A large hand cupped his cheek. An arm wrapped around his waist. Their bodies pressed together. Then their lips met again.

Ha, ugh.

A short moan was immediately swallowed. Ash devoured Karlyle without giving him a chance to escape. A tongue, having invaded his parted lips, skillfully licked his teeth first. A pointed tongue rubbed against the roof of his mouth. His body trembled at the tickling sensation rising from the friction. His eyes unconsciously distorted in a strange way. He gripped Ash’s shoulder blades so hard it hurt his own hands.

The tongue, which had been gently rubbing the roof of his mouth, now pressed firmly against his own tongue. A heavy, pressing sensation simultaneously rose from his lower abdomen. ‘Wait, wait,’ a warning bell rang in his mind. This was strange. This was…

Before he could react, their tongues intertwined. A sensation as if the ground was giving way engulfed him. His feet felt empty. His eardrums were muffled. He heard no sound. Only the squelching sound of two tongues intertwining echoed in his mouth.

Saliva mingled. He had kissed countless times, but this felt different. His body felt like it would crumble. If Ash’s arm hadn’t held his waist tightly, he might have made a spectacle of himself. This man, his kisses, were too…

“I guess this is the answer.”

Just as he felt a burning sensation, Ash pulled away, detaching his lips. The tongue that had been wildly stirring inside his mouth left him without regret. Ash whispered with a fresh expression, as if nothing had happened.

Karlyle let out a short breath. His lips were burning. His tongue felt numb even though it hadn’t been sucked hard. More than anything, he felt something was missing. Karlyle frowned, bewildered by his own thoughts. Ash saw it and smiled.

“I’m sorry if I surprised you.”

The hand gripping his cheek moved. His thumb gently traced Karlyle’s lips. He felt saliva, whose origin he couldn’t tell, smearing on Ash’s finger.

“I thought this would be more fun than the movie, so I couldn’t concentrate.”

His lower back tingled again at the suggestive tone. He might be aroused. He must not show it. Not yet, anyway.

“Did you… have fun?”

“Yes.”

A satisfied voice was heard, and then Ash released him.

“Among the things I’ve done recently, this is the most fun.”

With the thumb that had wiped Karlyle’s lips, Ash traced his own lips. His gaze fixed on Ash’s lips, which were noticeably redder than a few minutes ago. For a moment, he had the illusion that Ash’s scent was pouring out.

At the dizzying sensation, Karlyle pushed Ash away. Ash readily moved back. Feeling as if he had entered the wrong place, Karlyle stepped backward. Then he looked at Ash and said,

“Something… came up…”

He made up a ridiculous, embarrassing excuse.

“I’ll excuse myself first.”

Leaving Ash with a bewildered expression, Karlyle quickly turned around. His lower abdomen kept aching. Ignoring the nature of the hardening sensation, Karlyle, forgetting his dignity, wiped his lips with the back of his hand. His lips, rubbed against, felt burning hot.

This man was dangerous.

His instincts were warning him.

Karlyle walked quickly out of the cinema for a long time. Suddenly, he looked back. Ash wasn’t following. Feeling both relieved and uncomfortable at that fact, Karlyle ran a hand through his hair with a dismayed expression.

This wasn’t the usual Karlyle. In just two, no, three meetings, Karlyle was losing his composure.

It seemed he needed to change his plans.

Gazing at the back of his hand, stained with saliva, Karlyle changed his mind.

“Karlyle, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

At the familiar voice, Karlyle turned around. Aiden Haywood, whom he had consistently seen since his debut in society as a child, stood before him. Looking at his half-grown blonde hair and the sly face beneath it, Karlyle replied indifferently,

“I merely stopped by for a purpose.”

“You, of all people?”

It wasn’t hard to understand Aiden’s surprise. Karlyle was currently at a party hosted by McLaren, exclusively for investors. Such parties usually fell into two categories, and Karlyle typically only attended the evening party for ceremonial socializing before leaving. The subsequent party had a slightly different atmosphere.