Chapter 1

I had just experienced the most unforgettable Christmas night of my entire life.

I initially planned a pajama-themed Christmas party with my best friend, Lia Wright. After changing into my black, lacey nightgown, I took a photo of myself in a provocative pose and sent it to her.

"Hi, Daddy. Wanna open up your Christmas gift yet?" I texted Lia, teasing her on purpose.

Three minutes later, she replied, "Are you sure?"

I chuckled out loud at how serious she was suddenly being with me. I then texted back with drunken stupor, "Just say it if you don't have the guts to come over."

Exactly 20 minutes later, the door to my room was thrown open with a loud bang.

My childhood friend, Liam Blake, stood at the door. He burst in, all covered in snow, with his eyes rimmed red, and pushed me back onto the bed, kissing me fiercely and fervently.

"What did you just call me earlier?" Liam asked, backing up slightly so that his warm breath fanned over my wet lips. His voice was low and hoarser than ever before. "Call me that again."

I shuddered hard and quickly jolted awake, sobering up at once. I then grabbed my phone from the side of my bed and realized that the chat window I'd assumed to be Lia's had somehow turned into Liam's.

Liam's body was hot against mine, and it made my head spin.

"Wait—" I hadn't even managed to get another word out when Liam cut in, stopping me from saying anything else, and began slipping his hand under my nightgown.

Liam's palm, calloused from years of holding his ice hockey stick, grazed my side and sent a shiver down my spine.

"Wait? For what?" he asked, practically pressing his lips against mine as his hands continued wandering upward. "Are you trying to say that you weren't the one who sent the photo or the text just now?"

Damn it. I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't find a word to say.

Liam's hand was already firmly caressing the soft mounds on my chest in a familiar manner as he'd already rehearsed this hundreds of times in his head. I inhaled deeply and couldn't stop my body from arching upward in pleasure.

"Use your words," Liam said, staring at me, his eyes flashing eerily in the dim light of my bedroom. "I thought you were pretty good with them in your text just now."

"I was sending those texts to Lia. You're overthinking—"

I wanted to chase him away with cold, harsh words, but every word caught in my throat as soon as I met his fiery gaze. Then, I did something even more stupid. Fueled by alcohol, I instinctively raised my arms and wrapped them around his neck.

Liam froze for a while. A split second later, he reacted like a man set on fire, tugging harder at my nightgown until it came off. A cold rush of air engulfed my body at once, but it was quickly chased away when Liam enveloped me with his warmth.

"Say it again," Liam said, leaning down to nibble on my earlobe and breathing against my ear. "What you just called me in the text… Say it again."

I kept shaking my head and suppressed the urge to moan out loud. However, when he finally entered me in one swift thrust, I couldn't hold it back anymore and let out a lewd moan.

Liam began moving inside of me, thrusting hard and fast inside me. My poor bed began creaking aloud with his movements as well, but it still couldn't mask my lewd gasps or his breathless panting as we slid against each other.

"Say it," Liam growled against my neck, still forcing me to do it. "Say it out loud, Iris. You know what I want to hear from your lips."

I bit my lips and shook my head again. Liam's face turned cold as he slowed to a stop inside me before he said, "If you're not calling me that, then I'm not continuing."

I hated how honestly my body was and how my lust and desire for him far outweighed my reason. In the end, I forced myself to squeeze my words out from the depths of my throat. "D-Daddy."

Liam gasped and began thrusting into me even more intensely than before. Soon, we reached our peak together.

I couldn't believe that my "reunion" with my childhood best friend after half a year would turn out this way.

Liam Blake was the captain of the ice hockey team at the University of Mitchean and a rising star in the world of sports. He only had to give a sign, and every pretty female student attending the university would immediately drop their skirts and climb into his bed in a heartbeat.

But now, Liam was lying next to me, in my bed, as he buried his head into the crook of my neck and nuzzled me lovingly with his lower chin.

Why me? Why wasn't he sleeping with Elena Cooper instead, that tall, blonde, and big-chested captain of the cheerleading squad? She was always fawning over him.

Liam shifted next to me just then and spooned me from the back. Then, his breathing slowed and deepened.

Ten minutes later, I carefully removed his arm that was draped over my waist. Then, I cautiously made my way to the entrance and looked back into the bedroom.

Liam was still lying in bed, looking absolutely vulnerable and defenseless in his sleep with a wide smile on his face. I felt something tighten in my chest, as if someone was gripping it. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

No matter how perfect Liam was, he didn't belong to me. I pulled the door open and walked out without looking back.

Liam opened his eyes just three seconds after the door closed. He then sat up in bed, the blankets sliding down to his waist, and leaned down to sniff at his fingertips.

They still smelled like Iris, even though she was already gone. He'd let her slip right through his fingers once again.

Liam smiled bitterly and retrieved a velvet box from his pocket. This was supposed to be a Christmas gift for her.

When he received the two messages from her just now, he had still been at a friend's party. He'd suddenly grabbed his coat, thrown it on, and run out, giving all of his friends a huge fright.

He thought that the cold war that Iris started six months ago would finally come to an end tonight, and that their years of friendship would finally turn into love.

As it turned out, Iris had simply sent the messages to the wrong people after all. It had just been wishful thinking on his part.

Liam lay back down in bed and tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped. A long bout of silence later, he finally let out a soft, helpless laugh.

Chapter 2

Ever since that night, Liam never contacted me again. He had barged in on me that night, left his marks all over my body, and then disappeared into the dark of the night without another sound.

Whatever. Maybe it was for the better for our friendship to end that way. At least, I could just pretend that I had a wet dream about him, or something.

"Iris? What are you doing, hiding here by yourself during a party?"

Lia came over to me with two glasses of champagne in her hands, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "Your darling Liam was just asking about you earlier. Are you still at odds with each other?"

My heart thumped wildly against my ribcage. "He's here?"

"He'd just arrived when he began asking around if you were already here. Really, he's probably more loyal than a dog at this point."

I immediately got up and tried to escape by the back door, but it was too late. The crowd opened up like the Red Sea, and Liam, the ice hockey prince, walked into the party in a black turtleneck sweater and blue jeans.

It was the simplest of all outfits, and yet, he looked extremely striking in it. Everyone's eyes were on him from the moment he walked in.

However, I wasn't one of them. I just lowered my head, watching the bubbles in my glass of champagne, praying to the gods that he would suddenly go blind and not take any notice of me.

Liam approached me and stopped. "Iris. We need to talk," he said. His voice wasn't loud, but it pierced the music and stung my eardrums.

The crowd immediately made space for us and tactfully left us alone. I groaned inwardly, praying hard that his deranged fans wouldn't attack me tomorrow for this.

Liam leaned against the bar, his side toward me, and he tapped his fingers lightly against the tabletop. Then, he brought out a velvet box and said, "Merry Christmas."

He went straight to the point. "I'd wanted to give it to you the other night."

My face burned immensely as memories of that hot night flooded my mind. I could remember the warmth of his body, his breath, his hands, and the way he made me call him—

"I don't want it," I said, my voice tight. "I didn't prepare a gift for you, and I don't want to take yours either."

Liam finally turned to face me, his eyes as cold as ice. "Why not?"

"I… I don't want your gift. Also, whatever happened that night was nothing but a mistake," I said, basically forcing the words through gritted teeth.

"A mistake," Liam echoed, his frown deepening. "Was it also a mistake how you took the initiative to appease me and lead me on that night?"

I couldn't answer his question. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I thought it was going to fly out and explode.

The fight between us that happened half a year ago felt like this, too. I had been at his villa that day, and I accidentally overheard his senator dad chatting with his other relatives.

I heard a few parts where his dad said he needed to "pave the way for Liam by arranging a marriage for him" and that "the Coopers are a good choice, and they have a daughter named Elena, right?"

After that, at the ball, Elena wore a custom-designed dress and asked Liam to dance in front of the entire school. I had been standing by myself in a corner, still holding the box of desserts Liam had stuffed into my hands, saying that he had bought them for me on the spur of the moment.

A short while after graduation, Liam began planning a vacation and asked me excitedly if there was anywhere I wanted to go. I simply said, "Don't bother. I'm not in the same league as you are."

I could still remember the expression on Liam's face when I said that to him. It was one of shock and confusion. Then, his face slowly turned cold.

"Iris," he said, staring at me. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

It meant that I, who came from a family that had just gone bankrupt, was not good enough for him. It meant that I couldn't afford to get played by him. It meant that I was begging him to please stay away from me as much as possible because I didn't want to continue falling for him anymore.

"Liam!" A bright voice suddenly interrupted us.

It was Elena. She was blonde, had beautiful blue eyes, and her short bodycon dress hugged her just right, flaunting all of her curves. She looked like she didn't even see me and immediately wrapped herself around Liam's arms, making sure to nudge her chest against his body.

"I've been looking everywhere for you! Don't you know that we're all waiting for the captain to give us a little speech?"

Elena's voice was saccharinely sweet. However, her gaze soon shifted to me as she gave me a once-over.

Liam didn't move. His eyes were still on me.

"Congratulations," I said, still rooted to my spot. My voice trembled as I added, "Have fun."

Then, I turned and walked away unsteadily. I didn't know if it was from the alcohol or the heartbreak. I was such a pathetic loser.

Chapter 3

Two days passed since the party, and I made sure to avoid Liam even more than ever. I would only show up to class and for food, and I absolutely refused to attend any of the shared classes that students from other majors would also attend.

I didn't think that someone as busy as Liam would have the time to follow me all the way to my sculpture class.

"Iris? The muscle definition in this piece is stunning," one of my classmates said, peeking over at my work when I was done with the framing. I just smiled at her and continued working.

A long time passed, and soon, my stomach was growling with hunger. I looked at the time and realized that the sun had already set. I'd forgotten to eat dinner again.

I went back to my dorm room and was surprised to see a paper bag on my table. It was my favorite beef sandwich, and it was even still warm to the touch.

There was also a tube of ointment next to it, specifically for muscle aches. The usual price for this ointment was very expensive, and I would never normally buy it.

Lia skipped over toward me and gave me a knowing smirk. "Someone brought this for you."

I felt a pang in my heart. "Who was it?"

"Who else would it be? A certain ice hockey captain, of course," she replied, nudging me with her shoulder and looking absolutely lovestruck.

"He told me that he saw you busy sculpting in class and didn't want to disturb you. So, he just dropped off his things here and left."

I gripped the paper bag tightly until the grease oozed out from the sandwich and stained my hand.

It was impossible. Why would Liam come here? He was extremely prideful.

"You must have been mistaken," I said, stuffing the ointment into my drawer. "It wasn't him."

"You're kidding me. Did you really think that I would mistake someone else for the biggest star on campus?" she asked.

I didn't reply to her and took out my phone instead, tapping into the campus online forum, trying to distract myself. However, I suddenly felt my blood freeze at that moment.

There was a post trending on the forum, and the title read, "A match made in heaven—the captain of the ice hockey team and the cheerleading captain!"

In the attached photo, Elena was practically pressed against Liam's body by the ice rink. She was looking up at him and laughing as she chatted. Meanwhile, Liam had his head lowered, and it looked like he was kissing her hair.

I felt my stomach clench in pain. Suddenly, I felt like throwing up the beef sandwich in my hand.

My phone buzzed just then with a new text message from Liam.

"This is the last time I'm asking you. Do you want your Christmas gift or not?"

I typed my reply into the bar, my fingers trembling.

"Throw it out."

Liam didn't respond anymore after that. It was expected, after all. A proud young heir like him would never bow his head to me for the second time after getting rejected.

I couldn't go to sleep that night. So, I decided to go back to the sculpting studio to continue working on what I was best at. When I finally came back to my senses, I finally caught a full glimpse of my latest creation by the light of the dim nightlight.

I saw the shadows outlining a human figure with deep-set eyes, a tall nose bridge, and tightly pursed lips. It was Liam.

I felt like I'd just been scalded and quickly flung the sculpture to the ground with all of my might.

Liam was right. My body was always a lot more honest than my brain.

Chapter 4

Just when I thought that everything was finally settling down, something terrible happened again.

My phone wouldn't stop ringing. When I saw that it was a call from Mom, I inhaled deeply before finally daring to answer the call.

"Sweetie," Mom said, sounding completely exhausted. "That project your dad had been handling got cancelled again. He lost a lot of money."

I stopped sculpting, the sculpting knife still in my hand.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. I know that we shouldn't be burdening you with our issues, but—"

"Mom," I said, feeling my throat constricting. I fought to keep myself calm and said, "Don't worry about me. I can take good care of myself."

Mom sighed and said, "I just wish you could find someone of equal social standing in the future. It's not necessary that he's rich and powerful. Even a simple life with him would be good enough. Just don't end up like your dad. He's always struggling like this…"

Someone of equal social standing? I could never be on equal social standing with the one person I was in love with. I packed up my things and went back to my dorm, purchasing the cheapest bottle of red wine I could find on the way back.

The apartment was freezing cold. I didn't even bother turning on the lights, uncorked the wine, and drank it straight from the bottle. The wine was bitter and astringent, and it burned all the way down my throat.

I then sank into the bathtub, still tipsy from the wine, as the steam from the warm water made my head spin. Memories from Christmas night flood my mind once again.

I could feel the weight of Liam's body pressing down on me, the roughness of his calloused hands caressing my skin, his hoarse voice as he forced me to call him "Daddy," and his quiet and vulnerable side profile when he was fast asleep.

An itchy yet hollow feeling surged deep within me. I bit my lip and slowly slid my hand down my body. No, wait. I had to stop thinking about him.

However, the more I suppressed the feeling, the stronger it grew. My skin became extremely sensitive to touch, and I longed for him to touch me again.

I sighed and reached haphazardly for the vibrating toy I kept in the cabinet next to the bathtub. Then, I turned it on, pushed it inside my body, and leaned back in the tub with my eyes closed.

Ripples appeared on the surface of the water. I could feel my temperature rising. The alcohol in my system was also weakening my defenses. My lips parted uncontrollably as a broken moan escaped my lips.

"L-Liam…" No, that wasn't enough. I needed more.

His bloodshot eyes flashed through my mind. Suddenly, I could see him gritting his teeth as he thrust into me and brought me to my climax again and again.

"Daddy…"

Just as I was about to reach my peak, I heard a sudden loud bang, and the bathroom door was thrown wide open. It hit the wall behind it with full force, giving me a huge shock and making me curl up in fear.

Someone was standing at the door. His tall figure blocked out the light behind him, so I couldn't see his face. However, it illuminated him from behind, and soon I could make him out as a very familiar silhouette.

It was Liam.

Chapter 5

Liam strode in and entered the bathtub with me. His shirt and pants were soaked and clinging to his body. I backed away on instinct until my back was pressed against the cold tiles behind me.

"G-Get out," I said, my voice trembling so hard I couldn't even recognize myself.

Liam grabbed me by my ankles and dragged me toward him. Water splashed everywhere, and I even choked on some that got into my mouth.

"Me? Get out?" he repeated after me, his eyes completely red. "Why didn't you think about chasing me out when you were moaning my name just now?"

"No… I didn't…" I tried defending myself, but I was completely tongue-tied.

Liam didn't give me another chance to explain myself. He kissed me fiercely on the lips, his entire body reeking of alcohol and passionate anger. He gripped my waist so hard that he left marks on my body.

The water felt like it was boiling, and yet, his skin was even hotter. His wet clothes quickly got in the way of me as they rubbed raw against my body.

Liam freed one hand and tore off his shirt. The buttons popped open and fell into the water.

"Why did you leave me that night?" he asked, pressing our foreheads together as his hot breath fanned across my face.

I looked away. How was I supposed to answer him? Was I supposed to tell him that it was because I felt like a joke to him?

"Say something," he demanded, grabbing me by my chin and forcing me to look back at him.

"I don't know," I said, forcing out the words from my throat. Liam's eyes dimmed. Then, he pressed me down on him and switched our positions in the tub.

I was now sprawled on top of his body as the water continued rippling around me. This position made him slide deeper into me as I sank down on him. I dug my fingers into his shoulders, my nails sinking into the flesh.

"What are you taking me for?" he asked, his lips brushing against my ear. "A tool? Something you can discard as soon as you're done with it?"

The steam from the water was making me dizzy. The alcohol was still burning in my veins. Pleasure and embarrassment mingled together in my body, and I couldn't even think straight anymore.

"No…" I said, shaking my head, my hair sticking to my face. "Not a tool…"

"Then what?" He thrust so deeply into me that I couldn't even talk straight anymore. Then, he continued slamming harder and more forcefully into me like he was trying to punish me.

The water in the tub shook rhythmically with his thrusting and spilled out all over the floor in waves.

"Look at me," he demanded.

I forced my eyes open. I could see the bathroom light reflected in his eyes. I could also see my dazed, blissed-out expression in them, too. I looked pathetic.

The climax came quickly and suddenly.

I bit down on his shoulder to try and stop myself from moaning out too loudly. Meanwhile, Liam grunted and tightened his hold around my waist, pulling me so close that I nearly melted into his body.

The water in the bathtub calmed down eventually, and soon, only the sounds of our erratic breathing could be heard.

Liam carried me back to the bed and stuffed me under the blankets. Then, he buried his head in the crook of my neck again, and his breathing began to slow down.

I suddenly recalled the photo of him and Elena on the online forum and remembered Mom's tired voice on the phone from earlier today. Tears suddenly fell from my eyes.

"Liam," I said almost inaudibly, looking up at nothing. "You should stay away from me."

I couldn't bring myself to say the second part of my sentence, "I don't deserve you."

I was awakened the next morning by Liam's buzzing phone. He answered the call.

"Now? Okay, got it. I'll be there." Liam hung up and walked back to the bed.

I didn't open my eyes and pretended that I was still asleep. He stood next to the bed for a long while. I could feel his eyes on me. Then, he crouched over and placed something next to my pillow.

I heard his footsteps as he walked toward the door. The door then closed behind him. He'd left.

I opened my eyes and saw the velvet box that still contained my Christmas gift. Right next to it, however, was a folded note.

It said, "As you wish. Let's not meet again."

…

I pulled the blankets off. My lower body still felt like jelly. I walked over to my desk and realized that my sketchbook full of doodles of him had gone missing.

I'd sketched him while he was playing matches, sleeping, and even frowning at something. I'd even sketched his expression when he'd reached his climax with me back then.

A horrible thought crossed my mind just then.

Had Liam seen it all? Had he taken the sketchbook with him? Had he finally noticed the feelings I'd been harboring for him?