Hotelier Ghost Tycoon

Rhodes stared at the changing expression of his alleged best friend. From Rhodes's amnesiac perspective, he simply put up with this man for company. He sighed and reached over to collect the trash. "So what? It's not like we're—"

Lionel grabbed his wrist and pulled Rhodes to his lap like a child to be punished. He held Rhodes down by the waist. "Who was it?"

The amnesiac froze in his position. He was once again in a bad situation with this man. His fear and repulsion toward Lionel would surge at these moments despite the neutral atmosphere most of the time. Rhodes could only infer he trusted Lionel so much he was putting up with the other man's tendencies to force himself onto Rhodes. Right now, however, he didn't want any of it.

Rhodes took a deep breath and replied seriously, "Are you not going to release me? Should I sleep with my stomach on your legs? Sounds uncomfortable."

"Rhodes, a name."

"Why? What does it have to do with you?" Rhodes didn't snap or growl. He just stayed in the position Lionel held him in. "Do I look like the type who goes on a dinner date with someone who brought me takeaway? Are you angry because you think something happened?"

Lionel roughly handled Rhodes again, forcing him to sit on Lionel's knee. His back was pulled toward Lionel's chest, and Lionel's hand grabbed his jaw. The 'best friend' snarled behind him. "Is it going to be like this all the time, Rhodes? How many people will there be between us?"

Rhodes gripped Lionel's wrist closest to his chin. Inside his chest, his heart pounded as if another ghost was attacking him. His breathing started to falter from fear, but he didn't act on it. It was harder to escape if he lost control. 

He whispered in response, "What are you talking about? How many people? If you want to have a proper conversation, let me go. Let's talk like proper adults, Lionel."

The man behind him breathed against his neck. The vacant hand reached down to feel Rhodes's navel. Lionel answered, "You're always like this. It's making me go insane. You once said you can't be with me because of Joan. Now that she's gone, you're shoving another girl between us.

"Rhodes, I'm getting tired of always… always having to chase you." Lionel tightened his grip on Rhodes's jaws and navel. "Do you really love me, or are you just taking advantage of me?"

"…no, I love you."

Rhodes's eyes could only lose their light as he continued to lie through his teeth. "…I don't know how to have a proper relationship with you. Lionel, please don't hurt me. I'm sorry for playing games."

Those words worked like magic, but the magic trick had its costs. Lionel released Rhodes from his hold, but his arms wrapped around Rhodes tightly. The other man whispered, "Is that true? You really love me? Then… you don't have to use words. Let me feel it… let me feel you. Rhodes, if you really love me, let me have my way with you tonight. In the morning… let yourself be mine…!"

Rhodes valued his life. He could only lie and hope that Lionel wouldn't find out tonight. It was just that he wasn't even allowed to leave the couch. His entire person was shoved into the seat. Before him, Lionel began disrobing. His sweat made his toned muscles shiny, but the glint in his eyes was terrifying.

A bitter taste spread all over Rhodes's mouth. It seemed he had brought this misfortune onto himself.

Snap! Rhodes felt like someone snapped beside his ear. His eyes tore open in fright, but he found himself on a cold and dusty floor. 

Everywhere was dark, but the hallway was lined with wall-mounted candelabras. The small fire on them looked bluish compared to the usual yellowish glow. They were also enough for Rhodes to find ornate, exquisite carvings and decorations to make the hallway unique. If someone saw nothing but these, they would think they had entered a rich man's house at night.

The amnesiac doctor rose to his feet. He stared off into the darkness, not knowing where he had gone. Did Lionel throw him into some old house?

A hand suddenly cupped Rhodes's head from behind. The hand slid to the back, and the fingers somewhat played with the ends of his hair. A person stepped into Rhodes's peripheral vision, seemingly appearing out of thin air. However, those gleaming red eyes were too familiar.

"Greetings. Did I scare you?" The man with a fedora and a cane appeared beside Rhodes. His arm was even around Rhodes as if they were intimate. He smiled after a while. "Dear, I came when I heard you screaming deep inside your heart. I thought another one of them dared to hurt you. It seemed like it was an affair between humans."

"Don't call it an affair." Rhodes didn't feel repulsed by the closeness and the touch. It was very different when Lionel touched him. Still, he touched the man's hand to get it off his head. "…I don't know where we are. Can you tell me?"

The man with a fedora chuckled and stepped in front of Rhodes. He made a slight bow. "Of course, dear. You are now in a dream with only you… and me. Think of it as our very own world."

Rhodes's eyes flickered. He curled down to hold his abdomen and forced a big laugh. "Am I dead? Wow, how could I get here too late? I should have arrived days ago, right? What would Lionel do if I fainted and died? Won't my body get fucked until it rots away? Poor me…"

A smile curled the other man's lips. He got down on a knee and sought Rhodes's gaze. When their eyes met, the man with a fedora smiled bigger. "Don't misunderstand, Rhodes. You're not dead. You're in a dream. Your body may be tossed around right now, but you won't know any of it. In this dream, you are safe from anything you don't want to experience. You can be anything you want to be in here."

"Anything I want, huh?" Rhodes chuckled and sat on his ankles to match the man's eye level. "Do you want to know what I want to be?"

"…anything but the amazing Dr. Rhodes Huxley." The man with a fedora chuckled, making Rhodes flinch. "Sadly, we cannot prove that without your memories. Regaining them is quite impossible in a short time, too. For tonight, we can go for something different."

Rhodes leaned his arm on his knee, his chin on his hand. "Oh, yeah? What is that? Do you think I'll enjoy that? Despite what happened at the church, I don't want to sleep with you on our first date. That's too overdone. Think of something else."

The man with a fedora lifted his brows. He turned his face away and giggled. "I'd rather not touch your mind alone, dear. I want your body to know me, too."