Nine botaurs needed milking.
Lissy moved between them with practiced ease, her hands working in smooth, rhythmic motions. But there was nothing innocent about the way she moved.
The slight arch of her back, the way her honey-brown eyes flicked up at me between squeezes, every gesture felt designed to drive me wild. She ensured I was her captivated audience, never losing my excitement. Each teasing glance holding me prisoner of her irresistible charm.
Neither of us spoke. We didn't need to.
The air between us crackled with tension, like static before a storm. My pulse thudded in my ears, and every look she gave sent heat coursing through my chest.
By the time we reached the last beast, I couldn't take it anymore. Maybe it was courage finally catching up to me, or maybe her relentless teasing had pushed me over the edge.
"Lissy… when do you bathe?" The question slipped out quieter than I intended, but the weight behind it was impossible to miss.
She paused mid-motion, then turned her head toward me. A sly smile curved her lips.
"Why do you ask?"
That look, that teasing, knowing look.
Just minutes ago, I might've folded. Her confidence always made me stumble and second-guess everything. But not now. Whether it was her provocations or something inside me snapping, I didn't back down. I wanted to push back, to lean into the heat instead of running from it.
"Well…" I let the silence stretch, long enough for her eyes to spark with anticipation. "If I show up around that time, I might get someone to wash my back."
Her smile widened, soft but wicked. She tilted her head and bit her lip, just enough to make my breath catch.
"Only your back?" she cooed, her voice like melted honey.
Shit.
My heart kicked up, heat flushing my face. Still, I stood my ground, refusing to look away from the sultry vixen.
"If you ask like T-that…"
My voice cracked at the end. Damn it. So much for smooth. I turned away quickly, pretending the milk churn had suddenly become the most fascinating object on the planet.
Behind me, her low, velvety laugh slid through the air like warm honey, curling around my ears and sending a delicious shiver down my spine.
"Mmm… go on," she purred, drawing out the syllables like silk through fingers. "Say it. If I ask like that~."
There it was again. That honey-dripping voice daring me to be bold.
It seemed the vixen was determined not to let this go. She wasn't letting it go.
I hesitated for a breath.
Then I swallowed the nerves clawing at my throat and squared my shoulders.
Fine. If she wants to play this game, I'll indulge her. Anything's fair game if I can get her beneath me and when I do, I'll make sure she regrets every second she spent teasing me.
"Alright," I say, stepping closer, my gaze steady on hers. The air between us stretches tight, every breath shared.
"Lissy, I want to—"
"NERO!"
The tension shattered with a sharp call.
I flinched, snapping my head toward the house. Rafaella stood by the main door, waving. She'd probably finished cleaning the bottles and needed help loading them into the cart.
When I glanced back at Lissy, her expression had changed.
The playful smile was gone, replaced by a faint frown. Her lips pressed tight, brows drawn just enough to show she was holding something back.
She was annoyed.
And how could she not be? I hadn't finished what I was about to say.
I let out a breath and offered a crooked grin. "We'll finish this later," I said, hoping the promise would soften the blow of the interruption.
She didn't answer. Just turned back to the fodder, her hands moving a little rougher now, lips still caught in a faint pout. But I caught the flick of her eyes toward me. The way her gaze lingered, like she wasn't quite ready to let it go.
A smile almost touched her lips, but it faded before it could settle.
Leaving the tension humming between us like a live wire, I turned and made my way toward Rafaella.
"Are you done?" I asked, wiping my palms against my shorts with a faint smile.
She nodded, reflecting my expression with a gentle warmth. "Yeah."
I immediately loaded the box of glass bottles onto the cart, but as I turned back toward the shed to grab the milk churn, Rafaella followed a step behind me.
I raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
Rafaella paused and explained. "Unlike the box, you can't lift the churn alone. It is heavy."
"Not for me," I said, gently turning her shoulders toward the cart. "You just sit down and wait. I've got this."
Rafaella hesitated briefly, then nodded quietly before climbing into the cart.
The churn was heavy, but not unmanageable. As I loaded it in place, I caught Rafaella watching me, her expression soft.
"The breakfast is on the table," she said as I dusted off my hands. "Eat with the kids. Make sure they finish their veggies." She gave a warm smile. "I'll be back soon."
The entire atmosphere made me feel… odd. It felt like we were a couple seeing each other off.
That thought lingered longer than it should have in me.
Before I could get lost in the moment, a pointed cough snapped me back to reality.
"I'm heading down to collect the hay," Lissy said, stepping up beside me with a sickle in hand. Her body tilted just enough to be deliberate, her lips curving into that slow, knowing smile.
"Wanna tag along?"
The words were casual, but the glint in her eyes hinted at something beneath the surface.
I grinned, matching her energy. "Absolutely. Why would I pass up the chance to spend time with a stunning woman?" I said it with extra enthusiasm, just to see her smile.
She laughed softly, then spun on her heel and started down the path. And like a man under the spell, I followed a step behind, my gaze helplessly glued to the sway of her hips with every stride.
The land near the pond was mostly used to grow hay for the beasts. Golden stalks rippled gently under the morning breeze, a soft rustle whispering through the field. A clean strip along the far edge showed where some had been cut, with fresh green shoots just starting to break through the turned soil.
I perched on a tree stump, pretending to relax, though my gaze clung to Lissy as she crouched to gather the hay. Her skirt stretched tight over her hips, making it nearly impossible to focus on anything else.
"You never answered my question, Lissy," I said, trying to sound casual.
She didn't turn. "Hmm? What question, Nero?" she asked, feigning innocence.
"The one about when you bathe," I said, hesitation creeping in before I pushed through. "I mean… what time should I come get my back washed?"
She stilled for half a second, then glanced at me over her shoulder, amusement flickering in her eyes.
"And why exactly does Nero need me to wash his back?"
"Because if it's you, it will come out faster," I blurted out without thinking.
"…Eh?"
A beat of silence stretched between us before she turned fully, her expression unreadable.
Only then did I realize how it sounded.
"No, no—I meant the dirt! The dirt on me will come out faster! Not… anything else!" I waved my hands in a vague panic, but the flustered rambling only made it worse.
Lissy burst into unrestrained laughter. Her whole body shook with it. Then, as if suddenly aware of herself, she clamped a hand over her mouth, trying in vain to smother the sound.
When she finally caught her breath, her eyes sparkled as they met mine.
"Mmm… so what else was I supposed to think?"
I opened my mouth. Nothing came out. I shut it again, my face burning as I let out a defeated chuckle.
Her laughter lingered even as she turned back to work, a smirk still tugging at the corners of her mouth while she tied off another bundle of hay. It lingered until the last bundle was tied.
"Nero, come help me," she called, brushing loose strands of hair from her face.
We worked side by side, stacking the piles neatly, then rolling them tight and binding them with cord.
"Now lift it onto my head," she said, unfolding a scarf and draping it over her hair.
I frowned. "No way. This thing's heavy. I'll carry it back."
I bent to hoist the bundle, already preparing to take the weight myself.
But before I could move, her hand shot out, firm against my arm.
"No, it's fine, Nero. I do this every day. I can handle it."
I exhaled, giving a small shake of my head before smirking.
"Alright. But don't be too stunned when you see me actually doing it."
I half-expected her to miss the tease, but the way her hands stilled, fingers tightening just slightly around the hay, told me otherwise. And to my quiet delight, a faint blush crept across her cheeks.
"…It hasn't even been a week, and you're already…"
She caught herself, eyes narrowing as she raised a hand to swat at me.
I dodged, grinning wide. "That's what I've been saying. Not even a week, and you're already…"
"Already what?" she shot back, playful suspicion flickering behind her glare.
I shrugged, deliberately vague. "You tell me."
She crossed her arms with a little huff. "Well, I didn't do anything."
I mirrored her stance. "Then neither did I."
Her lips pursed into a soft pout, far too distracting. "And yet, that dirty mouth of yours never stops."
I tilted my head, smirking. "And you act innocent, but your body says something else."
She froze for a beat. Then her eyes sharpened, and a slow smile curled her lips.
"Oh?" Her voice was smooth, edged with something dangerous. She stepped in, close enough to make me notice. "And what exactly is my body saying, Nero?"
I didn't answer right away.
Instead, I let my gaze trail over her, slow and deliberate.
Her chest rose just a little sharper with her breath. Her lips parted. She stilled, like she was waiting.
"Everything," I murmured.
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "The way you move. The way you look at me… like you're waiting to be devoured."
She inhaled sharply, her teeth grazing her lower lip like she didn't trust herself to speak.
For a moment, the spark of mischief in her eyes dimmed, replaced by something raw. Something bare.
Something untamed flickered in the space between us.
Then, like she needed to break the moment before it swallowed us whole, she scoffed and smacked my chest, a little harder this time.
"You… filthy-minded perv~," she muttered, breathless and unsteady, her voice stripped of its usual teasing edge.
I chuckled, rubbing my chest as she turned away.
"Enough nonsense. Help me lift this," she said, stepping beside the rolled hay. "Any longer around you, and I might actually start losing my wits."
We bent down together, but just as I reached for the bundle, I couldn't help myself.
"By the way…" I said casually, though my eyes glinted with anticipation. "You never answered my question."
She glanced at me, feigning innocence. "What question?"
"What time do you bathe?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she bent down with teasing slowness, a knowing smile curling at the corner of her lips.
I exhaled hard, disappointment curled low in my gut. But I let it go. I didn't want to push my luck and ruin the moment.
I crouched beside her, reaching for the hay.
We heaved the bundle together. As we adjusted the weight beneath the heavy roll of hay, she moved suddenly. She stepped forward as if to balance her grip, but pressed her body full against mine, pinning me beneath the hay and the heat between us. Her soft, warm breasts molded to my chest. Her thigh slipped between mine, stopping just shy of where my pants had begun to tighten.
My breath hitched.
Too close.
Her scent, something sweetly feminine laced with earthy hay, flooded my senses. Her trembling lips parted. She bit her lower lip, as if holding back whatever was about to escape.
Her eyes weren't playful now. Something darker and intense had replaced her usual mischievous gaze.
After a tense silence where only our breath mingled, she spoke softly, so softly I almost didn't catch it.
"Ten-thirty."
Her voice was low and sultry like wildfire sparking in my chest.
"If you come by at ten-thirty…" she added with a shaky inhale, "I'll wash your back."
Everything stopped.
We were crushed together beneath the weight of the hay, our bodies locked tight, the air between us thick with heat and mounting urgency.
I didn't even dare to breathe, afraid I'd break whatever this was.
Then, as if she couldn't bear what she'd just shared, Lissy pulled away, spinning so quickly I barely caught the flush blooming across her cheeks.
I stood there, frozen, watching her retreat. Her hips swaying like the steady swing of a pendulum, hypnotically drawing me to follow.
She disappeared into the shed, carefully setting the hay down before stepping out again with her composure seemingly intact. As she passed me, she brushed just close enough for our bodies to graze, the heat of her skin burning into mine.
"Ten-thirty~" she whispered, tilting her head just enough to meet my gaze.
The fiery lust in her eyes was unmistakable.
And then she was gone.
I stood there, with a thundering heart and heat still pulsing where she'd touched me, grinning like a man who'd just glimpsed gates to heaven.
I wanted to do a victory dance, but remembering the kids still waiting for breakfast almost made me slap myself.
Sigh, priorities.
After a quick wash to rid myself of the morning grime and the lingering heat from Lissy's teasing, I headed toward the kids' room.
Ivan and Irene were already up, their hair slightly messy from sleep, but it looked like they'd just finished brushing.
"Ready for breakfast?" I asked from the doorway.
"Yes!" Ivan shouted without missing a beat. But instead of heading for the table, he made a beeline toward the tiny black kitten curled up on its makeshift bed.
I bolted right after him, scooping him up before his eager hands could ruffle the kitten's fur. He squirmed in my grip, feet kicking playfully.
"Whoa there, champ," I said, laughing. "If you touch the fur ball now, you'll have to wash up again. Why not wait until after breakfast? By then, she'll be well-rested, and you can play with her all day."
He blinked at me, still squirming, but the cheerful tone must have done the trick because he slowly calmed down.
"Really? All day?"
"All day," I promised.
A wide grin stretched across his face. "Okay!"
Lifting him high with a playful laugh, I added, "Yay~ Ivan is so smart and awesome!"
His face turned pink as if he wasn't used to the praise. But then he threw his head back and laughed with me, announcing proudly, "Yes! "Ivan is the smartest!"
I chuckled, setting him down gently. "Alright, go take a seat at the table."
He bolted for the dining room, giggling the entire way. As I watched him with amusement, I felt a small tug on my shirt.
Glancing down, I found Irene, her eyes shy but hopeful.
"Has Dad left?" she asked quietly, looking up at me.
My heart tugged at the softness in her voice. "Yeah," I said gently. "He left for his duties. But don't worry, he'll be back in a few days."
She gave a small nod, then peeked up at me again. Wait. That look...
Was she fishing for praise too?
I didn't hesitate. Scooping her up with a laugh, I spun her around. "Yay~ Irene is sweet and gentle! The best girl in the whole house!"
She giggled, arms clinging to my shoulders. "That's me!" she beamed.
I set her down gently. "Alright, off you go. Breakfast awaits."
She skipped off humming, her curls bouncing with each step.
But there was still one more thing that needed my attention.
The commotion had woken the kitten. She stretched lazily on the soft mattress, tiny paws flexing before she yawned wide enough to show her little pink tongue. Her half-lidded eyes flicked up to me, sleepy but curious.
With a slow blink, she licked her paw once before rolling over on the mattress and curling up again.
Someone didn't seem exactly eager to start the day.
"Lucky fur ball," I murmured with a pang of jealousy.
With that, I turned and made my way to the dining room.
#####
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