I could feel Anetta’s presence meld into mine, settling behind my eyes. A soft tingle was webbing across my skin as she borrowed my senses, inspecting the intruder hanging around my neck.

And what an intruder it was.

“Ridiculous!” Anetta gasped in disbelief.

I couldn’t help but agree. My self-proclaimed ‘cousin’ must have been the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on.

Her ruby eyebrows, delicately arched, framed her silvery eyes that seemed to hold a depth of both longing and vulnerability. Long, dark eyelashes accentuated her almost pleading gaze, adding to her fragile, tragic allure. The sensuality of her exquisite, pouty lips was barely restrained by the warmth of her smile.

Her lithe, and warm feminine body pressed against mine felt like the part of me I never knew I was missing. Now that I was finally whole, I never wanted to let go of her.

My eyes fell on a strand of fiery red hair trapped between us and followed it down towards her modest breasts, subtly accentuated by the frilly robes she wore.

I shut my eyes, Anetta growling at me in protest.

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I could taste blood, desperate to regain focus. When that didn’t work, I pinched my thigh hard enough to bruise.

I opened my eyes and surreptitiously cast my gaze all over the dining hall, counting the pairs of eyes on the two of us. Then I traced my gaze from the tragic musician still playing a soft tune on her instrument to the beauty in my arms. An idea started forming in my mind.

My face blossomed into the most delighted smile I could manage. “Cousin? How shameful! Call me ‘brother’ and give me a proper hug!” I shouted in a raucous tone. “I haven’t seen you since…I can hardly even remember!”

“Brother!” young beauty squeaked, her smile growing beatific as she tightened her hug even further, her face sinking into my chest.

Then, abruptly, she released the hug and grabbed me by the sleeve, dragging me back to the bar counter. She waved to grab the attention of the barkeep. “Uncle Jarkon, this is my cousin…”

“Ryder,” I introduced myself, slipping into a role.

“…Ryder,” she repeated. “It took him longer than we expected to arrive all the way from Zorsk, but he’s finally here!”

The greasy barkeep favoured her with a fond smile, which melted away when his blue-green eyes drifted to me. “So, this is the cousin I heard so much about, Vianna?”

His brows raised in earnestness; tone slightly apologetic. “Listen, Ryder, about before…” He waved his hands in the air as if trying to wave away everything that happened like a foul smell.

“Nothing happened, Jarkon,” I said agreeably. “I know how things get when one is working with all kinds of people all day, so don’t worry.”

“Aye, nothing happened,” his smile returned and spread to his eyes, turning more genuine. “So, how was the trip from Zorsk? How about we each get a cup of my famous roughbrew and…”

“Tiresome,” I interrupted, my voice rueful. “Let’s just say I wasn’t late without a good reason. I was hoping to rest a little, get some food in me, and take it from there.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Aye, aye,” Jarkon said, turning to Vianna with an eyebrow raised. “He’s your purity guardian, yes?”

Vianna nodded and leaned into my shoulder.

I noted that Jarkon’s contractions have mostly disappeared, and his diction improved now that Vianna was around. Was he getting rid of the local twang to try and impress the girl?

“Why don’t you go on ahead,” he said, waving us towards the stairs.

“I’ll send…” He pushed the oil-stained curtains leading into the kitchen and seemed to be looking for someone before looking back into the dining area. “… I’ll send Yalla your way to bring you some food in a bit. She is supposed to finish playing ‘bout this time, anyway.”

“Thank you, uncle Jarkon!” Vianna shouted, dragging me towards the stairs, obviously in a rush.

“Call me ‘Father’ little bird, we’ll be family soon enough!” He yelled as we disappeared into the upstairs hallway.

As Vianna led me towards the end of the long hallway, I couldn’t help but feel excited. After way too long, I’ll be able to stretch more than just my muscles. The music is on, and the stage is set. It’s time to get to know my new partner.

We stopped before a heavy wooden door at the very end of the hallway for a moment as Vianna fiddled with a key, trying to open the doors. I scanned her face slowly, trying to unveil her motives. It was impassive, betraying nothing. Shame that nobody taught her that there is more to the body language than just facial expressions.

Her body was talking to me, and I always prided myself on being a keen listener. The way she moved, the twitches of her fingers, the positioning of her feet. Every ripple of her muscles, every gesture, was giving me more information than she intended to share.

She pushed the doors open wide and walked into the room, gesturing for me to follow.

“Close the doors, please, and lock them behind us.”

I turned to do so, deliberately turning my back to her fully.

A light in the room changed, which was my cue to move.

I half-spun and threw myself to the side as a sizzling crack of electricity whipped past me, slamming into the door with a loud, searing thud. Completing my turn, I saw Vianna’s hands engulfed in crackling electric light. My eyes widened in horror when I noticed the scorch mark on the door, right at crotch level. She had aimed for my family jewels.

“Heresy!” Anetta hissed.

Vianna leaped with a liquid grace of a dancer, kicking off the bed frame and diving for me, her hands still wreathed in an electric halo. I crouched low, timing her descent. With my longer reach, I backhanded her elbow with enough force to spin her around. As she fell onto me back-first, I caught her with a smooth catch, absorbing her momentum. Before she could turn and zap me, I wrapped a hand around her right wrist and tried to capture the other, but had to pull back, as she almost grabbed me.

As Vianna braced her feet against the floor, pushing back into me, I stumbled. I used the backward momentum to yank the lightning-clad hand I was holding toward her body. As it neared her torso, the electricity dissipated, saving her from her own attack. But her right hand was now pinned against her opposite kidney. She twirled like a ballerina and tried to grab me with her still-free, electrified left hand, but I kept twisting us around, denying her an easy angle.

I pushed her away from me, maintaining only a grip on her wrist, and spun her around forcefully like a dance partner. She flailed her free hand, trying to regain her balance. I pulled her toward me again, this time face first, and managed to lock my fingers around her flailing wrist. A livid expression twisted her beautiful face as she glared at both of her hands, now trapped in my iron grip.

Desperately, she attempted to jump and double-kick my chest. Before she could leave the ground, I borrowed a move from Merengue and spun her into a ‘cuddle’ hold, pressing her back against me and trapping her arms against her sides.

She ground her bottom against me. “Are you…dancing with me, cousin?” she asked, winded.

A blinding wave of weakness and desire surged through me. My heart pounded fiercely, my whole body burning. The magical charm overwhelmed me, demanding I do everything, anything, for the woman in front of me.

My mind was a storm. ‘If she wanted my life, she should have it,’ a traitorous voice whispered. Meanwhile, Anetta was moaning in bliss, our connection looping into me, sinking me deeper into lethargy.

I was starting to lose my grip, and not just on Vianna’s wrists.

I bit my inner cheek with force, driving myself to clarity. A spurt of blood sprayed out of my mouth into Vianna’s luscious hair.

Regaining my focus just in time, I prepared to defend myself. As she lifted her left leg, trying to donkey-kick my crotch. Again—why? Why there?

I kicked her remaining grounded foot with my heel. As she began to fall with a yelp, I let go of her wrists and placed my hands on her upper back, ensuring she kissed the floor with maximum impact. She crashed down hard, her head ramming into the deck floor, leaving her unconscious.

As brief as the fight was, it has left me with hands on my knees, panting, for multiple reasons. The magical whammy she hit me with in the dining area, which had me so absorbed with her, was nothing compared to the serving I got during the fight. I was fighting not just her, but also myself. For a moment, I was ready to throw myself on my knees and offer up my life as a proof of my devotion.

“Shouldn’t you…kiss her or something after a session like that?” Anetta said, in a tired, blissful voice that I refused to acknowledge.

“What do you take me for, an amateur?” I said, while looking around for a rope. Failing to find any, I started to unwind a long, narrow cord that looped around my waist multiple times. It was a decorative, more than functional, part of the robes I was wearing. “I’m going to tie her up before this goes any further. We are going to have a little heart to heart when she wakes.”

“Ohhh…” Anetta husked. “Mind if I watch?”

“Get your head out of the gutter, young lady. And if you had an 'accident' in my head, you’ll clean all of that up yourself.”

“Yes, sir.” She whispered.