The morning sun filtered through the courtyard trees, casting dappled shadows over Evan as he worked. Elara and Maya had left shortly after breakfast, leaving him to the quiet rhythm of the house. He moved leisurely, feeding the chickens and ducks, the simple chores offering a peace he never would have found in the frantic, hollow rush of the modern world.
Still, Evan mused, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, it does get a bit lonely here without a beautiful woman to tease.
He carried a bucket of vegetable-washing water to the front gate. As the water splashed onto the dusty road, he caught a familiar, furtive movement at the corner of the street. His eyes narrowed.
"Her again. She really is like a persistent rash."
It was Ann. Like a vulture circling for scraps, she had been stalking the house for days, waiting for the moment the sisters vanished. Evan retreated into the yard and bolted the door, but the wood hadn't stopped vibrating before the inevitable knock followed.
He opened the gate just a crack. Ann was leaning there, a predatory, oily smile plastered on her face as she waved. "Good morning, Evan."
"Why are you here again?" Evan asked, his voice dripping with boredom. "I told you, the cakes are on the street. I have nothing for you here."
"Hehe, I know," she cooed, her eyes roaming over his lean frame. "I didn't come for the cakes. I came specifically to see you."
"Look at me? We have nothing to do with each other. Why keep coming back?"
"Look at what you said! We've met so many times now. Coming here every day... it only shows my true, deep feelings for you."
Evan snorted, leaning against the gate. Coming over with your shameless face as if I forced you, he thought with a flicker of revulsion. He remembered the conversation he'd overheard—how she planned to use him and then toss him to other women like a piece of meat. The sheer audacity of her calling herself a "gentle lady" made him want to laugh in her face.
"Evan, please show some mercy," Ann wheedled. "Open the door and let me in."
"Why should I? I don't trust you, Ann. You haven't even told me why you're so desperate to get inside."
"Why worry? I, Ann, have always been a gentle and decent lady. I just want to chat. I have no other ideas, I promise."
Gentle lady? Evan's internal monologue was a roar of mockery. No "decent lady" spent her days trying to break into a married man's home to force herself on him. But for the sake of the plan, he had to keep the game going.
"Fine," Evan said, a wicked, playful glint entering his eyes. "You can come in. But first, show me how much of a 'lady' you are. Bark for me. Three times."
"What? Bark like a dog?"
"Are you going to do it or not? If not, the door stays shut." He started to turn away.
"Wait! Woof! Woof! Woof!" Ann barked frantically, the sound echoing down the empty street.
Evan smiled, a cold, satisfied expression. It was fascinating to see how far a shameless person would degrade themselves for a bit of attention. It was like training a pet. "Good girl. Come in."
He opened the door and Ann practically stumbled inside, bolting the gate behind her as if she'd finally captured her prize.
They moved into the back room. Evan sat at the table, crossing one long leg over the other, sipping tea with a mature, untouchable grace. The thin fabric of his robes shifted with every move, offering glimpses of his collarbone. Ann swallowed hard, the room already feeling thick with her desperate heat.
"Evan, you must be so bored and lonely here all day," she whispered, her hands rubbing together greedily.
"It is boring," Evan admitted, propping his chin on his hand and looking at her through heavy lashes. "I've been thinking about getting a pet. A dog, perhaps."
Ann's eyes lit up with a disturbing hunger. She dropped to her knees right there on the floor and let out two eager, panting barks.
Pfft...
A sharp, feminine sound of laughter drifted from the shadows. Ann spun around, her face pale. "Who's there?" But there was only the silence of the room. Evan was covering his mouth with his hand, shaking with a silent laugh, making her believe the sound had come from him.
"Evan, how about I be your pet dog?" Ann said, her voice dropping into a husky, desperate crawl.
Evan used the toe of his shoe to tilt her chin up, looking down at her with a mix of amusement and contempt. "Sister Ann, you certainly look the part. You have a real talent for being a pet."
"I do! I'm very obedient. I'll do anything you want me to do."
"Oh, really? Let's see those skills, then." Evan plucked an apple from a plate and tossed it across the room. Without a second of hesitation, Ann scrambled on all fours across the floor, caught the fruit in her teeth, and crawled back to him, presenting it with her head bowed.
"Tsk, tsk. Truly amazing."
Evan took the apple from her teeth, wiped it on his robe like it was dirty, and tossed it aside. "Good dog."
Ann stood up, her chest heaving, her eyes wild. "I just want to have a very open and honest meeting with you, Evan."
"And how do we do that?"
"Of course... no more clothes."
In a frenzy of movement, Ann tore at her buttons. Underneath her dress, she was completely, shockingly naked—no underwear, no shame—her skin flushed a deep, mottled red. She was fully preparation for this, her body radiating a sweaty, desperate arousal. Evan looked at her, and while his body felt a flicker of heat, his mind was cold. He wouldn't touch this bitch if she was the last woman on earth.
Evan dodged her first lunge, his voice mock-offended. "Sister Ann! Why are you doing this? We were just chatting!"
"It's hot in here, Evan! I'm burning up!"
Ann chased him through the room, her naked body glistening, her heavy breasts swinging as she lunged. Evan led her on a chase, intentionally playing the role of the beautiful, cornered prey. To Ann, his scolding sounded like the sweetest invitation. She managed to snag his sleeve, the fabric tearing with a sharp rip as she finally cornered him against the large cabinet.
"Evan, don't run away... let me love you..."
Evan stood trapped against the dark wood, shaking his head in a display of panicked, beautiful desperation. "Sister Ann, please! I have a wife! You'll hurt me if you do this!"
He pitched his voice into a soft, coquettish prayer, looking like a man completely at her mercy. Ann was practically foaming at the mouth, her eyes dilated with lust. She reached out, her fingers trembling as she stroked his cheek, her body pressing closer to his.
"It's okay," she hissed, her breath hot on his lips. "That short cripple isn't here. No one will ever know what we do. Come on, baby... let my sister love you properly."
She leaned in, her eyes closing as she prepared to claim his mouth. But just as her lips were about to touch his, the cabinet door next to Evan's head flew open.
SLAP!
A powerful, calloused hand shot out, catching Ann squarely across her face. The force of the blow was so immense it sent her flying backward, her naked body hitting the floor with a heavy, sickening thud.