Scent

Yuan Shun took out a massive plate of rice, short ribs with vegetables. He then picked up some food with his wooden chopsticks and reached out towards her mouth.

"Don't you have an extra pair of chopsticks?" She asked.

"Not with me," he said. "Just take it. Are you afraid of some germs? You weren't like this with my fingers yesterday."

Shi Yen flushed. She opened her mouth to speak. "I—" but Yuan Shun had shoved the food in her mouth.

With knitted brows, Shi Yen began to chew slowly. Yuan Shun smiled and dug for some chopsticks in the take-out bag he had.

So he had lied!

He then passed them to her, but her anger dissipated when she swirled the meat and vegetables in her mouth.

"I'm only eating with you because I'm hungry," she said to him, picking more food from his plate. Yuan Shun only grinned sideways.

Shi Yen then ended up sharing half the plate with him, and it filled her up nicely. She slumped on the couch, trying to pass the fullness she felt.

Yuan Shun picked up the dish and cleaned up after them, heading to his kitchen, and he returned shortly after.

Shi Yen's nostrils then flared again. Something smelt good, but this time, it wasn't food.

Yuan Shun sat on the couch again when she began to sniff. She started to move around, looking for the scent, following it. It was a great sample to compete with for Shi Ailin's collection idea. She then realized the smell had expelled from Yuan Shun.

She crawled on the couch, moving towards him. She then pressed her face against his neck suddenly, sniffing. Yuan Shun's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" he questioned hoarsely.

"Quiet," she said sharply.

Her nose followed the scent, trying to pick up the ingredients. She climbed on Yuan Shun, desperately trying to find it on the side of his neck it clung to, hovering over his skin with an oh-so-little gap. She picked up guaiac wood and something else she couldn't pinpoint, but it had a faint vanilla-rose scent.

The idea of how to market the new cologne and perfume then popped into her head; she knew what to do as soon as she got to work the next day.

She kept searching. Her palm lay on his chest, and she felt it beating rapidly. Shi Yen then realized the position she put them both in.

She watched as his face flushed, and his breathing had gone ragged. He didn't face her, so Shi Yen leaned down again, and he appeared to be pained.

She felt him resist a bit, and her lips curved into a feline smile. She couldn't tell if he didn't like being teased or if he wanted it too much and didn't know what to do about it.

The need for physical touch was a tricky thing, almost too difficult to resist if you desired someone. But did Yuan Shun desire her?

Shi Yen felt like testing it, and certainly, she wanted to bother him.

She bent down again, but instead of smelling him, she kissed his smooth neckline. He jolted in surprise, and it compelled her to dive in further.

He had a metallic taste because of the cologne he wore, but she didn't mind.

"Yen…don't," he breathed.

"You want me to stop?" her voice was smooth and crisp, seductive.

He didn't answer.

Shi Yen kissed him again, leaving marks, and she didn't understand why she was doing this. It was extreme, even for her. But if it's torturing him, then so be it.

She moved her way down when she felt him grip her thighs. Shi Yen shuddered and gasped, surprising herself. This wasn't supposed to affect her in any way.

Yuan Shun straightened. He quickly grabbed her chin gently, her eyes widening. "I want to hear that sound again," he said huskily.

"No," she replied.

His eyes narrowed, looking at her dangerously. This was a dangerous game, and the end of it was unpredictable.

"I know you're going to kill me afterwards, or ignore me, whatever…but who the hell cares at this point," he said.

"What do you mean—?"

His lips pressed onto hers.

Shi Yen looked at him eye-wide; their eyes met. It took her seconds to respond to him. She hesitantly opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to slide in, and he kissed her fast and frantic.

Shi Yen knew he was good, but he was so…maybe it was all this time she hadn't been touched by a man that he swept her in so frantically. Maybe it was the attraction she couldn't deny; in a crowded room, Yuan Shun always stood out.

It certainly didn't dispel her desire to hurt him, but he was so attractive that if he wanted to fuck her, she might let him.

He pulled away, their bodies tensed, their mouths breathing hard, connected by saliva.

Yuan Shun grasped her tightly in his arms, kissing her harder. He held her, gently letting her down on the sofa. She whimpered, jolted, and trembled beneath him, but then she gave into it wholly.

Yuan Shun knew that this was only for a moment. Afterward, Shi Yen would pretend as if nothing happened as she always did. But he had to remember that this was a game between them and he couldn't lose as she wanted him to. She kissed him to torment him, and he kissed her back to torment her.

And yet…it didn't feel torturous; it felt hot and erotic.

Shi Yen wrapped her legs around him, surprising him. Her tongue swirled in his mouth, driving him senseless. He felt the heat of her skin through her too-thin clothing. She felt her softness because she was wearing a chemise, a thin layer that almost felt like skin on its own.

Shi Yen was already too comfortable in the house and around him also.

Yuan Shun felt her knee brush his groin gently. She felt him, going up, almost measuring the size of him as she traced his print. Yuan Shun shivered and hardened.

Shi Yen's eyes widened, and she blushed. She then pulled away from him, and her eyes darted over his face.

Breathlessly, she said, "Don't tell anyone about this!"

Shi Yen then pushed him away, and it wasn't difficult, considering she had the strength to fold him like a pretzel. But she stood up quickly and walked away.

During this round of their game, it seemed to be a draw—only, they had both lost.