With a deep but shaky breath, Oriana sat by near the edge of the tub, making herself comfortable as she splashed water on his wide shoulder. His arms were spread on the side of the wall of the bathtub, so she thought to begin with them.
’Alright, the left arm. First, apply soap on the skin and then rub the dirt away with washing cloth.’
Arlan had his eyes closed and didn’t pay attention to her ministrations.
So calm and peaceful!
All the stress he had accumulated till now was fading away, like snow melting in the presence of fire.
His muscles relaxed with the help of the fragrant scent coming from Oriana’s body. She smelled better than the lavender soap she chose, even better than honeysuckle flowers themselves.
It was milder yet sweeter, more soothing...
Arlan wished he could bottle that scent and bring it around him all the time, wondering why it’s only her scent which felt tempting to his senses.
As he lay half-submerged in the water, he soon realized her hands were only going back and forth his right arm and shoulders.
"Are you washing or polishing my skin?" Arlan asked in amusement. "That’s a washcloth not a sandpaper in your hand. Careful you don’t accidentally turn my shoulder into a smooth mirror."."
"A-Apologies, my Lord," she replied as she snapped out of her daze. She placed her palm over his shoulder instead of just running her fingers half-heartedly to apply soap. She then began to scrub his other arm. "I have never done this before, I mean bathing another man so..."
"You should not dare," he warned.
"Huh?" She glanced at his face and saw him close his eyes, even tilting his head back as if to enjoy her ministrations.
She heard him say, "You are my personal attendant and you are not allowed to bathe anyone else but me."
"I won’t, my Lord," she answered, glad that he could not see her rolling her eyes at him. ’As if I go around giving other men baths. If not for my grandpa, even you would not have gotten this privilege, you noble brat. Once I get what I want, I will make sure to disappear like I never existed. Hmph, maybe I should bring my grandpa to cross to another kingdom.’
Immersed in her thoughts, Oriana did not realize she resumed rubbing the same shoulder with the washcloth and...
"Ahh!"
Arlan grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, bringing her hand with the washcloth towards his chest. Her face was so close to him that she could feel his hot breath against her cheek.
"I think my shoulders are clean enough. Have you never seen shoulders like mine, or are you a weird person with an unhealthy shoulder obsession?"
Oriana blinked in confusion, but struggled out of his grasp. To her dismay, Arlan refused to let her go. "I was lost in thought. Please forgive me, my Lord. This is really my first time—"
"Since that is your excuse, how about you take off your clothes and I teach you how to properly clean another person’s body? Don’t worry. I won’t deduct your pay. I will even pay you."
Her senses screamed only the word, ’Pervert!’
"What do you say?" she watched the smirk on his lips widen. "It’s nothing special for two grown men to bathe together."
"Verbal instructions are fine, my Lord." She tried to free her hand from his hold once more but his grip refused to loosen. She pleaded, "I will try my best. Give me one more chance."
She had to do her best before this pervert forced her to take her clothes off.
"Please let go. You are hurting my wrist..."
Arlan let go of her hand and she started to focus on all the exposed parts of his skin. She moved behind him and rubbed the wash cloth against his broad back. Arlan enjoyed that soft touch of her hand, but at the same time, it was affecting him in a different way. He shook his head lightly to get rid of any evil thoughts and focused on her calming scent.
Once she was done with the back, Oriana moved to sit on the other side of the bathtub where she faced him and could clean his chest. She gulped as she eyed that muscular chest. She was hesitant to begin, but then, she was relieved to see his eyes closed.
If he was staring directly at her, then it would have been difficult for her to do it.
Oriana might be living her whole life as a man, but she was no naive girl. Her womanly instincts rang alarms regarding matters of physical intimacy.
As she brought the soap towards his broad chest, she could not help but take advantage of feeling those solid muscles.
’Heh. His muscles are so firm. I thought they were hard as rocks, but they are somewhat solid yet supple. I have never touched a man’s body like this before and I must say it’s not that bad. It’s smooth and feels so nice under my palm. Are all men’s muscles like this or this brat just graced with a good body?’
Her hands surely enjoyed roaming his chest, and not being seen made her bolder.
’I am just helping him clean himself, nothing else.’
Arlan was fully aware of what she was doing, the way she touched his chest was just more than mere cleaning. It was affecting him as a man. He was trying his best to control his urges, but this woman was adamant on making it difficult for him.
’So bold!’
His hands clutched the sides of bathtub walls, the muscles of his arms tightening into cords, as her hands continued roaming around his torso.
’Is she asking for trouble? How dare this impertinent village girl take advantage of my royal body? Does she want me to show her what the consequences are when a woman plays with a man’s body?’