Afterwards

As the lust began to fade, and heavy, pleasant lethargy sets in, you didn't pull away. Instead of rolling over or heading for the shower, you shifted your weight, rolling onto your side but keeping your arms wrapped firmly around her. You tucked your head into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent.

Rikako stiffened. Her body, which had been fluid and receptive moments ago, went rigid. "What are you doing?" she asked, confused.

"Cuddling," you murmured, pulling the duvet over both of your cooling bodies. "I want to stay like this for a minute."

She let out a small, sharp laugh, though it sounded more like a huff of disbelief. "You’re a strange one, John-sama. You’ve had what you wanted. The lesson is over."

"Is it?" you asked, tightening your grip slightly. "I thought the lesson was about how to treat a woman."

Rikako stayed silent for a long moment. You could feel her heart slowing down beneath your palm. "Your grandfather," she started, her voice distant, "he is a man of business. When he comes here, it is an appointment. He takes his fill, he leaves a gift or a directive, and he exits. He doesn't linger. He doesn't... touch, unless it's to provoke a reaction."

"And my father?"

"Your father is a man of ego," she said, and you could hear the smirk in her voice. "He wants to prove he is better than the man who came before him. Three times in a day, as I told you. He wants to conquer. Once he has conquered, he moves on to the next map. My husband... well, he treats this house like a gallery. I am a prize to be maintained, not a person to be held."

She tried to pull back slightly to look at your face. "None of them stay. They don't want the connection. They want the release." She smirked. "And you already have yours."

"True. But I read somewhere that cuddling lets the hormones do their thing," you said, trying to sound more confident than you felt. "Oxytocin. The bonding hormone. It’s supposed to be the best part."

Rikako sighed, a long, weary sound that made her seem every bit of the forty-odd years she claimed. "That is exactly why they don't do it. That is the 'wrong' thing to do in our world, little master."

You pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes. Her hair was a mess, her makeup slightly smudged, and for the first time, she didn't look like the poised, untouchable woman who had greeted you at the door.

"The world won't end because we stayed close for twenty minutes. Let’s just enjoy it."

Rikako looked at you for a long beat, searching your face for the deception she was clearly used to. Finding none, her shoulders finally dropped. The tension bled out of her. She reached up, her fingers tracing the line of your jaw, before she slowly settled her head back onto your chest.

"You really are different," she whispered. "God help you, John-sama. You’re going to be a very dangerous man if you keep that heart of yours."

"I'll take my chances," you replied.

You leaned down, and this time, the kiss wasn't about technique or instruction. It was slow, soft, and tasted of a strange, newfound intimacy. As you held her in the quiet of the affluent bungalow, the shadows of your father and grandfather seemed to fade from the room, leaving only the two of you in the stillness of the afternoon.