The World Is Mine For The Taking

Artemis brushed off her hands and went back to her shift like nothing had happened, walking with the same poise as before. But as she turned, her eyes locked onto mine.

"Yo," I said casually.

"L-Leon…!" she squeaked, her tough demeanor crumbling instantly. Just seconds ago she'd been a total badass, but now she stood there flustered, like a cute elven girl caught off guard.

She glanced around, then quickly leaned closer. "Wait for me. My shift will be over soon."

"Well, I guess I can do that," I said, taking a seat at one of the tables and ordering a drink.

When she came back with my mug, she held it out, but her eyes lingered on me. There was a look in them. It was a flicker of hunger and a spark of something close to horniness. Yeah… it had been too long, after all.

I decided to tease her. Quietly, so no one else would notice, I reached out under the table and gave her ass a quick squeeze.

"Kya!"

Her small yelp made me grin. She didn't let anyone else touch her, but she didn't seem to mind when it was me. That alone told me everything I needed.

She shot me a sharp glare, though her cheeks were pink. Then she leaned in close again, her voice low. "I told you to wait. We can do it after this."

Ah. So that's what she meant.

"I'll be looking forward to it," I said with a smirk tugging at my lips.

***

After a long while, Artemis finally wrapped up her duty for the day. The heavy atmosphere of work that clung to her seemed to peel away as she slipped back into her much more casual attire. Her shoulders sagged the moment she was free of the formal front she had to put up, and for the first time all day, she let out a tired breath.

"Ugh, I can't believe you would just come and visit me like that…" she muttered, her tone a mix of disbelief and exhaustion, as if my sudden appearance had truly caught her off guard. She exhaled a deep sigh, her lips curling slightly with frustration. "If you'd at least told me you were going to visit, I would've freshened up first."

I tilted my head, half-smiling. "I don't really mind if you smell a little sweaty, you know?"

"Well, I do mind," she shot back instantly, her voice sharp but laced with a hint of embarrassment. "Do you even know how long I've been working today? Practically the entire day. And all of my customers were those ragged mercenaries. They were loud, filthy and rough. Naturally, I'd be drenched in sweat after dealing with them for so long. The least I want right now is to step into a shower before anyone even thinks of coming near me."

Even as she complained, I found myself distracted. The way her hair clung faintly to her neck, the subtle damp sheen along her collarbone, and the faint but intoxicating scent that came off her skin—it stirred something inside me. She didn't smell foul, not at all. It wasn't the reek of unwashed sweat. Instead, it was this strangely addictive mix of her natural scent softened by a trace of sweetness. A raw, earthy fragrance that made my chest tighten and my thoughts run wild.

I leaned closer without thinking, letting the subtle warmth of her body wash over me, and I inhaled.

"W-What are you doing?" she stammered, her voice trembling as her face flushed a deep shade of red. "Sniffing me like that in public… Have some shame, please." She tried to back away, but her steps were small, hesitant with her blushing expression betraying that she wasn't as against it as she wanted to sound.

The corners of my lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Well, I couldn't help it. The thought that you're letting me touch you like this while you push away every other man out there… it stirs up my sense of possessiveness. You make it impossible not to."

"You really are a pervert, aren't you?" she shot back, though her voice wavered. "Come to think of it, when we first talked, weren't you swinging your cock left and right while you were walking? Like you didn't even care who saw?"

"Now isn't that a nostalgic memory to bring up," I replied, letting out a low chuckle.

She wasn't wrong. Our very first meeting flashed in my mind. That time, I had bought all the slaves from Martha's brothel. Artemis had been there too, hidden behind her undercover mission, her eyes sharp but her demeanor carefully disguised.

It was during that encounter that she first approached me, her voice steady as she spoke of the dire state of the elven race. From that moment, we built a strange rapport—one conversation turning into another, trust slowly being exchanged. And then, before either of us realized it, our relationship deepened into something neither of us had expected.

"I remember how smooth of a talker you were back then," she admitted now, her expression softening. "I couldn't believe it myself, but my heart actually swayed toward you."

"Well then," I said, stepping closer, "why don't we start by remembering that exact moment your heart swayed?"

Her cheeks turned crimson as she stuttered, "W-We should wait until we're somewhere private."

I shrugged lightly. "I don't think this is much of a public place."

"Y-You can't be serious." She glanced around frantically, her voice dropping lower. "It's not even that dark yet. There are still people moving around. As much as I'd love nothing more than to be in bed with you right now, I don't think I'd have the mental strength to actually go through with it in a place like this."

Even as she said it, her voice trembling and her face completely flushed, her eyes told me the truth—she wasn't fully against the idea. Her words and her heart weren't lining up, and I could feel the heat radiating from her skin.

And honestly… that only made the thought of pushing her against the wall of a dark alley and fucking her right then and there even more tempting.

"Ah, Leon…" she breathed suddenly, her voice breaking the silence.

Her blush deepened, her lips parted, and her eyes darted nervously.

"Don't grab my butt like that," she whispered, almost squeaking.

I grinned. "Your cute little butt is just too irresistible. My hand seems to have a will of its own—it reached out all by itself, completely unconsciously."

"You really can't control yourself, can you? You pervert," she murmured, her voice trembling as if scolding me, though her face was glowing red.

"Well, I can't hold it back any longer. It's been way too long since we last did it," I told her, my voice heavier than before.

"Y-You pervert…" she muttered again, lowering her gaze before quickly darting her eyes around us, her blush spreading down her neck.

By chance, we had stopped near a narrow alleyway, the shadows stretching just enough to cover what the open street couldn't.

And then… with slow, deliberate force, she pressed her hand against my chest, guiding me backward as she led me into the dark alley.