DISCLAIMER:

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic and mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval system without the permission of the author.

Copyright © 2023 by Delton Ruu

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to an actual person, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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"ALL SET AND DONE!" Deatriz beamed at her daughter Jiatriz after she finished braiding her long, wavy locks.

Her baby girl grew up so fast that she didn't even notice it. Not long ago, she was still a restless baby that kept on fuzzing in her arms. Now, with her quick intuition, wit, and sassy attitude, she's a fast-growing version of herself with her father's face.

The whole family is currently spending their summer vacation in her mother's hometown. It is a much-awaited vacation. After countless thwarted planning attempts of trying to realize said plan because something urgent always comes up, postponing it again and again, finally, it's happening. The last time she came for a visit was when she conceived her now seven-year-old daughter.

Reminiscing such a memory gives her bittersweet nostalgia. She returned to this place, her maternal roots then, out of wanting to forget a heartbreak. She already readied herself for a life her Baylan grandmother chose for her. Betrothed to marry the head of their royal clan's house may not be that bad. But on the day before her wedding, her Lola met the now father of her daughter. Unknown to her, he followed her here from Shanghai, China, to win her back. Her grandmother was against him at first. But because of a premonition, she saw when she accidentally touched him as she tried to stop him from seeing her, everything changed.

"Will jeungjohalmoni like me once we get there, Eomma?" A hopeful expression graced the visage of a mini LoL legend in her leaf-printed pastel green jumper and white sneakers.

"Definitely." The corporate lawyer fixed the strap of her forest green kiddie knapsack. "She'd been calling us every hour for updates when we were still in Seoul. It tripled the moment we landed in Mactan," she added as she straightened the sleeves of her white undershirt. "That's how excited your great-grand Lola is to meet you."

"Why can't you and Appa come with us now?"

The child's raising of her right eyebrow and quirking of her lips instantly transformed into reminiscent of herself when she was her daughter's age. This made her adore her baby girl more.

Because your Eomma and her secret lover badly need an 'us' time. He discreetly followed me here just to see me. We have to seize the moment while your Appa is preoccupied with his behind-schedule online streaming and you on your Lola's affections and the wonders of this place. You'd get to enjoy and savor the fresh air, pristine beaches, and lush greens of the farm, and at the same time discover and learn the unique traditions of the pintados whom you'll inherit when the right time comes.

"Appa and Samchon CC still have to complete their online streams. They've been behind schedule because they helped prepare and fulfill our much-awaited vacation." She held her baby girl's heart-shaped face and pinched it. "Then Imo Fei-Fei and I have urgent calls from work that need immediate attention. Don't worry though. We'll all be there before you know it, hmmm?"

"Fine." She crossed her chubby arms and formed her lips into a pucker. "Just hurry."

"Yakssok." Dea raised her right pinkie and waited.

"We'll ride a pony, climb coconut trees, then bathe on the beach afterward?"

"Ne."

"Yan-Yan showed me a picture in his tablet where there are rows of mangroves along the tidal shores on the beach near the coconut farm. He said there were lots of shrimps and crabs hiding below its huge roots. Can we catch those, too?"

"Ne, we can," she vigorously nodded and smiled. "We will also pick sea shells during low tide if you like."

"I'd want that very much."

"Ne. I'd want it too."

Jiatriz stared at her offered pinkie for a few moments, still suspicious, but agreed in the end. She finally entwined her right little pinkie into hers, sealing their promise. Afterward, Deatriz gave her daughter one tight hug.

"Don't give Samchon Ali and Samchon Lyles trouble, ok?" she reminded her one last time.

"I won't." Her cute offspring solemnly raised her head and met her eyes head-on.

"Samchon Ali is scary when mad and... I don't wanna mess with Daurhxeez."

Deatriz chuckled at the mention of Malik Dex, Ali for short, and Myles Druhv, Lyles to close people. Both are her younger brothers and also professional E-Sports players. The second youngest is known for his fiery temper and the youngest has an uncanny fascination with arachnids. Daurhxeez is his goliath bird-eater tarantula, and she's huge. Its body is the size of an adult's palm, with eight legs around 11 inches long each.

"Good to know you're now learning to assess situations whether you'll win or not in an argument or fight."

"Cloned mama taught me," Jia beamed at the mention of Deatriz's older twin sister, Deafei. "And Yan-Yan too," then giggled at the mention of her cousin, her Imo Deafei's son, Feiyan.

A melodious laugh came from LiTeq's administrator. It was disrupted when they heard a knock.

"That must be your cousin fetching you." She took her daughter's hand and ushered her to the door. "Let's go!"

But an icy visage identical to hers greeted them instead.

"Imho Fei-Fei!" Her daughter suddenly beamed then bounced and dived for a tight hug that her doppelganger returned but both their eyes never left each other as if they were silently communicating.

"Is Ji-Hoonie back?"

"Nope, not yet." The corporate attorney suspiciously responded. Why?"

"Nothing." She shrugged. "I'll take Jiapot to where the others are."

"Thank you?" Was all Dea could respond as she watched her usher her daughter towards the other room because she was discombobulated at her twin sisters' weird behavior.

***

"YOU'RE LATE."

The corporate lawyer's back stood ramrod stiff when she heard the low baritone voice coming from behind. It caught her off-guard. He was always late during their trysts. Always.

Secret meetings like this give Mary Deatriz Jeong-Li, then Chief Legal Officer and Chief Financial Officer but now the current executrix of Li Technologies, more known as LiTeq, a Shanghai-based telecommunications group of companies that cater to ICT solutions, an unexplained thrill. She's currently married to Jian Hao Li, LiTeq's rightful owner, but willingly obliged to give all management rights to his other half. It wasn't out of love. Heck no! But because he preferred to pursue his chosen field, which is E-Sports. Yes, he's a professional E-sports player, and he owns
Phoenix Gaming, the South Korean team that houses the LoL legend, Ji-Hoon 'Rogue' Heo, among other things. And because all he thinks about is his precious League of Lemuria, he failed to notice that his wife, has other needs only he could fulfill but failed to. Which led her to look for someone who can. Hence, these illicit meetings which often happen if chances like now, that her family is currently vacationing in a private resort located at Cebu City, Philippines, are given.

After locking the door, she turned around and squinted, trying to see since all curtains were closed. Only the subdued light emanating from a low-wattage lamp located on a small side table beside the double-sized bohemian rattan bed served as a beacon for the entire room. The tropical summer heat is nonexistent inside since the air conditioning is set to full blast.

A calm expression graced her stoic face when she saw movements on top of the bed. It's a reflex action that she adapted from working in a field dominated by men, over time when dealing with possible threats.

"Who are you?" she asked as she walked with caution, tightly holding the straps of her huge corduroy canvas bag. They are both fond of role-playing and every time they discreetly meet, she brings costumes and props for them. Now, said bag can also be used as a weapon.

Her mysterious obtruder clucked its tongue and then sighed. "That glacial tenor in your voice is a clear giveaway of your murder intent, Meiko Sakurada-Li."

The frosty expression shifted to a full-blown glower. "Why are you early? I thought you still have a two-hour session to make up for your online streaming."

"I rescheduled."

Dea suddenly felt that all too familiar throb when a migraine was about to come down on her. Oh yeah! There's only one person that can press all her right buttons at the wrong time. So yes, this is her guy.

Nobody knows but her immediate family about her real full birth name. It is an S-tier information everyone wants to keep. As to why, let's just say it's for world peace. And because her boy toy can keep secrets like this, she can forego the migraines he gives her and still keep him. A huge part of his irresistible charm is giving her pain. It's what fuels their secret affair that's been going on for years now.

The said attorney gritted her teeth. "Exceptional evading maneuvers you have there, mister. Escaping the Sakurada Clan's hawk-eyed twenty-four-hour surveillance is something, especially those of my twin sister and her eight-year-old son."

"I have my ways," he winked. Squeaky sounds were heard as he slowly crawled toward the other side of the bed.

"Remind me to pay CC a visit later, whom I know is occupying one of the cottages nearby. I owe him a reward for keeping his mouth shut about our affair with my husband. And of course, being a loyal friend and colleague to both of you, too."

Cyan Carl Hsu Yi Xe, a fellow professional E-Sports player and owner of Cyan Blue Gaming, a well-known LoL team for the Chinese region and successor of ShuStatic Summit, a Hong Kong-based top-notch broadcast media group of companies, is married to her older twin sister. She is an attorney too, but unlike her; hers is in the field of criminal law.

She heard him chuckle as he patted the space of the bed. "Is that an open declaration of war against your doppelgänger?"

"Fine."

She brusquely dropped her bag on the side of the bed after she sat, arms crossed, her back to him near the spot where he patted and silently brooded.

A pair of arms snaked around Dea's waist, followed by wet, sloppy kisses at the back of her exposed neck.

"So, are we gonna continue this or I'll just leave you on to your sulking?" He whispered as he nibbled her right ear while his now adventurous hands, right one going south and left one, north copping a feel at both her delicious spots at the same time.

An involuntary purr escaped her lips. "Continue. I barely survive, daily battling your conglomerate wars for you as well as your daughter's ever-suspicious attitude. I deserve this."

"My poor yobo yonggam!" He obeyed and continued his sweet, gentle massages as he now moves his tantalizing nibbles to her right ear only to stop because she suddenly stood up and turned to face him.

"I forgot our role-play!" She exclaimed. "I'll go change."

"Set it aside for now." Her beau stood up and then stopped her hand from picking up the bag she dropped at the side of the bed earlier. "I have other plans."

"Ooooh!" She turned around and seductively pulled him to her. Her eyes twinkled as her exploring hands ran on the hard, muscular texture of his lean six-pack abs and felt the heat permeating from his naked body. "You prepared something for me."

"Consider this-- He peppered her forehead, eyes, nose, and cheeks with adorable little kisses while his hands nimbly removed her clothes. '...my reward for being such a diligent and -- Captured her lips for a scorching French kiss. '...perfect enforcer for me."

"I like that you're already primed for me." The corporate lawyer's hungry hands went in for the kill and grabbed his erect member.

"Nu-uh!" Her hand was quickly intercepted by his. "Not yet."

He lifted and carried her to the bed, then dropped her unceremoniously. Before she could sit up, he deftly reached toward the nightstand. Faster than lightning, arctic metal snapped around her wrist.

Dea's eyes snapped open, and she gasped in alarm. "What the...?"

"I'll be in charge." He snatched both wrists, cuffed and still uncuffed, then lifted them over her head.

"No!" she screeched. "Ji-Hoon 'Rogue' Heo, you will free me this instant!"

"May I remind you that you lost in our latest bet?"

The living legend wickedly smiled as he returned to that fond memory of their playful banter as to how long it will take for their daughter to discover his corporate alter ego. She betted until 10, and he betted around 7. Their baby girl celebrated her seventh birthday two months ago and demanded its time she formally met her Chinese haraboji. Thanks to their child genius nephew, with whom she frequently hangs out, learned the basics of unearthing crucial information and now demanded that their next vacation stop will be in Shanghai.

"So whatever right or power you have over our indecent escapade right now is forfeited." He inserted the chain through one of the bars in the headboard, then fastened the free cuff to her other wrist.

"You shackled me to the bed!"

"It's a part of today's role play, as well as your payment," he smirked. "Also, haven't you learned by now? Beneath this calm and cool exterior is a hardened player."

She tried to free herself but to no avail. "These are real handcuffs. In bondage, we aren't supposed to use real ones. Should be something that can easily be removed."

"You see, I'm so twisted that it's no longer a surprise to me." He ran his fingers along the underside of her arm, just above the armpit. As she tugged against the metal restraints, her skin spiked with enticing waves of pleasurable sensations.

"Don't you know there are rules for this?" She panted as he found a nipple, drew it deep into his mouth, and sucked. "There's a... protocol!"

"I should care because?"

He continued to suck her now fully aroused nipple, but she wouldn't let herself give in to the delightful shivers until she'd made her point. "You play dirty and I don't like it!" She suppressed a moan.

"Where's the excitement if I play by the rules?" He settled back on his heels, parted her knees, and inspected that part of her anatomy that was begging for his attention.

She pouted.

His fingers played in the dark curls, eyes not leaving hers. "Well?"

She caught her lip between her teeth. "I... ah... I've researched this before."

"Hmmm..." The husky timbre of his voice vibrated through her senses. The motion of his fingers felt like a hot smooth silk, stroking and probing. "You also need... a code word to use... ahhhh... if it goes out of hand."

"I think it's ok." He disregarded his caress too soon, moved up on her body.

"They're supposed to be weird words." She gripped the bars of the rattan-made headboard. "Like 'liver-disturber' or 'kidney-buster'. I mean it, Jiji..." A moan slipped out before she could repress it. "If I say... 'liver-disturber,' it means you've... ahh... gone too far and you have to stop."

"Eh? That's a major turnoff." He fondled her breasts, molded them in his hands, then feasted. He pulled away from her breast. "I'd prefer 'buffed Oppa' Or 'raging Jagiya' Or..." he again whispered in her ear.

"That's lewd." She shifted her thigh ever so slightly to rub against him. He was so hard she shivered. He brushed her armpit and made another suggestion. She strained against the cuffs. "Very lewd."

"How about this?" His whisper changed to a dark purr.

"That's salacious."

"Wonderful! We just found our magic word."

Her hips arched off the bed. "I'd still use 'liver-disturber'."

"Huh?" He pulled away from her breast. "What the hell is..." He paused and decided not to continue. "Forget I even asked."

Just like that, he moved away from her. He settled back on his heels between her spread-out legs so their bodies were no longer touching.

And waited.

Despite the wicked gleam in his eye, it took her lust-filled mind to understand. When was she going to learn to rein her mouth in? She searched for a bit of pride, not easy to do in her current, delicate position. "You can disregard that."

"Are you sure?"

Ain't he just Mr. Pompous? "I'm sure."

"In case you haven't noticed, you're in your birthday suit, shackled to the bed with no chance of rescue, and about to be ravished."

"Uh-huh." She slid her knee higher on the bed.

He traced the soft curls with his thumb, enjoying the view. She felt his desire burning as hot as her own and heard the dark, erotic note beneath his voice. "I don't just make my living crushing dungeons inside territories. I threaten everybody who represents arrogance, complacency, and the Lemuria way. And-- not to put my fine a point on it-- your only protection from me is an outdated term for my exquisite toot-toot."

She moved her legs farther apart to demonstrate that she wasn't entirely helpless. At the same time, she vowed to herself that she wouldn't rest until she'd used those handcuffs on him, too. If not today, but next time.

"I see what you mean." He inserted his digit inside her. "Now, be quiet, or else our ever-suspicious daughter will immediately find out we're not in our cottage doing the excuse you have given her. She's only two cottages away from us, waiting for Lyles to finish his packing."

And indeed, he pleasured her. Expertly. First with his mouth and hands, then with his body. Moving on top of her, pushing inside. Tormenting her until she heard herself plead with utmost need. Their series of lovemaking has always been a combination of tender and rough. But that's the way she wants it. Utterly pleased that her before, so timid half of a soulmate is now a wanton seducer only for her.

"Not yet, yobo yonggam." He gave her another scorching, demanding kiss and thrust deeper. "Not till I am ready."

He was more than set. His muscles tensed as though he were the one tied. This burning satisfaction was costing him even more than it was costing her. He thrust deeper into her core. She wrapped her legs around him. They moved together, cried out together . . .

In the end, the bond that held them as one fortified.