It's been a week since he had a peaceful sleep for more than 8 hours, Temari cured his insomnia. Shikamaru woke up facing her, she looks so peaceful while sleeping. He never tries to look at the woman he had sex with after he woke up. Not with her, he didn't even have sex with her but the happiness he felt when he saw her first thing in the morning warms his heart. He runs his hands through her soft hair, removing all the strands that fall from her face and tucking it behind her ears. He then caresses her shoulder, attempting to pull her closer to him. He's ready to lay his head above hers and keep her in his chest.
"Taku" she said in a low voice while still asleep.
It was so low it almost becomes a whisper but Shikamaru caught it, he heard it.
"Taku? Who the fuck is Taku!?"
"I love you, Tak—" she said it in the same low voice
He remembers the pain again, the same pain he felt when Maki was wed to some young Lord. Now, he hated the person who named Taku. He gripped the blanket and turned his body around to the other side, and he tucked himself forcefully then he falls asleep.
He woke up again seeing Temari in the window drinking coffee in a cup.
"Good morning my Lord, did you enjoy your sleep?"
He gets up from bed without saying anything, he didn't even look at her, and then he walked to his wardrobe. Temari saw it and narrowed her eyes at him.
"I guess that's a no to my question. The Lord seems upset after waking up?"
He still didn't answer. She thought he's playing some mind games with her; she didn't like that. A knock was heard on their door.
Knock Knock
"My Lord and Lady, the breakfast is ready. Should I bring 2 breakfast meal in here?"
Temari answered "Just one meal, I'll join the ladies downstairs later"
Shikamaru counters "Bring two, she'll have it in here"
She frowned at him with a clenched jaw and crossed arms. Shikamaru then gave her an icy stare in return.
"Care to tell the problem?" She asked
"I don't know, why not ask Taku about it?"
She gasps like her jaw just broke; she fixed her posture and looks down at the floor. She felt her eyes were a little heavy so she walked to the window and look upward.
Shikamaru saw her tears falling when walking to the window and felt sorry about it. He started rubbing his face with his palm.
"I'm sorry" he said
She might have a lover and it pains him to imagine seeing her with someone other than him. It pains him. He realized he cannot let her go, not again, not this time.
She rubbed the tears in her eyes "Did I call his name in my sleep?" She chuckles "Silly me, sorry my Lord I am not aware"
"You're asleep, it's not your fault"
"Two months ago, he died" She tucked in her lips "He—we escaped from my family to live together"
He listened to every word she said, he did not know what pains him more, seeing her crying or the story that she was spilling.
"But we were caught, then he died" Some part of him felt sorry but some part felt relieved.
He walked towards her and grab her shoulder, forcing her to turn around. He pulled her closer to his chest and let her head bury his neck. His arms wrapped around her waist, securing her.
"I'm sorry" He feels something intimate and warm.
They only break apart when breakfast came to their room.
What he did earlier surprised her, she didn't know his embrace could be that comfortable. Did I say Taku's name while asleep? It has been two months since he died, and she didn't even have the chance to see his body. He hated her father and she misses her brothers. Once she claimed Lord Nara's wealth, she will get her brothers and ask them to stay with her. The idea begins to hurt her, where did this pain come from? She shakes her head. No, I need to kill him! Her mind said yes but her heart says no.
She opened her wardrobe and get the bottle of arsenic, the chemical which mimics natural death. She holds it tight and immediately returns it inside. Temari saw the rules of the seduction book and flipped to the next page.
Her fingers run to one page of the book. She sighs heavily and prepares herself to execute the next rule.
Rule of seduction: Create temptation – lure your victim
Lure the target deep into your seduction by creating the proper temptation: a glimpse of the pleasures to come. You must awaken a desire in your targets that they cannot control.
She looked around the mansion but failed to find him. One servant said he was at the lake behind the mansion, near the deer forest. She walked straight to find the lake that the servant was talking about. It was a long walk and she almost got lost. A splashing sound was heard from her west and started walking towards it. She found him swimming in the lake, only wearing his lower garment.
"Fancy seeing you here my Lord"
"Temari!? What are you doing here? How did you find me?" He was surprised.
"I heard this mansion has a lake so I got curious" She smiled at him
His facial expression becomes bright "Come swim with me"
"Oh, sorry. No—I cannot swim" She's serious about it, she cannot swim. There's no lake in the desert.
"I haven't met someone who cannot swim, let's go I'll guide you" He insisted
She's hesitant at first, she really doesn't know how to swim and might drown. But he offered, might as well try it.
"Is it okay for a Tori to kill a Lord if she drowns…or almost drowns?"
He laughed "I would not let that happen Princess, come on" He walked to the edge of the lake to reach her hand.
She starts to undress, leaving only her inner garments. Shikamaru was stunned, his cheeks were flushing. He had seen a lot of women without clothes but seeing her with only her inner garments makes his heart run in laps.
She reached for his hands and follow his lead; his hands were warm.
At first, she's doing great, the water reached above her chest and she's trying to float. Shikamaru was holding her arms and standing on her left side. When they reached the deep part of the lake, she stumbled over a rock that tipped her down. She panicked and grab Shikamaru instantly, he laughed at her.
"I'm going to kill you"
He still laughed and spilled sorry to her. Suddenly they realized they're so close together, their faces become red. Temari! The next rule! The next rule! Her mind is shouting at her.
Their faces were inches close and her breast touched his chest. Her hands wrapped around his broad shoulder. She saw him looking at her lips, she wet them and try to bite the lower part. His gaze shift to her eyes, it's her queue to kiss him. The rule is to create temptation.
She pulled his head towards her, and their lips touched. She kissed him passionately; her stomach was churning and her eyes were leaking tears from the warmth of her body. He kissed back, gentle at first but turned to a vicious kiss. She can feel he was craving for it, she felt that he wanted it more than she does.
His hands become tighter, gripping her waist and pulling her closer to him. She caresses the back of his head and his hair was now loose. She runs her hands down to his chest and then back to his hair. The chill sound of the forest was muted by their moan and heavy breathing. They continued kissing and caressing each other's bodies. Shikamaru's hand starts wandering under her garments and unhooks her bra. He starts touching her breast and starts kissing her neck, drawing downward.
Temptation: a glimpse of the pleasures to come. Stop Temari, you only need to tempt him!
Temari pulled away. She hooks her bra immediately and turns away. Shikamaru stops her and starts kissing her lips and neck.
"Temari, no..please stay…stay" He grabbed her shoulders firmly and looked into her eyes.
She holds his face and rubs her thumb to his lips "Please forgive me Lord Nara, not now"
His eyes were full of disappointment and resentment "You cannot do this Temari, I'm begging you"
"I promise you, some other time. Not now"
She walked away from the lake where Shikamaru stands alone full of displeasure.