The two headed towards the suburban hot springs, a place bustling with visitors every day. Today, the entire hot springs had been reserved by Jason, which clearly indicated a lavish expenditure.
Aurora was intent on discussing an order with Jason, unaware of the trap Eric had laid for her.
Upon reaching the hot springs, Jason and Bella had already arrived.
“Our little Rory seems a bit off today,” Jason remarked, noticing something amiss in Aurora’s demeanor.
“Just a bit of a cold, nothing serious,” Aurora replied, her lips slightly chapped as the wind tousled the strands of hair by her temples.
Eric reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, a gesture he had long wanted to make, especially during his visits to her office. Aurora was always focused on her work, occasionally a strand of hair would fall, adding a touch of allure to her serious demeanor. Though it was just a small lock of hair, it stirred something within him.
This type of intimate gesture was usually reserved for Julian, and suddenly having Eric do it felt somewhat strange to her. Unconsciously, she stepped backward, maintaining a safe distance between them, even in her slightly unclear state of mind, she remained wary of others.
Eric, finding no place to rest his hands, faced an awkward moment, and Bella’s gaze briefly swept across them with a hint of hurt.
“The wind is rather strong today, let’s go inside. I’ve had everything prepared, and after soaking in the hot springs, we can talk more leisurely,” Jason quickly intervened to ease the awkwardness.
They walked into a courtyard styled in traditional Japanese fashion, with winding cobblestone paths, artfully placed rockeries, and bamboo from which clear water flowed. Despite it being autumn, and the trees beginning to wither, the bamboo remained evergreen.
A gust of wind brought the rustle of leaves to their ears, sounding particularly elegant.
If the exterior was already meticulously crafted, the interior was even more uniquely designed in a Japanese style. The staff, dressed in beautiful kimonos, greeted them, “This way, please. The women’s changing room is over here,” a server in wooden clogs directed Aurora and Bella to a nearby cabin to change.
Aurora and Bella had no prior interactions, and perhaps it was just her imagination, but Aurora felt Bella’s gaze upon her was odd. It was as if she was sizing her up, inspectively, as if wanting to know even her exact measurements.
“Do I have something on me?” Aurora finally asked, unable to hold back.
“Nothing,” Bella replied coldly, her eyes still holding a trace of resentment.
Aurora thought Bella might be jealous, but since she had no interaction with Jason at all, it seemed excessive for Bella to be so petty. Especially as Aurora undressed, Bella’s gaze unashamedly lingered on her chest.
Aurora had a figure that was admired among women, tall and curvaceous, it was no wonder Julian was so captivated by her.
Bella hadn’t realized she was so endowed; even from just a back view, she was incredibly enticing, no wonder Eric was so infatuated.
Aurora dressed in a bathrobe, tied up her hair, and covered herself with a kimono, which suited her well, exuding a classic beauty with such simple attire.
Bella, being mixed-race, presented a different charm in a kimono.
Aurora had thought the hot springs were separated by gender, hoping to sweat out her cold, but only under the guidance of the staff did she realize it was a mixed bathing area.
Despite living by the seaside, where sightings of people sunbathing in bikinis or even nude were commonplace, she still felt slightly uncomfortable wrapped in just a towel among two men and two women.
Bella and Jason, being a couple, were somewhat comfortable. However, Aurora felt odd around Eric, her cousin of about the same age.
“You’re not that conservative, are you? It’s just a hot spring; we’re not going naked,” Bella said as she shed her kimono and stepped barefoot into the spring. Nearby, two handsome men were already enjoying the water.
Eric removed his glasses. Usually dressed in refined attire, his face seemed somewhat mischievous without the spectacles blocking his features. Meanwhile, Jason’s eyes were fixed on Bella as she stripped down to her towel and stepped into the water, her long, beautiful legs drawing his gaze. He wrapped one arm around Bella’s slender waist. Given his relationship with her, she couldn’t exactly protest, and despite Eric’s presence, she had to maintain a smile.
“Come on, Rory, don’t be shy,” Jason teased.
Eric leaned lazily against the stone wall, his hands casually resting on the edge, silently observing Aurora. She was dressed in a blue and white floral kimono with a tasseled Japanese pendant in her neatly pinned-up hair. Her long, slender legs had been visible beneath her garment as she approached, quickening his heartbeat. Her attire added a classical charm and a touch of allure, the belt accentuating her graceful figure.
Aurora laughed self-deprecatingly, wondering why she was overthinking this communal bath that many friends and family had frequented. She wasn’t typically conservative, having worn particularly sexy bikinis on the beach herself.
Through the rising steam, she caught Eric’s gaze; his posture was reminiscent of an ancient monarch. Dismissing her impractical thoughts, Aurora’s fingers slowly traced to the belt at her waist, her movements tantalizingly slow.
Unaware, Eric swallowed hard, feeling as if only he and Aurora remained in the world, her presence like that of a concubine performing a seductive undressing. Physically, he reacted, thankful that the water concealed it as warmth spread through his lower abdomen.
Meanwhile, Julian, watching everything through a monitor, reacted even more intensely. He had long imagined the beauty hidden beneath her kimono, remembering even the smallest details like a tiny mole. His throat tightened as he turned to Rocky, who quickly looked away, perplexed by the strange atmosphere of a simple hot spring.
As Julian saw the blue satin belt fall to the ground, Aurora slowly opened her kimono. Her shoulders, white as jade, were exposed as the garment floated down like flower petals. They had always read how beautiful a woman looks emerging from a bath, but now they realized that undressing was far more stirring.
“What a woman,” Julian swore to himself that, after this, he would never let Aurora join anyone else in such a damned hot spring again.