Chapter 20: Innkeeper (R-18)
Shennong stood before the closed door, his hand hesitating for a brief moment before he knocked. The sound was soft at first, but after several moments of silence, he knocked again, a bit firmer this time. The door creaked open slowly, revealing Josie standing there, illuminated by the soft glow of a single candle.
She wore a simple white nightgown, the thin fabric clinging to her mature frame, revealing the faint outline of her ass and her nipples beneath. The dim light cast a warm glow on her, making her skin appear even softer, almost ethereal.
Shennong's eyes lingered for a moment, taking in the sight of her—barefoot, her hair slightly messy from sleep, her cheeks flushed as she met his gaze.
"Is it okay to talk now?" Shennong finally asked, his voice deep and calm.
Josie blinked, shifting slightly, suddenly aware of how she must look standing there. She tugged at the edge of her gown, though it did little to cover her more. "What happened?" she asked, her voice a bit shaky.
Instead of answering immediately, Shennong stepped closer, his eyes locking onto hers. The intensity of his stare made her breath hitch, and warmth crept up her neck. She coughed softly, breaking the moment, then opened the door wider.
"Come in."
Shennong stepped inside, and just as he did, the door shut behind him with an eerie finality. Neither of them had closed it.
Josie tensed, her eyes darting to the now-sealed entrance, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. However, a strange chill ran down her spine, as if unseen eyes were watching them. Shadows flickered in the candlelight, shifting unnaturally.
She ignored the sensation, walking back toward her bed and sitting down. Her fingers fiddled with the edge of her gown, unable to shake the lingering nervousness in her chest. Shennong, still standing, studied her for a long moment before she gestured for him to sit.
"Sit down and get comfortable."
Without hesitation, he moved next to her, his presence large and warm. Josie sucked in a breath when she felt the heat of his body so close to hers. He was always warm. She didn't expect him to sit so close to her.
Shennong reached out, gently taking Josie's hand in his. His fingers were rough, calloused from years of working with his pickaxe, but his touch was careful, almost erotic as he kept softly carasseing her.
"Thank you," he said softly.
Josie tilted her head. "For what?"
"For everything. For not letting me rot away in the mines. For giving me this job instead."
A small, genuine smile graced her lips. "Anytime. You deserved this job." Then she hesitated before adding, "I should be the one thanking you. Ever since you started working here, the harassment I faced completely stopped."
Shennong's gaze darkened slightly, but instead of speaking, he simply squeezed her hand. His thumb brushed against her knuckles, sending an unfamiliar shiver through her.
Josie swallowed, her face growing hot at his intimate touch. Before she could say anything, a faint whisper brushed against Shennong's ear. He smiled knowing they were watching.
"Good, good... That's how you seduce a woman, I knew you had the skill, my darling!"
He stiffened slightly. The voice was none other than Yenissa.
Josie felt Shennong's grip tighten just a fraction. His expression changed—his lips curled into a knowing smile as he continued to stroke her fingers.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Shennong asked, his voice low and husky.
Josie opened her mouth but found herself unable to answer right away. His touch was distracting. His voice even more so. She wanted to say nothing and just move on.
Then, out of nowhere, he said, "You're stiff."
Josie's heart sank. Stiff? Did he mean her hands felt rough? Was she... not feminine enough? She bit her lip, embarrassment creeping in.
But before she could dwell on the thought too much, Shennong continued, "I mean, you're stiff. You're always tense."
She blinked in surprise. "Oh..."
Shennong smiled at her reaction, then said, "I want to help."
She frowned slightly. "Help how?"
"Lie down."
Josie stared at him. "What?"
"Just lie down. I'll show you something."
"You don't have to—"
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"I want to."
Before she could argue further, he gently but firmly guided her to lie on her stomach on the bed. Josie let out a startled gasp, heat rushing to her cheeks as his strong hands rested on her shoulders.
"What are you—"
"It's a special massage technique I learned back in my hometown," Shennong said casually, his fingers pressing into her shoulders, kneading the knots of tension he found there. "Just relax."
Josie had no idea how she ended up in this situation, but as soon as his hands started working on her muscles, she let out an involuntary sigh. The tension she carried melted away under his touch. His hands were warm, strong, but careful, pressing into her skin and pressure point in just the right way.
She shut her eyes, biting her lip to stop any embarrassing sounds from slipping out. But gods, it felt good.
"You're always so tense," Shennong murmured. "You should take better care of yourself because then you will become even more beautiful."
Josie swallowed hard. It wasn't fair that his voice sounded so intoxicating when she was already so vulnerable under his touch.
"I... I try," she mumbled.
Shennong chuckled, his fingers trailing down her spine, pressing into the small of her back. Josie tensed slightly, but his hands worked their magic, and soon, she found herself relaxing into the bed.
"Good," he said. "Just let me do my work."
But what came next was not something Josie expected.
Untying the ribbon that held her gown very slowly to make the atmosphere more exciting and erotic, Shennong pulled the gown to the sides to reveal her body which was covered behind them even more slowly.
"Amazing! You look amazing!" Shennong muttered, as his hands went to work on her back after finishing with her shoulder.
"What.." Josie was shocked, but now that she realized she was half naked she wanted to scream from the top of her lungs from the embarrassment she felt. "Shennong, is this part of the massage?"
"Uhh! If you want I can pull up your dress. Do you dislike me seeing your body?" Shennong asked, already pulling up her clothes but suddenly Josie shouted. "Nooo! Noooo! I was just shocked. This feels really good."
Shennong, smiling at her words, continued what he was doing. For a few minutes, he massaged her back, carefully pressing her pressure points, giving her the perfect balance between pain and pleasure. Josie desperately tried not to make any weird sounds, but she couldn't hold back any longer and finally moaned.
"Ahhhh!" She quickly covered her mouth, but Shennong was still smiling. He decided to take this to the next level as he asked her something rather personal.
"Josie, are you not taking care of yourself?" Shennong asked.
"Wha...what do you mean?" she replied, confused, though she had a hunch about where this interaction was going.
"I can feel a lot of stress accumulated in your body—not just in your muscles but in your lower area too. Back in my hometown, I heard it's not good to hold back," Shennong muttered, speaking complete nonsense.
"..."
"Josie, tell me honestly! When was the last time you had sex?" Shennong asked, posing the most personal question he could. She realized this was no longer just a massage—it was heading somewhere else. Did she want it to?
Absolutely! What stupid woman wouldn't want someone as handsome, kind, and careful as Shennong doing things to them? It felt like a dream come true.
But at the same time, she felt guilty, letting another man touch her. How much longer could she continue clinging to the memory of her dead husband without moving on?
"I... I... I haven't done anything since my husband died," she muttered honestly, causing Shennong to click his tongue.
"That's not good! You have to release the tension. Don't bottle it up. Do you want me to help?"
This was, essentially, him asking for consent to have sex with her. She understood what he meant, and she gave it long and serious thought.
Finally, she came to a decision.
"If you could, I would be glad," she muttered, a depraved smile hidden beneath the sheets.
She had decided to move on. She wanted to experience something new.
Shennong, Yenissa, Rilith, and Velara smiled upon hearing her response.
"Finally, our boy is going to have sex," Rilith muttered, but Yenissa shot her an annoyed look.
"No, he is not! This is just practice, nothing serious. He is not going to have sex with this woman," she declared firmly.
"What do you mean, Yenissa? She's human, unlike us, and it won't harm him, so..." Velara was confused. But as she looked at Yenissa's worried expression, realization dawned on her—Yenissa was jealous.
This was a rare human emotion that succubi normally wouldn't experience, and it surprised them.
"Noooo! Noooo! My boy's first time is mine! I won't let any woman steal it from me!" Yenissa finally broke, revealing her true feelings.
"She's allowed to suck his dick and give him a light kiss, and that's it," she declared.
Rilith and Velara sighed, knowing this wasn't entirely unexpected.