Cherrywood Manor: Part Three (special preview)

When Lydia first moved into Cherrywood Manor, she had been offered a lot of promises. On the threshold of her new home she saw inside the dark woods and carpets, an outdated relic like her husband. She was full of hope though, and even as the door shut behind her, she refused to acknowledge the feeling of chains slowly growing around her. She would still wake up some days with that weight grasping around her hands and neck, only to open her eyes and be relieved it was not there.

With the smell of fresh paint and dust in the air, she was relieved to know that the old was being ripped away, and she could wake with the confidence she would never have to see it again. Instead what she saw as she woke was Knox, who had fallen asleep beside her the night before. She reached out, touching his big chest and feeling the coarse curls there. She sighed with relief and stood from bed. There was a soreness to her knees and loins, but it was an oddly pleasurable sensation. Lydia knew she had earned it.

She had woken late last night, feeling strangely panicked and overcome. When she left her room, she was relieved to see Knox was also awake, fretting over plans for the renovations. Lydia took him back to her bed, making use of his strong body to comfort her, and he did so with an excitement that almost matched Naoki’s. Not only was Lydia pushing out the old of the house, she was forgetting the old ways in which she shared her bed.

In the shower, Lydia scrubbed down her skin, remembering each touch that had been given to her as of late. Naoki’s sharp teeth, Asher’s teasing kisses, Knox’s strong fingers. She smiled to herself, pleased as punch that Eden’s plan was working out so well. She would have been pleased with one successful seduction, but three was above her expectations.

“Mind if I hop in?”

Lydia peeked from behind the shower curtain to see naked Knox standing there. She smirked, pulling back the curtain to allow him inside. “Not at all.”

Knox stepped inside, standing behind Lydia as he rinsed off his face and arms. “Feeling alright this morning?”

Lydia glanced over her shoulder at him. “I can’t complain about much, save for the water pressure.”

Knox chuckled. “I can fix that.”

She bit down on her lip as it grew into a grin. “I bet you can fix a lot of things.” She turned around, offering him her soap. “How about I wash you off?”

Knox exhaled loudly. “Not now, Ms. Cherrywood. I need to get busy downstairs, and as much as I am tempted to take you up on that offer, I’ll have to wait.”

Lydia tsked her tongue. “Damn, you have to be professional.” She handed him the soap with a smile. “No worries, I don’t think I could take you right now anyways. You really gave me too much last night.”

Knox’s cheeks darkened and he cleared his throat. “Yes, well, you were...a very needed distraction, Ms. Cherrywood.”

“Happy to help.” Lydia stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. “There are towels in the closet, I’ll lay your clothes on the bed for you.” She went back to the bedroom, straightening up a bit while searching for clothes and her robe. She put her robe on then went into her closet, which had once been her only oasis. The walk in closet had been a dream of hers since she was little and saw a cartoon of such a thing. Her closet was filled with black and splashes of pastel hues. Her husband hated her wardrobe and constantly tried to make her wear other things. There was a small portion of the closet made up of the clothing he gave her. Lydia hadn’t thrown it out because well, he would have gotten upset. But looking at it now her rage spiked. She grabbed the chunk of clothing and stormed out of her room. She then tossed the clothes over the bannister with vindication running through her veins. She would pick them all up later to donate, but as she was grinning at this victory a loud curse rang through the house.

“Motherfucker!”

Lydia raced back to the bannister, looking down and seeing Kouri covered in the clothes. He looked up at her, his eyes stabbing through her.

“Oh god! I’m so sorry!” Lydia rushed down the stairs as he was ripping the clothes off himself. “I didn’t know anyone was down here! I am so sorry, Kouri!”

Kouri looked her up and down with disgust. “What were you even doing?” He looked around at the floor. “Throwing all these ugly clothes around? Did you just find out someone was cheating on you?”

“No. It wasn’t that!” Lydia was hurriedly trying to explain herself. “I was angry. But not because of-” She stopped and her eyes went wide. “You think they’re ugly?”

Kouri’s upper lip curled, showing off the sharp fangs behind his lip. “Beige should be reserved for vanilla, not a personality trait.” The tip of his tail flicked a beige dress towards the door. “It’s a hideous color.”

Lydia smiled, to which Kouri looked even more perplexed. “It is awful! Why do people think it’s so classy?”

Kouri’s confused gaze narrowed at her. “Because it requires very little thought.” He pointed to her and swirled his finger around. “What’s going on?”

Lydia sighed and knelt down to pick up the clothes. “These were things my husband gave me. I never got rid of them because I knew it would upset him. But seeing them today I just got so angry.”

Kouri’s tail whipped clothes at her to pick up. “Well, I understand that.”

Lydia set the clothes aside in a heap. “Sorry again for raining them on you. Is there anyway I can make it up to you?”