AsLaz- The Mysterious Cabin

10. Morning tease

The morning sun streamed through the cabin window, casting a warm, golden light over the tangled sheets and the two bodies nestled within them. Asi stirred awake, her head resting comfortably on Alaz's chest, her fingers still lightly curled against his skin. She could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her cheek, a rhythm that matched the calm of the early autumn morning outside. For a moment, she allowed herself to relax, to savor the warmth and the closeness that felt strangely right, despite everything that had transpired between them.

She shifted slightly, and as she did, Alaz's eyes fluttered open. He blinked at the sunlight, his gaze focusing on her with a lazy, satisfied grin. "Morning, Rebellious Girl," he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.

Asi felt her cheeks flush at the nickname, but she managed to keep her expression cool. "Morning," she replied, her tone teasing yet soft.

Alaz's hand slipped up her back, his fingers trailing along her spine, and before she could react, he rolled them over so she was on top of him. Asi let out a surprised gasp as she found herself straddling his hips, her hands splayed against his bare chest. The sudden shift made her heart race, but she met his gaze without flinching, her eyes daring him to make the next move.

"Thought I'd get a better view," he said, smirking up at her. "And I'm definitely not disappointed."

"Smooth," she retorted, though her voice had a slight tremble to it. Alaz's hands slid up her thighs, and she could feel the tension between them reignite, like a spark catching dry leaves. He raised himself slightly, bringing his lips closer to hers, his breath warm against her skin.

"I'm not done with you yet," he whispered, and before she could respond, his lips brushed against hers. It was a soft, slow kiss at first, a gentle caress that sent shivers down her spine. But as he deepened it, his hands tightening their hold on her, Asi felt a familiar heat rising within her, a need that made her want to lose herself in him all over again.

Just as she felt herself melting into the kiss, Asi did something that caught him completely off guard. She bit down on his lower lip, hard enough to make him gasp, but not enough to hurt. The sensation was sharp, surprising, and Alaz pulled back slightly, his eyes wide with confusion.

Before he could say a word, Asi smirked, her lips curving into a mischievous grin. "Gotcha," she whispered, then pushed herself off him, sliding out of bed and leaving him lying there, breathless and stunned.

"Hey, wait-" Alaz called after her, but she was already on her feet, stretching as she walked away from the bed, her silhouette framed by the sunlight. He propped himself up on his elbows, watching her with a mix of frustration and admiration. "That's just cruel."

Asi glanced over her shoulder, her smile widening. "Maybe you should've thought about that before trying to charm your way out of bed," she teased, grabbing one of his shirts that had been discarded on the floor the night before and slipping it over her head. "Besides, we've got things to do today. We're already late."

Alaz groaned, flopping back onto the pillows. "Screw the project," he muttered. "I'd much rather-"

"I'm sure you would," Asi interrupted, her tone light and playful. "But we don't really have a choice, do we? We've got to finish what we started. And who knows, maybe if you're a good boy, I'll let you finish what you started last night."

The challenge in her voice made his pulse quicken, and he pushed himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "You're playing with fire, Rebellious Girl," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"I'm not afraid of getting burned," she shot back, heading over to the small kitchen to start making coffee.

Asi could feel Alaz's eyes on her as she moved around the cabin, and she liked it. She liked knowing that she could drive him crazy with just a few words, a few teasing gestures. It was a power she hadn't realized she had until now, and she intended to use it to her advantage.

As she brewed the coffee, she thought about the day ahead. They still had parts of their project to finalize, and they were already behind schedule. Being stuck in the cabin longer than anticipated was starting to feel less like a setback and more like an opportunity-an opportunity to keep exploring whatever strange, electric thing was happening between them. But she couldn't afford to lose herself in it completely, not when there was still so much to do.

A few minutes later, Alaz joined her, his hair still tousled from sleep, a dark glint in his eyes. He stepped up behind her, his hands sliding around her waist, pulling her back against him. "I don't think you understand just how badly I want to kiss you right now," he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear. "Or maybe you do, and that's why you're making me wait."

Asi's breath hitched, but she didn't let him see how much his words affected her. Instead, she turned in his arms, meeting his gaze with a bold, challenging stare. "You're just going to have to be patient," she said, leaning in as if to kiss him, but stopping just short of his lips. "Or is that too much for you to handle?"

Alaz's eyes darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might ignore her teasing and kiss her anyway. But then he pulled back, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Fine. But don't think for a second that I'm letting you off the hook," he said. "You're going to pay for that little stunt. Just wait."

"I'm counting on it," she replied, grabbing the two cups of coffee and handing him one. "Now, drink up. We've got work to do."

They spent the next few hours going over their notes, rechecking their presentation slides, and discussing the final touches they needed to add to the project. But even as they tried to focus, the tension between them crackled like static electricity, making it hard to concentrate. Alaz would brush his hand against hers when he passed her a notebook, and Asi would catch his gaze lingering on her longer than necessary, a silent promise that the morning's teasing was far from over.

At one point, they took a break, stepping outside to get some fresh air. The forest around the cabin was alive with the colors of autumn, the trees a blaze of red, orange, and gold. Asi leaned against the porch railing, sipping her coffee and watching the leaves drift down in the gentle breeze. "It's beautiful out here," she said softly, more to herself than to Alaz.

"Yeah," he agreed, joining her. But he wasn't looking at the trees-he was looking at her. "Beautiful."

She glanced at him, catching the way his eyes softened, and for a moment, her heart skipped a beat. But then she remembered the way he had looked at her last night, the way he had touched her, and she felt a surge of defiance. If he thought she was going to make this easy for him, he was wrong.

Asi set her coffee cup down and turned to face him, a playful smirk on her lips. "Don't think you can distract me with your sweet talk," she said. "We've got a project to finish, and I'm not going to let you use that silver tongue of yours to get out of it."

Alaz chuckled, shaking his head. "You're something else, you know that?"

"I'm aware," she said, stepping closer to him, so close that their bodies were almost touching. "Now, are you going to behave, or do I need to bite you again?"

Alaz's breath hitched, and he reached up to touch his lip, where the faintest bruise still lingered from her bite. "I guess I'll just have to be good," he said, though the glint in his eyes suggested he had no intention of playing nice.

Asi's smile widened, and she reached out, her fingers brushing against his cheek. "Good," she said. "Now, let's get back to work."

But even as they returned to the cabin, even as they settled back into their project, Asi knew that the morning's games were far from over. And she couldn't wait to see how it would all play out.