Ruby didn’t even look up at first, her pen still moving over the paper. But the second time he brushed his shoulder against her neck, she let out a tiny laugh, eyes softening.
"Hmm? What’s this?" she teased without turning, her voice amused and warm. "Do you want to merge into my chair, Karl?"
He hummed dramatically, his lips brushing her ear as he leaned down more. "Nooo... just checking if Wife forgot about me. I was lonely outside." He pressed his cheek against her hair, eyes closing like a cat begging for a scratch.
Ruby set her pen down, hiding her smile as she tilted her head just enough to see him from the corner of her eye. Goodness, he’s so dramatic. And so cute, she thought, her heart soft even as she tried to look serious.
"Such a clingy ghost," she murmured, reaching up to flick his nose gently but her fingers ended up brushing his jaw instead, her touch soft and fond. Karl’s eyes fluttered open, his grin wide and innocent as if he hadn’t just draped himself over her like a warm, living blanket.
Karl pushed her chair back just a little too forcefully, enough that it squeaked against the floor and stepped right in front of her, blocking her view of the half-finished paperwork on the desk. Ruby raised her brows, biting back a laugh as she leaned back a bit, studying his flustered face.
But instead of staying seated, she slowly stood up too, their bodies now so close that the tips of his robes brushed against her thighs. She tilted her head, her eyes drifting to his soft, pink lips, already parted as if he wanted to say something but had completely forgotten how.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice low and playful as she leaned in closer... close enough that her breath tickled his skin.
Karl’s ears turned a bright red. He glanced down at her mouth, then back to her eyes, and he stuttered, "W-Wife... I want..." The way he looked at her, shy and desperate, only made the heat pool deeper in her belly.
Ruby didn’t even wait for him to finish. She slipped her hands up his sides, fingers on his back as she tugged him forward and kissed him right on those plump lips. A soft gasp escaped Karl’s throat, muffled by her mouth pressing against his. His back arched a little when her fingers roamed up and down his spine, making him shiver.
She pulled back just a fraction, her breath mingling with his. Her lips brushed his again as she teased, voice husky, "What do you want, hmm?" Her eyes were heated now, dark with the rush of warmth that made her whole body feel alive.
"Wife... I want..." Karl tried to speak but Ruby captured his mouth again, deepening the kiss until his knees nearly buckled. His small, surprised noises melted into soft moans as his hands fumbled to clutch her waist, then slid up to tangle with her hair.
His mind felt like mush — just the heat of her mouth, the press of her hips, the taste of her sighs. This must be what brother Hugo meant, he thought hazily, when he said kisses can make you melt inside...
She finally broke the kiss, their lips still brushing together as they both caught their breath. Ruby’s eyes searched his face, drinking in how deliciously pink and swollen his lips looked now.
"What do you want, Karl?" she whispered again, her voice like silk, her fingers tracing the curve of his jaw.
And Karl, dizzy, with his lips still tingling, opened his eyes wide and said shyly, almost like he couldn’t believe he had to say it, "Wife... I... I want salary too..."
Ruby froze, then let out a choked laugh, her forehead dropping to his shoulder as her shoulders shook from holding it in. Karl pouted, puffing out his cheeks. "What?! The kids got salary! Why can’t I get one too?!"
She pulled back, eyes wet from laughing.
Seeing her burst into giggles, Karl’s eyes immediately narrowed into that dramatic, watery glare he did so well — his brows dipping low, his lips puckering into the saddest pout as if he’d just been abandoned in a storm.
"Wife..." he whined, his voice all soft and trembling like a kicked puppy. "Why are you laughing at me... I never had salary in my entire life..." His shoulders slumped so far that his robe nearly slipped off one side. He sniffed, eyes glistening, lower lip trembling as if he was really on the verge of crying.
Ruby wiped at the corner of her eye, her laughter softening into a fond sigh. She reached up and gently cupped his cheeks, squishing them together until he looked like a sulky goldfish. "Oh, don’t start crying here, my dramatic ghost."
He blinked at her, those watery blue eyes huge and accusing.
She sighed, shaking her head in surrender. "Alright, alright — don’t make that face." She reached into her inner pocket, pulling out a small envelope she’d hidden there all along. She booped his nose with it, making him blink twice in surprise. "I did prepare your salary. I was going to give it to you at home tonight, but since you’re about to flood my whole office with tears, here — you big baby."
Karl’s eyes lit up so brightly she thought they might outshine the overhead lamp. "For me?!" he squeaked, practically bouncing as he grabbed the envelope with both hands, clutching it to his chest for a second before tearing it open like a child at a festival.
Ruby couldn’t help but smile wider, warmth blooming in her chest as she watched him fish out the crisp two notes inside. His eyes went round as coins. "T-Two notes! That’s... that’s 200 Gems!" He looked like he might squeal, his grin so wide it showed every pretty tooth.
She flicked his forehead playfully, just to watch his silly pout return. "Cute gold digger," she teased under her breath, but Karl didn’t even hear her — he was too busy pressing the envelope against his cheek, mumbling about how he’d never had real money just for himself.
—To be continued...🪄