A woman appeared at their table as they were finishing the first course, carrying a pitcher of ale for refills and wearing the simple dress that marked her as inn staff.

She was perhaps in her forties, attractive in an uncomplicated way with dark blonde hair pulled back and eyes that were warm and interested when they landed on Jake.

"More ale?" she asked, though her attention was entirely on Jake rather than including Maureen in the question. Though Maureen stared at her for a longer time, as she felt something, she couldn’t quite tell what it was.

"Please," Jake said, and she poured with more care than the task required, leaning slightly closer than was strictly necessary, her smile widening when Jake met her eyes.

"You’re not local," she observed, still focusing on Jake.

"Adventurers?"

"Something like that," Jake said. He couldn’t help but notice her strange body language and her delicate hands. For someone who worked as a waitress, her hands were too delicate.

"Dangerous work," she said, and there was something approving in her tone, the interest of someone who found danger attractive rather than concerning.

"I’m Sera. I work here most evenings, so if you need anything—" she emphasized the word slightly, "—just ask for me."

Maureen made a small sound that might have been amusement and focused very intently on her food while Sera continued flirting with Jake through the delivery of their second course and the clearing of their plates.

The attention was flattering and obvious and Jake, being who he was across two lifetimes, didn’t object to it.

When they’d finished eating and Maureen had excused herself to check on the crew’s progress with ship repairs, Sera appeared again with the timing of someone who had been watching for an opportunity.

"Your companion left," she observed, settling into the chair Maureen had vacated with the confidence of someone who knew they were welcome. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"You’re alone now."

"I am," Jake agreed.

"Would you like company?" Sera asked, her meaning completely clear in how she asked it.

"My shift ends soon, and I have a room upstairs. Private and comfortable."

Jake considered this for approximately three seconds, running through the mental calculations of whether this was a good tactical decision and arriving at the conclusion that tactical decisions could occasionally take second place to more immediate desires.

He had been a womanizer and him being one, how could he refuse a MILF who was making advances on him? And Sera was attractive and interested and making her interest very clear.

"I’d like that," he said.

Her smile became genuinely pleased, and she stood with a gesture for him to follow.

They climbed the stairs to the third floor where the staff rooms were located, smaller than the guest accommodations but well-kept, and Sera’s room was tidy and feminine with personal touches that suggested she’d been living here for a while.

They sat on the bed and Sera immediately began asking questions, her hands finding his shoulders with the kind of touch that was meant to be distracting while her voice remained casually curious.

"So what brings adventurers to Baenil?" she asked, her fingers working at the tension in his muscles.

"The port’s been dead for months. Not much work here unless you’re hunting the pirate queen everyone’s talking about."

"Just passing through," Jake said, deliberately vague.

"Passing through on a flying ship?" Sera’s hands moved lower, across his chest.

"Those aren’t cheap. You must be on important business."

"Not particularly," Jake said, catching her wrists gently and pulling her closer.

"And I’d rather not talk about work right now."

Sera laughed, warm and amused, and let him redirect her attention away from questions and toward what they’d both come upstairs for.

For a moment they simply looked at each other in the low light.

Then Sera moved closer, her hands rising to rest lightly on his chest. Her touch was warm through the fabric of his shirt, and when she tilted her face up, her eyes held a mixture of invitation and something more careful — as if she were still measuring him even now.

He bent his head and kissed her.

It began slowly. Their lips met with a softness that surprised them both, a gentle exploration rather than the hungry clash of strangers who only wanted release.

Sera’s mouth was soft, tasting faintly of the ale she had served earlier and something sweeter beneath it.

Jake’s hands settled at her waist, feeling the warmth of her body through the simple dress. He kissed her again, deeper this time, and felt her answer with a quiet sigh against his lips.

His fingers traced the line of her jaw, then slid back to the pins holding her dark blonde hair. One by one he freed them, letting the strands fall loose around her shoulders.

She watched him with those warm eyes, her breath coming a little faster now.

"You’re gentler than I expected," she murmured, a small smile touching her mouth.

Jake’s thumb brushed her lower lip. "I like to take my time."

He kissed her again, slower still, and this time his hands moved to the laces of her dress.

He worked them loose with patient fingers, parting the fabric to reveal the simple shift beneath. When he slipped the dress from her shoulders and let it pool at her waist, his gaze traveled over her with open appreciation — the full curves of her breasts, the softness of her belly, the flare of her hips. She was beautiful in the way of a woman who had lived, who carried her years with quiet confidence rather than apologies.

Sera reached for him in turn, unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it back from his shoulders. Her hands paused when they found the mark on his skin, tracing it with curious fingertips, but she said nothing.

Instead, she leaned in and kissed the hollow of his throat, then lower, her mouth warm and lingering.

They undressed each other piece by piece, the lamplight painting their skin in gold and shadow. When they were finally bare, Jake drew her down onto the bed with him. He took his time learning her — the sensitive place just beneath her ear, the way her breath caught when his palm cupped her breast, and the soft sound she made when his thumb circled her nipple.