The way I figured it, the sooner I jumped into the hot spring the better. I’d like to say it went as simply as that. But I found myself paralyzed a few feet away from the water’s edge.

It felt as if I was finally getting the catgirl paradise I dreamed of so long ago. Even as I moved forward to join Keke, my eyes and thoughts were pulled in every direction imaginable. Voluptuous curves, suggestive glances, and the giggles. My god, the giggles were the worst part of it all.

Giggling wasn’t a great sound to hear when you took your towel off. It had me feeling extra self-aware—like I was one of Michelangelo’s sculptures on display in a museum. Doubts clouded my mind. It was only thanks to Tristan that I snapped out of it to join the other girls.

“Come on, Matt.” Tristan tugged on the bend of my elbow. “Once you get in, I think you’ll feel better.”

“Right.” The tips of my fingers were trembling. I dipped my toes into the water, and the sensation that wrapped around them was to die for. I sunk my first leg, then the second, breathing a relaxed sigh as I slowly submerged the lower half of my body. “Incredible.”

Tristan eased into the hot spring next. “Ahhh, this is nice. I didn’t know how much I needed it.”

I shut my eyes, letting the steam rise into my nostrils. I could hear the murmurs of girls at the opposite end of the spring. My muscles began to relax. It felt as if my skin was mending on the spot. I could hear the droplets of water falling into the spring.

Wait. Droplets?

I opened my eyes. Before me stood the very definition of beauty. Beads of water trickled down Keke’s neck, between her cleavage, then dropped below her thighs to join the pool. With a hand on her hip, Keke flashed a knowing smile before submerging herself and reappearing to sit next to me, her chest laid bare for all to see.

I swallowed hard. Every inch of her was immaculate and entrancing. Her ears twitched as her eye caught something behind me. I had a feeling I already knew what it was.

“My Lord?”

I turned around to the voice. Ceres’ braided hair hung over her right shoulder, the water barely high enough to hide her chest. She ran a hand over her hair and brushed my shoulder with her fingertips. “Please inform me if there is anything I can do. I do not wish to cause you discomfort,” she said.

“Discomfort? Me? Who says I’m uncomfortable?”

Keke came closer. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but it felt as if Ceres was pushing her weight against me.

“Having fun, Matt?” Keke asked, kissing my shoulder.

“Tons.” My toes curled.

I looked away, finding Tristan and Ara seated on the other end of the spring. Tristan looked completely unaffected by this moment. Ara seemed to be maintaining her composure for the most part, but I hadn’t seen her manage to look at him for longer than half a second.

“If I may, my Lord.” Ceres was fiddling around her collar bone with a tender finger. “I, um. That is, to say. My goodness, this is embarrassing.” The knight took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I find your body very attractive.”

“Y-you’ve seen it before,” I stammered.

“Y-yes, I know,” Ceres was quick to say. “But in these circumstances, I feel I can speak more freely.” She cleared her throat and sat up straight, allowing me a generous view of her ample bosom.

Oh my god. If she said anything else, I didn’t hear it. It took active discipline not to stare at her breasts for very long.

I love how the water runs past them. Her skin is so smooth and soft. How does a knight maintain such beautiful skin? How I would love to… frigid cold air. Frostbite. Waterboarding. Flayed alive.

“T-thank you,” I managed.

“Hey, Matt,” Keke said with a suggestive lilt to her voice. “Why not get out and let me scrub your back? It should help all the dead skin come off.”

This tag-teaming thing is a little evil, I’ll have you know.

I paused. “I think I’ll relax here for now.” We were catching the eyes of a few other girls from across the spring. Two more had entered since then, and I could’ve sworn they were biding their time while slowly making their way over to us.

“Are you sure?” Keke asked.

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“How sure?”

I frowned. “Very. I’m uh, enjoying everything this spring has to offer.”

“You’ll feel much better.” One by one, I felt Keke’s fingers dance across my thigh. “One last time. Are you sure?”

I don’t know now. Are you going to stop if I say ‘yes?’

“M-maybe we could get out for a second,” I said with a hitch in my voice.

Keke bowed her head forward and smiled. “Good.” With a splash, Keke jumped out. Words could not describe how bewitching her thighs and tail were as she exited.

As I stood, Ceres stood with me, catching my arm, my bicep touching her breasts by proxy. “Are you certain, my Lord?” she asked. “We only just got in.”

I tried to steady my breathing. My stare lingered on her for some time, wandering as it pleased. Beginning with her shoulders, traveling to her cleavage, then snaking its way around the beautiful dip in her abdomen and the curves of her legs. Her grip around me was strong yet gentle—like the longing of a fair princess.

“A-ah. Yes. I’ll just be a second.”

Ceres released her grip and stood back with her hands clasped beneath her chin. “Yes, my Lord.”

After Ceres nestled herself back into the water, I made my way over to where Keke stood, beneath a few trees with a sponge in one hand and a bucket of water in the other.

Although her posture said she was as comfortable with this as any other day, the pink hue on her cheeks told me she was probably just as nervous about all of this as I was.

Keke pushed a wooden stool forward and gestured, her golden eyes piercing through me. “Sit.”

I couldn’t recall if anybody had ever scrubbed my back before. Maybe when I was a kid and I still took baths with my parents, but nothing like this.

The sensation of the sponge sent chills down my spine. Goosebumps covered my arms.

“Nervous?” Keke whispered into my ear.

“Not at all,” I lied.

“Hmmm.”

She started at the nape of my neck. Hot water washed down my back, cutting through the cold air and stealing a deep breath from me. The sponge’s material was a bit more coarse than anything I’d ever used. My skin felt a bit raw after every passing scrub—my shoulders, my arms, my back. When she was done, she tossed the sponge away.

The soft sensation of Keke’s chest bore upon my back. “Do you like what you feel?”

I nodded.

“Great.” With that, Keke made her way back into the hot spring, passing one salacious smile over her shoulder.

That’s it? Are you serious?

“My Lord! Please join us once more!” Ceres waved.

“Right,” I sighed. What a tease.

None of the catgirls were leaving. It felt like they were waiting for their moment to pounce on Tristan or me at the soonest opportunity. Not that I was particularly worried with girls like Keke, Ceres, and Ara around.

I sighed as I re-entered the spring. Keke and Ceres moved to flank me once more.

Ceres’ smile felt gentle and shy. She toyed with her hair, maintaining pretty consistent contact with her shoulder and forearm against mine. On the other hand, Keke’s felt suspicious. Like she had something else behind that smile.

I froze when each of the girls took one of my arms for themselves. I cleared my throat. “Are you girls having a good time?” I asked.

“The best,” said Keke. “This was a great idea. All of my stress is just floating away.”

“I must agree.” Ceres put a hand to her chest, and I admired how the water pooled around her breasts. “Ni Island is a resort as far as I can see it.”

“Finally calming down a bit, Matt?” Tristan asked from his corner with Ara.

“Yeah, I think I’m finally coming around.”

A rare smile crossed Ara’s lips. “Perhaps this was a fine idea after all.” Ara’s ears twitched as she scooched closer to Tristan. “Your presence alone is worth the island of Shi, young Master. But this has its own charm too.”

“It feels great to be back in my element,” said Keke. She released my arm and moved into the deeper part of the spring letting her body float upward with her back against the water. She shut her eyes, and I took in every feature of her form that I could—how the sheen of water granted her a glow I rarely saw. How her bosom rose and fell with each draw of her breath. How soft her lips looked. It was enough to drive a man mad.

Time for revenge.

I put a finger to my lips and motioned to the others as I approached her. With as much silence as I could manage, I submerged and swam beneath her. There was just a hiccup of hesitation while I admired her perfect ass.

And then I struck. There was a momentary yelp, but I managed to pull her under. I held her close and let my fingers do their worst on her abdomen. Bubbles erupted from her mouth, and moments later, we both stood up in the spring, pointing and laughing.

I hope things can be more like this from now on.