Hayze was in the shower when he heard a scream for him somewhere in the house. It was desperate and made him hop out and wrap himself in a towel before dashing out to his study, trailing water over the floor.

When he pushed the door open, he noticed River sitting on the floor sobbing and then... Merissa.

"What is going on?"

River looked up from the floor where she was cradling a limp snake. She immediately got up and ran over to him.

"I promise i was taking good care of him," she cried.

"Stop whining," Merissa mumbled. "Its just a snake."

"I was sitting in here and then she came in and she saw me putting Kiko down and so she came and crushed him with her heel."

Hayze's jaw clenched at Merissa's petty behaviour.

He quickly bent down and pressed a kiss to River's forehead. "We'll have to bury Kiko and put nice flowers around him, sì?"

"Sì," she sniffled. "I'll go find somewhere and bury him before he smells."

Hayze watched as his wife left and then he turned to Merissa with his lips pursed. "What are you doing here?"

Her eyes were trained on his wet chest so he snapped his fingers. "I'd very much like for you to leave. So go."

"Aw, but i can't do that actually. I'm here for business."

Hayze rolled his eyes. "You're never just here for business."

"Well, this time i am," she said as she turned and sat on his desk. Her posture was straight but her legs were slightly cracked open and it bothered Hayze - a lot.

"Why would you kill my wifes snake?" He asked angrily. "She adores him and i spent a lot of time searching for the right breeder."

"Snakes are not meant to be slithering around on a carpets. Their either supposed to be out in the wild or in one of my next fashion designs."

Hayze gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"And that thing looked like it was going to bite her, so i did your wife a favor."

"Her snake, was domesticated, and is used to being handled. River is the most gentle human being i have ever met and i know that snake would not harm her. You did that out of petiness."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. River came in and pulled Hayze aside. "Can you come put on some clothes please? I know that... witch Merissa is staring and the last time i caught you two in here alone, she was kissing you," she hissed.

"Of course, bella rosa. I will." He tried to hide his smile.

Without saying anything to Merissa, he quickly went back into his room and slipped into one of the new shirts River got him, boxers and basketball shorts.

Just as he was about to go back into his study, River popped out of no where and once again pulled him aside.

"Check her red purse. She was snooping and i saw her stuff something into it," she whispered.

He stroked her long hair and gave her bum a squeeze. "Very good, babygirl," he whispered back before he pecked her lips. "My little spy."

She smiled at his praise and then pushed him through the door before sinking back to watch from the crack in the door.

Merissa sat up pin straight on the edge of his desk as he approached her and then gave him a flirty smile.

'Right', Hayze scoffed. 'Just business my ass.'

"So, what did you come barging in here for?" Hayze asked coldly as he came around and sat in his business chair.

"I..." he saw her eyes drift to the same red purse River had mentioned. "Actually nevermind. I was going to ask you to assist with the plans for one of the buildings my father wants to have built for me... but, i think i've changed my mind."

"Changed you're mind?" Hayze mocked. "Why is that?"

"I-i think it would be best to get my plans some other way. I mean, elsewhere."

"Right." He placed a hand over hers and pat it rather heavily. "Like, finding another company or stealing them. You know, the first choice is the best option most of the time."

He picked up the purse by her legs while she was busy trying not to show how flustered she was and he quickly snatched the folders she had stuffed in there.

"I think you should go. My wife is probably getting restless," he said as he dropped the purse in her lap. She didn't seem to have noticed he'd taken his folders back. "And please, don't show up here again. I've seen enough of you for a whole year."

She scowled as she hopped off the desk and pulled the hem of her dress down, but there was still a michevious glint in her blue eyes. "Whatever. Tell you're wife thank you for the idea for my new red snake hand bag. It will go good with my fall collection," she said as she strutted out tall and graceful as always.

Suddenly, there was thump and a shriek so Hayze stepped outside of his study to see River with a broom in her hand. She was swinging it at Merissa to make her hurry faster out of their home.

Hayze laughed, a deep rumbly laugh as he watched River shove Merissa down the steps with the broom. She tripped down them not so gracefully in her white pumps and scurried out the door right before the broom swung over head; just missing her.

River ran back up the steps with an annoyed look on her pretty face and Hayze shook his head in amusement.

"I don't like that woman," River scowled as she turned to glare at the door Merissa had just exited.

"I know."

"Has she seen your privates too?" River asked angrily, her cheeks flushing red.

Hayze was taken aback for a moment. She made it seem so innocent with the cute angry pout on her face, but he still wanted to have her pinned under him as he pounded into her tiny little hole. He was conflicted.

He wasn't going to lie to her. "Unfortunately, she has. Not by my choice anyway. Her thirsty demeanor has always annoyed me and she barged into a bathroom one time at an event. I've never done anything with her though, so no worries."

She huffed and tugged at the end of her hair. "That's not fair."

He grabbed her face in his hands and tilted her head up so he could press a kiss to her plump lips. "You're right. That isn't fair. Do you wanna make it a second time?" He smirked.

And to his surprise, she said yes.

°•○●○•°

Hayze sat on the couch with River's back pressed into his chest and his large hands under her t-shirt, cupping her small round breasts when Nani barged into the livingroom rambling about nonsense, as she always did.

River flinched in Hayze's hold but he never loosened his gentle grip on her. He always seemed to be touching her and she didn't seem to mind.

He didn't get much time before he met River to share any affection with anyone so being able to touch her whenever he wanted was a great priveledge.

"Oh, River! You said you've gotten a snake. May i see him? I've never gotten to hold one before," she exclaimed as she plopped down onto the recliner at the side of the large l-shaped couch.

Suddenly River burst into tears and Hayze quickly shushed her and kissed the back of her neck as he stroked her hair. It seemed to calm her down.

"Kiko's dead!" She said as she tugged Hayze's arms from around her. She got up and began angrily pacing around the livingroom. "I had to bury him this afternoon after that mean lady Merissa purposely stepped on him."

"What!" Nani screeched and Hayze winced. "You've just gotten it."

Obviously Nani had been rubbing off on River because her usual soft and melodic voice was louder and full of passionate anger.

"I hit her with a broom before she left."

"You should have stepped on her like she did with your snake."

"You're right. And she had the nerve to say she'd found inspiration for her fall handbag!"

Hayze stood up off the couch when he saw Rudi standing in the doorway watching the two girls angrily converse.

He shook his hand. "What's going on?"

"I just popped by to say hello. And steal a little bit of you're food."

"There's leftovers in the fridge and some beer," Hayze offered.

"I'm up for it."

The two friends fled into the kitchen while Hayze's wife and Rudi's sister flamed in rage in the livingroom.

"I've never seen you're wife so upset," Rudi commented as he spread a load of butter on the soft, spongy bread roll. "Its kind of surprising."

Hayze nodded and took a swig of his beer that he knew River strongly disliked for its 'weird and bitter' taste.

"It surprised me as well seeing as she's so usually calm and sweet. I'm going to be getting a bit of that hot flame every month for a week."

Rudi raised his nicely shaped dark eyebrows. "Why? How would you know that?"

"She had her monthly a few weeks ago and she was terribly unlike herself. Very emotional. So mad. La mia piccola fiamma. Rosso come una rosa," he said with a chuckle.

"I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded poetic and sweet so i'm just gonna say... awww."

Hayze laughed and placed his beer bottle down just as he heard the livingroom go quiet.

"What are they doing?"

"I don't know," Rudi said as he ran his tongue over his braces.

Hayze and Rudi exited the kitchen and followed the noises coming from outside. Suddenly there was a small splash and a little squeal coming from the garden with the fountain in it.

Hayze looked over the hedge (because he was tall enough) and shook his head at the sight. River was dancing around barefooted in his sandstone fountain, her short white dress growing more and more transparent as she kicked the water around and her long hair stuck to the curve of back. The dress clung to her like a second skin and Hayze was beginning to see her pert bum in her little black panties through the dress.

She was completely different from just a few minutes ago when she was ranting about Merissa and mourning her dead snake.

"Okay, time for you two to go," Hayze said to Rudi hurriedly as he pushed his head away.

Rudi took another peak and then ducked for cover from Hayze's incoming punch. "Nani lets go!"

Nani looked longingly at the fountain. "But... I want to do that too."

Obviously, River's childishness was rubbing off on Nani just as her bad influence was rubbing off on River.

"Come on Nani. We'll see her and Hayze next week. Hayze wants them to be alone right now," Rudi panicked as Hayze glared at him and Nani.

When Nani spotted Hayze she flinched and dashed out of the garden. "Bye guys! See you next week!" She shouted before hopping in the passenger seat of her brothers car. Rudi followed closely behind and drove off towards the gates.

Hayze smiled softly when River playfully kicked water at him with her small foot. She looked so beautifully graceful as she moved around the fountain; unlike her usually clumsy self.

She spun around in the water before stooping down into the fountain to scoop water into her small hands and splashing it on him. She giggled as he scowled at her playfully and he shook his hair like a dog did when it got wet.

She kicked more water at him and he frowned.

"Why you little-" Hayze found himself hopping over into the fountain with her after stripping himself of his shoes and shirt and she squealed in surprise.

He grabbed her into his arms and lifted her into the air in one quick swoosh. She screamed and laughed a sweet melody that made the birds in the swaying trees chirp happily.

The water from the top of the fountain sputtered on them as she locked her little legs around his waist and tucked her head into the crook of his neck.

When he felt her soft, plump cherry lips brush over the vein in his neck, he tilted his head to the side and eagerly let her kiss his neck.

Usually, he would want to be in control. But he wasn't going to refuse her sweet kisses.

"My pretty girl," he said as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. "So precious."

"I like you a lot Hayze," she whispered into his ear and it sent wonderful shivers throughout his body. "You're really handsome and charming, inside and out. Truly. You're like someone out of a storybook. Or someone from one of my dreams. I really do like you."

I adore you too