The Rules of Level Ten

Aria walked to her bed, wishing she had something to offer Ramboli to drink. She turned and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her shirt down to cover her lap. She waited for him to sit beside her, but he gave her plenty of space.

"Just so you know, you need to be level 10 for anything really exciting to happen," Ramboli said.

She wasn't sure what he meant. What could happen at level 10 that she couldn't do right now? Maybe it was joining a raid. That certainly sounded like fun. He looked at her and saw the confusion on her face.

"Do you understand what I mean?" he asked.

"Not really," she answered.

"You won't believe me unless I show you," he said. "You walked in here knowing full well that your ass was hanging out from under your shirt, right?"

She was going to try and deny it, but why deny something they both knew was true.

"Yes, I think I have a pretty nice bottom, and wanted to see if you agreed," she said.

"I only got to see a small part, so I couldn't give you an accurate appraisal," he said, smiling.

"That's a funny way to ask to see the rest," she said.

His laughter filled the small bedroom. She joined in, and once it slowed, he continued.

"You could take off your shirt and show me all of you, but there's nothing I could do to you or with you until you're level 10," he said.

"I see what you're doing. You think by telling me that stuff I'll stand naked in front of you and you'll pretend not to be able to touch me," she said.

Secretly she wanted to take her shirt off. Things had been stressful since her arrival, and the comfort of someone's arms wrapped around her sounded perfect. It would be even more perfect if he were naked and there were more things going on besides a friendly hug.

"Okay, keep your shirt on. I'll show you what I mean," he said.

Ramboli knelt in front of her. She spread her legs to let him come closer until he was right next to her. Having him so close made her pulse race, especially since she couldn't remember the last time she'd been intimate with someone.

"If you don't believe me, lean forward and kiss me. It doesn't have to be anything over the top, just a light peck on the lips," he said, smiling.

She didn't know what kind of game he was playing, but her whole body screamed at her to kiss him.

"Okay, but only as a thank you for helping me at the clinic," she said.

"That's only fair," he said.

Her nipples were hard, and other parts of her body flashed the green light to be ravished by Ramboli. She knew her white top couldn't hide how excited she was; she might as well rip it off and let him see.

She leaned in, and they both tilted their heads slightly. Aria was only inches away when she began to close her eyes and part her lips. If she was going to kiss him, she wanted more than a grade-school peck. She moved forward a bit more, then her progress stopped. Her lips pressed against something soft and firm, but she knew it wasn't Ramboli. What kind of trick was he playing? She opened her eyes to find him watching her, his mouth open to receive her kiss, yet unable to breach the force field separating them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I was trying to explain it before. You can have carnal knowledge of another player, but both of you need to be a minimum of level 10," he said. "Once you reach that benchmark, that perk opens up."

"Bullshit," she said.

"It's not bullshit. So now that you know there's no chance of hanky-panky, what else can I do for you tonight?" he asked.

"Are you saying I only invited you over for sex?" She did her best to sound offended.

"I didn't say that, but I'm flattered that you did," he said.

"If I don't find a better option by the time I reach level 10, I'll ring you up, and then I can pay up the kiss for saving me," she said, smiling.

"I'll remember that, as long as I don't die in the raid tonight," he said matter-of-factly.

The thought of him dying in tonight's raid tightened her throat. Without Ramboli, she had no one else. She could always meet someone new, but who knew how long that would take.

"Make sure you don't die. Do you have a good tank?" she asked.

"Several members of the Guild are quite good for the roles we need. If you haven't signed up with another Guild, I'm sure I can find you a home with the Witchdoctors," he offered.

"Does it come with a dental plan?" she joked.

"Level 5, Aria. You need to be level 5 to join," he said.

"Okay. Come sit back on the bed and let me ask you some questions," she said.

She wanted him to stay kneeling on the floor between her legs, but having him so close while unable to touch him made concentrating difficult. If she was going to get any answers out of him, she needed him sitting beside her to focus. She watched him move back to where he'd been sitting initially. Once he was comfortable, she started peppering him with questions.