Page 27 of Hiss and Tell (Harmony Glen #2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

A spen

A few days have passed since Sebastian shared his research with me, and I’ve spent every spare moment thinking about it. Just as I’m going down the rabbit hole pondering the ritual, my phone buzzes with an email.

It’s from Mr. Radcliffe: You blew us away in the interview. We’ve written up a contract, which is attached. Welcome to the Radcliffe & Associates family! We’re excited to begin our partnership.

I can hardly believe it. The Radcliffe contract is officially mine. This means I can finally quit the market stand and focus on building Aspenly Yours into the business I’ve always dreamed of.

After texting Sebastian with the good news and promising Milo chocolate chip pancakes this weekend to celebrate, I return to my deep thoughts about Sebastian’s research.

But more than his research, I can’t stop thinking about what happened after.

The way he kissed me as though I was the only thing that mattered in the world.

The feel of his hands on my body, the controlled power in his touch, the way his snakes fed off our desire like they were extensions of his very soul.

And our outrageous phone call? It’s replayed in my mind on an endless loop. His voice dropping to those commanding frequencies that made my entire body respond with helpless want. The way he took control, told me exactly what to do, reduced me to nothing but sensation and need.

I’ve never experienced anything like that—that complete surrender to someone else’s will, that delicious loss of control. The way he could make me beg with just his voice, make me desperate with nothing but words whispered through the phone.

And now I have to face him in person, knowing exactly what he sounds like when he comes, knowing how he can command my body even from miles away.

The prescription bottle sits on my bathroom counter, a daily reminder of my current reality. But for the first time in years, it doesn’t feel like a prison sentence.

“Mama, you’ve been smiley all week,” Milo observes as we walk toward the library for storytime. “Are you excited about something?”

“Just happy, Bug. Today’s storytime!” I know that talking about the library will redirect his too-perceptive questions.

“Do you think he’ll make sparkly dinosaurs again?”

“I think Mr. Sebastian will create whatever makes you happiest.”

Sebastian’s face lights up when he sees us, his snakes excitedly rippling in a way that makes my heart skip. He’s wearing a deep blue shirt that brings out the amber flecks in his eyes, and I notice he’s standing at his full height—no more hunching to make himself smaller.

“I brought my new book to show you and my friends.” Milo bounces with excitement.

As Milo settles onto his favorite cushion, Super Steggy clutched close, Sebastian’s eyes meet mine across the reading circle. There’s something different in his gaze—a new confidence, a sense of peace that wasn’t there before. And underneath it, a heat that makes my pulse quicken.

“Everything okay?” he asks softly as I take my spot along the wall.

“Perfect,” I tell him, and mean it. “I’ve been thinking about what you shared. About possibilities.”

Something warm and hopeful flickers in his expression, but he doesn’t push. “We can talk after?”

“I’d like that.”

The way he looks at me when he says it—like I’m something precious he can’t wait to get his hands on—makes warmth pool low in my belly.

Storytime is even more magical than usual. Sebastian reads with renewed energy, his dream manifestations more vivid and detailed than I’ve ever seen. When he creates a flock of pterodactyls that soar above the children’s heads, Milo’s gasp of delight makes several parents smile.

“They’re beautiful, Mr. Sebastian!” Grace calls out from the back row. “Can they do tricks?”

Sebastian’s grin is boyish as he guides the spectral creatures through loops and spirals. His snakes wear tiny decorative feathers today—clearly they’ve embraced their role as co-performers.

But it’s not just the magic that’s different. It’s Sebastian himself. He moves with new authority, claims his space without apology, lets his voice carry to every corner of the room. This is what he looks like when he stops hiding. It’s sexy as hell.

Every time our eyes meet during the story, heat flickers between us like a living thing.

When he demonstrates how a pterodactyl parent would feed its young, his gaze finds mine and lingers just long enough to make me remember the way his hands felt on my skin a few days ago.

The way his mouth moved against mine with such desperate hunger.

I have to press my thighs together and focus on breathing.

After storytime ends and the last family trickles out, Sebastian approaches where I’m helping Milo pack up his dinosaur book.

“Could you give me a moment to speak with your mom?” he asks Milo gently. “There are some new picture books about space dinosaurs that just came in. Want to take a look?”

Milo’s eyes light up. “Space dinosaurs? Really?”

“In the young readers’ section. Take your time.”

As Milo scampers off, Sebastian turns to me, and the intensity in his gaze makes my breath catch. “My office?”

It’s not really a question. More like a promise.

I follow him through the quiet library, hyperaware of the way his shoulders fill out his shirt, the careful grace of his movements. When he closes the office door behind us, the soft click seems to echo through me.

“I’ve been thinking,” he says, his voice already rough with want.

“About the ritual?”

“About kissing you again.” His eyes are dark as they track over my face. “About how you felt in my arms at the lake. About how you tasted.”

Heat floods my cheeks. “Sebastian…”

“I know we should talk about the ritual, about next steps, about timing.” He moves closer, and I can smell his unique scent. “But right now, all I can think about is touching you again.”

“The library—”

“Is mostly empty. And my office door has a lock.” His hands hover just above my waist, not quite touching, but close enough that I can feel his heat. “Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop. Tell me to wait, and I’ll wait. But tell me you want this too.”

“I want this,” I breathe, and then his mouth is on mine.

This kiss is full of hunger and desire too long denied.

This is demanding, possessive, his mouth moving against mine with desperate hunger.

His hands slide down to cup my ass, lifting me against him, and I can feel exactly how much he wants me.

The hard length of his arousal presses against my belly, and I can’t help but grind against him.

“Fuck,” he breathes against my mouth, his control wavering. “Aspen, you’re killing me.”

“Good,” I whisper, nipping at his lower lip. “I want to drive you crazy.”

His hands find the hem of my shirt, and I help him pull it over my head. When his gaze falls on my breasts, barely contained by my lace bra, his pupils dilate.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs, his thumbs tracing the edge of the lace. “So fucking beautiful.”

When his mouth finds my nipple through the lace, I arch against him with a moan.

“God, Aspen,” he murmurs against my lips. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

“Show me,” I whisper, and his control snaps.

He nips my nipple through the wet fabric, catching just the tip of it. The feeling is so deliciously intense that I arch against him, seeking more contact. He makes a sound low in his throat that goes straight to my core.

“I love the sounds you make,” he says against my breast, his breath hot. “I want to hear every one.”

My hands find the buttons of his shirt, needing to feel his skin, but he catches my wrists gently.

“If you do that, I won’t be able to stop,” he warns, his voice strained.

“Then don’t stop.”

“Aspen.” My name sounds like an ancient prayer on his lips. “You’re going to drive me crazy.”

Before I can respond, his snakes weave around us, creating a living curtain that makes the office feel even more intimate. One of them brushes against my cheek with silken softness, and I shiver at the sensation.

“They like you,” Sebastian observes, his eyes warm with something deeper than desire.

“I like them, too.” Stroking Evangeline’s scales, I marvel at how she leans into the touch. “I like all of you.”

His smile is soft, full of love. “Good. Because I’m afraid you’re stuck with us.”

A knock at the door makes us spring apart, both breathing hard.

“Sebastian?” Jenny’s voice calls through the wood. “Are you still here? I have those budget reports you wanted to review, and Milo is looking for his mom.”

We stare at each other, hair mussed, lips swollen. The heat between us is still there, crackling like electricity.

“Coming!” Sebastian calls, his voice only slightly unsteady. He smooths my hair, his touch gentle and reverent as I yank on my clothes.

“Tonight,” he murmurs against my ear as Jenny’s footsteps retreat. “Come to my place tonight. We’ll talk about the ritual, about everything. But mostly…” His thumb traces my bottom lip. “Mostly, I want to show you exactly how much I love you.”

“Yes,” I whisper, and the word tastes like forever.

His hands frame my face with infinite gentleness.

“Perfect. Milo’s sleeping over at Tyler’s house. We’ll have all the time we need.”

His look of pure affection melts my heart as he leans down to kiss me, soft and sweet and full of promise.