Page 14 of Hungry As Her Python

They smirked like I’d just handed them the winning lottery ticket.

Ryan set his gun down and leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

“First thing—stop chasing her like you’re hunting dinner. Let her come to you.”

“Exactly,” Jaxson agreed. “And when she does, don’t smother her. Give her space, but make sure she knows you’re not going anywhere.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“That’s it? That’s your big advice? Play dead and hope she trips over me?”

Jaxson shrugged.

“Worked for me.”

Ryan grinned.

“Me too.”

I groaned, leaning back in my chair.

“You two are impossible.”

But the truth was, they’d answered.

As only real blood brothers could.

And maybe, possibly—because really, I wasn’t getting anywhere on my own and I only had everything to lose—but just maybe, they were right.

Goddess, please be right.

Chapter Four-Bella

A week had passed since that tumultuous kiss with Conrad Boman.

And when I say kiss, I don’t mean your average everyday smooch.

I mean the kind of kiss that could make a grown Witch reconsider her life choices, forget her own name, and possibly sign away her soul without reading the fine print.

He’d left with a resounding smack of his lips against mine.

The tease.

Ever since then, he’d been patrolling past my bakery most days, and I can only assume nights, too, when he was on duty as Deputy.

Oh, I told myself it was just a coincidence, that maybe The Tasty Tart just happened to be on the way to literally everything else in town.

But I wasn’t buying my own excuses.

It was enough to make a Witch crazy.

My hormones were out of control, my concern over my mystery arsonist was gnawing at me, and I was cranky from lack of sleep.

And on top of all that? I was panting after a man I swore I wouldn’t get serious about.

This was ridiculous.

I was the calm one.