Page 51 of Hungry As Her Python

I could wait another night.

Another week.

But not forever.

I let my tongue taste the air—warm skin, baked sugar, and a trace of lemon from whatever she’d been working on before the ritual.

Goddess, she smelled good enough to swallow whole.

Soon.

I could picture it already. Standing close enough to feel her breath hitch, close enough to tuck that stray hair behind her ear, close enough to cup her jaw and make her look at me—really look at me—and see that I wasn’t letting go.

Please, Bella. Let me in.

My coils shifted over the moss, silent as breath, and I followed her retreat down the road from the clearing, never more than a few paces back.

Guarding.

Worshipping.

Counting down the minutes until I could do it up close, my hands on her instead of just my eyes.

For now, I’d take this—shadow and distance and the privilege of watching her move through the world like she didn’t have a man in the dark who would burn it all down for her.

Even though she did.

See, I was that man. Her man. The only one created specifically for the purpose of loving her.

And one day soon, she was going to know it.

Yesssss. Mine.

Chapter Fifteen-Bella

The walk home was long, and my skin was still tingling—not the fun, post-bonfire glow kind of tingle, but the itchy, restless kind that made me feel like I’d just swallowed an entire espresso shot of magic.

Every nerve felt raw and alive.

I told myself it was from the ritual.

I told myself it wasn’t from him.

I was a damned liar.

The pine barrens stretched out around me, moonlight slicing through the trees in silver ribbons.

The air was cool enough to raise goosebumps on my bare arms, but I didn’t slow down.

Couldn’t stay stuck out here all night.

My soul felt heavy.

My body ached in that bone-deep way that came from holding too much inside.

I knew exactly what was wrong with me.

I missed Conrad, I just didn’t want to admit it.