Page 23 of Reptile Dysfunction (Harmony Glen #11)

Chapter Twenty-One

T had

Gods! Sloan’s beautiful. It’s worth waking up early just to watch the light play across her bare shoulder as she sleeps pressed against me.

It’s practically a feat of magic to glance at my email without waking the woman whose limbs are wound around mine.

Guardian Solutions received three more contract requests overnight.

Business emails flooded in after word spread about last night’s expert security presence at the town hall meeting.

But none of that seems as important as the woman currently using my chest as a pillow.

Before Revelation Day, professional success meant staying invisible, avoiding attention, and keeping the peace through intimidation nobody acknowledged.

Now it means building something public, legitimate, and protective without the shadows.

The transformation still amazes me—from outcast enforcer to legitimate community protector.

The contrast hits me as I scan the contract details.

Riverside Community Center wants security for its youth programs. Cedar Falls Hospital needs protection for its monster staff during shift changes.

These aren’t jobs about making troublemakers disappear; they’re about creating safe spaces for people to thrive.

“You’re thinking too loud,” she mumbles against my collarbone, not opening her eyes.

“How can you tell?”

“Your snakes get restless when your brain goes into business mode.” She shifts slightly, and the movement sends heat spiraling through me. “They’re practically buzzing.”

She’s right. Several are moving in agitated patterns above us, picking up on my mental energy. Only Sterling remains calm, draped possessively across her throat like living jewelry.

“Three new contracts,” I tell her, running my fingers through her hair. “Mayor Branson from Cedar Falls, the Riverside Community Center, and—”

“Later.” Her lips brush my throat, making every snake freeze in absolute stillness. “Business talk later.”

“Later when?”

“After I remind you why taking professional risks was worth it.” She rises on one elbow, blue eyes dark with intent. “After I show you exactly how proud I am of the man who stood up in front of the entire town council and announced his new security business.”

My breath catches as she shifts to straddle my hips. The morning light illuminates her as if she’s carved from gold and desire. She’s absolutely flawless, and she’s mine .

“Are you proud enough to be thoroughly unprofessional?” My voice drops to that register that makes her shiver.

“Absolutely.” Her hips roll against mine, making my already-hard cock throb. “Though I expect professional-grade results.”

“My woman’s demanding this morning.”

“I prefer thorough.” Her hands map the planes of my chest, then trace my tribal tattoo with deliberate slowness. “Your reputation depends on attention to detail.”

The truth compulsion activates before I can control it, my eyes shifting amber. “Tell me what you need.”

“You,” she breathes, caught in the gentle magic but welcoming it. “All of you. Every inch, every ability, every way you make me feel like the only woman in the world.”

Her honesty, pulled from her by my power, makes me flip us in one smooth motion. She gasps as I pin her beneath me, my size and strength on full display. This position emphasizes every difference between us—my hands frame her face completely, my body covers hers entirely.

“Since you mentioned thoroughness,” I murmur against her throat, “let me demonstrate proper attention to detail.”

This time, there’s no urgency, no desperate fumbling.

I map every inch of her body with methodical precision, discovering that she makes the sexiest sounds when I bite gently at the curve where her neck meets her shoulder, that she completely falls apart when Sterling traces delicate patterns on her collarbone while I worship her with my tongue.

By the time I finally slide inside her, we’re both desperate and trembling. The angle—her legs wrapped around my waist, me braced above her—puts my full strength on display while making her feel precious and protected.

“Tell me,” I demand, my voice rough with dominance, “tell me how this feels.”

Under the compulsion, truth spills from her lips: “Like you own every part of me. Like I was made to take all of you. Like I never want anyone else to see me like this.”

I set a rhythm designed to drive us both to the edge of sanity—deep, claiming strokes that hit every sensitive spot while Sterling creates intricate patterns on her skin with his flickering tongue. The feedback of sensation builds until the boundaries between us blur completely.

When she breaks, it’s with my name torn from her throat and her nails marking my shoulders. The sight and sound of her pleasure triggers my own release, and I bury myself deep with a hoarse shout that echoes off the curved walls.

Afterward, as we lie tangled in the morning light, she traces lazy patterns on my chest while my snakes bask in complete contentment.

“Your research questions thoroughly answered?” I ask, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“For now,” she says with a satisfied smile. “Though I may need to conduct follow-up studies. For thoroughness.”

“Guardian Solutions does pride itself on comprehensive services.”

Her laugh vibrates against my chest, and I realize this is what success actually looks like: not just the business contracts or the community acceptance, but the woman in my arms who chose me over every safe, sensible option.