Page 4 of Venom Within Her

Her hands were smooth and soft. I found myself wanting to ask her what hand cream she used instead of wanting her fingers wrapped around my throat. Oh well, maybe I would find fun somewhere else. At the very least, I made a mental note to stop at a hardware store for some batteries to stock my nightstand with.

“Ill-own-uh,” she stretched out each syllable like it was an unfamiliar taste on her tongue. “That’s pretty, I like it. I’m Stellan.”

“I know.”

Her brows knit, a proud smile creeping over her lips. “You do?”

I pointed to her colorful nametag. “I do. I work just next door at Bev’s. I’ve been here every morning for the past few days to get coffee.”

Realization dawned on her and her expression dropped just for a moment. “Ah, makes sense. I’m sorry I haven’t introduced myself before. I’ll have to come check out the bookshop sometime.”

“You’ve never been?” From what Bev told me, Bev’s books had been a long-standing business in Cutwood, being passed down from her grandfather.

“Ah,” she dipped her head, rubbing a hand over the short, shorn hair at the back of her neck, “I’m not much of a reader, but I suppose I should be.”

I smiled with a small nod, “Great sale going on these next few weeks.”

“I’ll be there.”

As she turned to grab my coffee, her pale cheeks tinted a deep red. Fuck, I hope she didn’t take that as a date invitation.

I grabbed the warm cup and turned on my heels, “I’ll see you.”

~

Shiver Park was huge, probably the largest part of Cutwood besides the forest. It had three playgrounds, separated by a large, grassy area with tons of huge trees, multiple fountains surrounded by large benches, a pond swimming with ducks and an impressive skatepark off to the side.

I settled under a tree with a clear view of the skatepark. I always loved watching them in my hometown, it was nice to have something familiar here. I smoothed a blanket over the plush, slightly damp grass, pulled out my ereader, and settled my back against the tree’s trunk.

The roll and clack of skateboard wheels on concrete and the smooth warmth of coffee on my tongue grounded me in the moment. The day was gloomy, a gray hue settled over the park and the chill of the air seeped into my bones, just how I liked it. It was the most peace I had felt in months.

I sucked in a few deep, cool breaths before observing some of the skaters. Bev was right, there were a ton of men my age there. If I were straight, a couple of them would absolutely be my type. Tattooed and dressed in black, my minimum requirements.

One of the skaters, a boy who didn’t look a day over 16, wiped out hard across the park, skidding harshly across the concrete. There were a few laughs and scoffs from the people around him. I quickly averted my eyes, clicking into my ebook, but still listening. Apparently, he had been wiping out and pissing people off all morning. I stifled a laugh as they teased him.

Just as I was getting lost in the smutty book in front of me, a deafening shriek broke my focus.

“Hey, watch out!”

My head snapped up just in time to see a skateboard flying right towards me. My limbs froze; even if I did move, it was way too close. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the impact, but it never came.

I opened my eyes to a large, heavily tattooed and muscled bicep just inches from my face. The rogue skateboard was clutched in an equally giant fist.

I let out a ragged breath. “Oh my god, thank you! I-”

All the air was sucked from my lungs. Words were no longer a thing I knew how to string together. My heart fluttered in my chest. I was half convinced that the skateboard had actually hit me and knocked me out, because I had to be dreaming.

“Are you alright?” Her voice was smooth, low, and firm. As she turned to face me, all I could do was stare.

She was a vision, plucked straight from my deepest fantasies. She was tan, buff, and completely covered in tattoos. She wore a worn, black band tee that sat just above her belly button and low, black, baggy jeans that hung off her hips, the waistband of boxer briefs poking through. Her hair was jet black, long, and shining in choppy, shaggy layers. She was fucking beautiful.

When I didn’t answer, she pushed from her crouched position to her full height, tossing the board to the ground. She towered over me by at least a foot.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean t-” The same boy who had wiped out earlier ran up to us, shaking me from the hold the Goddess in front of me had locked me in.

“You should watch what the fuck you’re doing, Dean. Stay on the fucking kiddie ramps if you don’t know how to skate.” Her stern tone shot the flutters from my heart straight to my pussy. I squeezed my knees together as I flashed the boy a sympathetic smile.

“Sorry, Larz.” The boy, Dean, scooped up his board. “I’m done for the day anyway. I’m so sorry, again, ma’am. I didn’t mean to.”