Page 7 of Venom Within Her

I was so distracted with my dream and the aftermath of the most earth-shattering orgasm I’d ever had from masturbating that I forgot to grab my morning coffee from Roasterz. Forgot until Stellan walked through the front door holding two paper mugs.

The excitement of another confirmed lesbian in town had disappeared. After seeing Larz, no other woman could compare. She’d etched herself into my brain and ruined me for anyone else the second our skin touched.

Stellan walked right up to the register and placed the coffee on the counter.

“Good morning,” she smiled and it had no effect on me. I took stock of my body: no heart flutters, no loss of words, my mouth was still moist and ready to make sentences.

“Morning,” I took a sip of the perfectly brewed black coffee. “Thank you, I needed this.” I reached into my wallet to pay her back, but she waved me off.

“Please, no. It was on me. Maybe you can help me find a…”

Her voice trailed out as the bell on the front door rang and the woman plaguing my mind walked inside. But she didn’t just walk in, she floated. Her presence commanded all of the attention in the room. Our eyes met and the world stopped spinning. Everything melted away until there was nothing but me and her.

My chest pulled, almost painfully, as she walked towards me. I wanted to duck behind the counter. I couldn’t handle embarrassing myself in front of her again, but I couldn’t move. My gaze was locked on her, following the way her arms swayed, the rumple of her jeans as her thickly muscled thighs moved forward, the way her glossy hair slipped behind her back as she turned to look at me.

“Ilana?” Stellan snapped her fingers in front of my face, cutting through the trance. I shot her an annoyed look.

“Ill-OH-na,” I corrected. How did she already forget?

“I’m sorry I-”

“Ilona.”

Cool. Calm. Perfect. Her voice drifted over me, immediately easing the irritation Stellan had caused. I nearly fainted at the sound of my name on Larz’s lips. She stood at the desk, towering over both me and Stellan, but her eyes were fixed on me.

“That’s a beautiful name.”

Oh, fuck. The panic was returning, crawling under my skin like the creature in my dream. What was it about this woman that rendered me completely useless?

“Thank you,” I smiled as my voice shook.

“I was looking for a certain book,” she flashed me a smile, her sharp canines on full display. She seemed softer today, more open. “I was hoping you could help me.”

“Actually, I was just asking for help.” Stellan puffed out her chest, but it was useless; Larz didn’t even acknowledge her presence.

Her gaze just burned into me, weighing me down. Gravity seemed to be working against me as my knees shook, almost buckling. I needed to get away from her and as much as I didn’t want Stellan, she was my only escape.

I rounded the desk, waving Stellan over to me, doing my best to place as much distance between Larz and me as possible.

“She’s right. I’ll…I’ll be right with you.”

I disappeared between the rows of books, Stellan trailing close behind me. I never wished for my talkative manager to be here as much as I did in this very moment. But it was a Tuesday, and Bev was off. Meaning I wouldn’t be able to avoid Larz for long. A part of me hoped she would get impatient and leave, but the other part wanted to hurry up and get rid of Stellan, so I could be alone with the new object of my obsession.

I walked around with Stellan, suggesting all of my favorite books I could think of, only for her to turn down every single one. It only solidified my disinterest in her. Although she had willingly wandered into the bookstore, she looked as if she would rather be anywhere else.

Larz lingered in the corner the entire time, patiently waiting for her turn with me. Every few moments, I would steal a glance, watching as she ran her fingertips over the books in the classics section. It was almost seductive.

The pull in my chest was more intense than ever. It was almost painful, like a sick and desperate yearning. While my mind panicked whenever I was around her, my body screamed to be taken into her arms. I had a developing, deep desire to know her. To care for her. To give myself to her.

Deranged. That’s what I was. Absolutely psychotic to be feeling such a fiendish need to drop to my knees and rip my heart open for a woman I’d barely spoken to.

Stellan finally decided on the most popular self-help book and I rolled my eyes as we made our way to the counter. With the sale we had going on, it was only $5, so I decided to buy it for her to pay her back for the free coffees. Maybe I should have thought before I acted, because she was looking at me like I’d just gotten on one knee and asked her to spend her life with me.

“Wow, thank you. You really didn’t have to do that.” She cradled the book in her hands like a prize.

“Oh, it's nothing. Just a thank you for the coffee.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but I came off completely cold.

“Speaking of coffee, would you like to go grab one sometime? Maybe on your next day off?”