Page 84 of Lovely Venom

“I don’t care.”

“What?” My stomach sinks as I consider he might end this before we even get started.

“I’ve waited this long to have you.” His voice roughens. “I won’t touch you until you ask me to, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“Oh.” I swallow. “Okay.”

How is it possible that simple declaration kick-started my heart?

Now I’m having unhinged thoughts, like he could fix me.

With his quiet restraint, he’s brought all of our memories rushing back. The way he handles me like nobody else ever has. His strength. His calm. His endless patience.

When we first met in this club, I was still traumatized, and admittedly, hopeless. After my baptism by fire, I’d been with another man, thinking I could somehow wash away the first one. And though that man was nice and gentle and all the things I thought I should want, it did nothing for me.

I came here to explore my desires and overcome my fears, but deep down, I didn’t really believe anyone could actually help me.

I was wrong.

It was Bran who showed me what true safety felt like.

He was the one who proved that I wasn’t just a vessel for a man’s pleasure.

He helped me learn how to use my voice and communicate what I want. With him, I could be vulnerable, and in doing so, I was able to embrace this part of myself without shame.

He gave me something I never thought I’d have.

I trusted him.

Even when my fears got the best of me, and I ran, he never took that away.

He’s been a steady presence in my life. An anchor in my chaos, and tethered to him are the parts of myself only he knows.

As I sit with that, I’m overcome by emotion. Because he didn’t have to do any of it. He didn’t have to spend an entire year with me when he got so little in return. I don’t know why he did it, but I’m just grateful that he did.

Without him, my world would still be so dark.

Longing sparks deep inside me as I untangle my fingers, suddenly aching with the need to touch him. We said we’d have one night together, and this is it. I don’t want to waste more time trapped inside my thoughts. I just want to be with him.

Gathering up my courage, I slowly turn to face him, and my breath catches. In a strange way, it’s like seeing the ghost of the man who has haunted my dreams for so long. But there he is, in the flesh—every towering inch of him.

Anticipation thrums through my veins as I soak in every detail, starting from the ground up.

Immaculate black leather oxfords gleam beneath the red light, the mark of a ruthlessly composed gentleman. Sharp tailored trousers sit low on his hips, molding themselves to his long, muscular legs.

Before, he always arrived in a suit and tie, but tonight, he came prepared to claim. A black button-down shirt stretches across his broad chest and shoulders, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, the collar left open at his throat.

His presence dominates the space, a man so deeply masculine, he’s captured me with a single glance. I forgot how viscerally he affected me, but now, it’s impossible to ignore.

As my gaze travels over the mask and the shadowed lines of his jaw, a shiver of awareness crawls up my spine. In this room, the color of his eyes is indistinguishable, and his features are softened at the edges. The red glow preserves his identity more than the mask alone ever could. But there’s an undeniable pull between us, and it doesn’t feel like something reawakened. It feels like something that’s always existed.

My heart thumps erratically as we stare at each other, and my lips part. For a second, I find myself chasing that thought…and then I crush it entirely.

I take a breath and focus on what comes next. A reel of possibilities flashes through my mind, offering up too many ideas at once. I want to run my fingers through those dark strands of hair. I want those large, rough hands gripping me tight. I want to get down on my knees and worship him, finally surrendering to the craving I can’t cure.

Then, for one fleeting moment, something inside me whispers that maybe I don’t want a cure.

“I want you to touch me now.” I exhale the words in a rush.