Page 149 of Sweet Venom

But beneath the laughter, I couldn’t help but think… there were the kinds of things he should have experienced growing up—lighthearted moments, joy, silliness. Not all that carnage. Not the endless heartache.

His small smile, the one he wore as he looked down at me between rides, hit me hard. It was quiet, but it was real. And it was bittersweet.

After the rides we ate at a cozy Japanese restaurant tucked into a quiet corner of the park. They served all my favorite dishes— all of them.

Once we finished eating, we took a break from exploring, and I tugged him toward a small shop near a rollercoaster that looked like it had leapt straight out of a fairytale library. It was book-themed, complete with flying pages, floating quills, and a giant open book for a ride car.

It was my favorite one and so damn cute.

Just like the man who owned it.

We were walking hand in hand when something caught my eye.

It was a tiny green shop, painted in a shade almost identical to my eyes. The windows were lined with trinkets and souvenirs — sparkly, whimsical and so weird. Basically, my go to aesthetic.

But what really stole my attention was a blue and black headband displayed right in the center of the window— adorned with two tiny, glittering knives that glowed faintly in the sunlight. It was clever. It was chaotic. It was me.

I loved that Venomous had a gothic, slasher twist. Dark, dramatic, horror-core with a sprinkle of sparkle. Our kind of fairytale.

“Oh, look at this!” I gasped, tugging on Azariel’s arm like an overexcited brat. I pointed at the headband in the window. “It’s killer, right?” I wiggled my eyebrows at him in the most ridiculous way.

He followed my gaze, then glanced down at me with amusement sparkling in those gray eyes of his. “You want it?”

“Can I?” I grinned, eyes still on the headband. “I think it suits me. Don’t you?”

Azariel raised an eyebrow and bit his lips— and oh, wow.

“Yeah, baby I do.”

Without another word, he walked into the store with me, his hand still wrapped around mine. A few moments later, he came back, headband in hand.

“Here,” he said softly, then gently slid it onto my head. My heart leaped when I looked up at him, catching the gentle smile that tugged at his lips.Pretty...

Every time he smiled, it felt like the sun was shining just for me.

Warm.

I stood on my tiptoes and, with a smile that could barely contain my excitement, I stole another kiss. It was the type of kiss that made the world fade until there was only us.

When I pulled back, my heart was racing.

Will iteverstop beating like crazy when I kiss him?

I don’t think so.

“You’re tired?” he asked, gently playing with a strand of my hair, concern lacing his voice.

“Just a little,” I admitted with a small smile, trying to ignore the dull ache in my feet.

Damn it. I knew I should’ve worn better shoes. These boots were doing me dirty. “I’m okay. Let’s keep exploring.”

I didn’t want to miss anything.

But Azariel was already shaking his head, his usual sexy-as-hell gruffness back in full force. “Don’t lie to me. You’re tired.”

Before I could argue, he swept me off my feet— literally.

“You’ve done enough walking for one day,” he muttered.

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