Page 47 of The Anaconda Downstairs

I almost blurted out the question of whether she’d checked my pants, but Mrs. Thompson would probably take that as a very inappropriate innuendo, and I didn’t need more gossip about me and Pen floating around the neighborhood.

Mrs. Thompson nodded. “We’ll have to wait for the snake wrangler. I’m so sorry, Mr. Kingman. I feel terrible about this.”

I waved off her apology, my mind racing. I couldn’t stay here. Not with Snakey on the loose. But I couldn’t ask Pen to leave, not after everything that had happened between us tonight.

In a split-second decision, I turned to Pen. “You should go home. I’ve got a plan.”

She looked like she wanted to argue, but something in my expression stopped her. She nodded, kissed me on the cheek, and headed across the street.

As I watched her pop inside Declan’s front door, I took a deep breath. Time for Plan B.

I just hoped Dec wouldn’t mind an unexpected houseguest.

I waited seven whole minutes until I grabbed my go bag, packed for the hotel for tomorrow night. It might be ChristmasEve, but Coach Shananagan was still adamant that we slept alone the night before a game. He did give us a bit more leeway and had a whole Christmas Eve party for the guys with kids where he dressed up as Santa and gave out presents. The guy might be tough on us, but he loved kids.

Ten long minutes after Pen snuck back into the house, I stood on Declan’s porch, my bag slung over my shoulder. It was well past midnight, and I felt a twinge of guilt as I knocked on the door. I sent him a text to say I was coming over, but he didn’t even read it. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and a loose snake definitely made me very desperate.

After what felt like an eternity, the door swung open. Declan stood there in his pajama pants, looking confused and slightly annoyed. Kelsey was behind him in nothing but one of his t-shirts. I’d definitely interrupted some sexy times.

Sorry, not sorry.

“Ev? What the hell, man? It’s the middle of the night.”

I tried for a casual smile. “Hey, bro. So, funny story...”

Five minutes later, I was sitting on their couch, recounting the evening’s events. Well, most of them. I left out the part about kissing Pen and inviting her back to my place. Because I didn’t need to get murdered tonight.

“Let me get this straight,” Declan said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “There’s a snake loose in your house, and now you want to crash here?”

I nodded, trying to look as pathetic as possible. “Just until the snake wrangler can come when she gets back after her Christmas vacation. Please, Dec. You know how I feel about snakes.”

Declan sighed, but I could see the corner of his mouth twitching. “Fine. You can stay in the basement. I just finished renovating it so Kels can have a home studio, so try not to break anything, okay?”

Hells to the yeah. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

Just then, we heard footsteps on the stairs. “Dec? Kels? What’s going on?”

My heart skipped as beat as Pen appeared, dressed in pajamas with her hair up in a messy bun. She looked like she’d been in bed, but her eyes were alert as they met mine.

“Ev?” she asked, surprise coloring her voice. “What are you doing here?”

For a moment, I forgot how to speak. She looked so soft, so beautiful, and all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and kiss her senseless.

Later.

Declan, oblivious to the tension, answered for me. “Apparently, there’s a snake on the loose at Casa Everett. He’s going to crash downstairs until it’s sorted.”

Pen’s eyes widened in understanding, and Kelsey gave her a disconcerting look. “Oh. That’s... okay, that’s cool.”

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. “Yeah, I hope you don’t mind me invading your space like this.”

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “Not at all. I probably wouldn’t have even known you were here until tomorrow morning, right?”

Declan yawned, stretching his arms above his head. But Kelsey folded her arms and tapped her toe. “Well, now that that’s settled, we should all get some sleep. And Jules wants to take the girls shopping for the gift family gift exchange in the suite on Christmas.”

This was the perfect distraction for Kelsey. “It’ll be your first one with us. You’re going to love it. You all get to have a whole-ass Christmas party while we play.”

Pen nodded, her eyes flickering to mine. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

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