Page 283 of Craving Venom

She scoffs. “Fifty.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Try again.”

“Okay, eighty.”

I shake my head. “One hundred and seventy-seven.”

“You’re making that up. Pretty sure I know my own body.”

“There’s one tiny dot beneath your left eyebrow. Two small ones just under your jawline. Five scattered over your collarbones like faint stars. Three tucked under your right breast, so pale they vanish unless I look for them.”

She blinks slowly.

“Six along your abdomen, clustered tight near your hipbones. Eleven on your thighs—four behind your left knee, two where they press together when you sit, three in the inner crease, and two more that only show when your legs are open under the light.”

A blush begins to bloom along her cheekbones.

“Eight down the curve of your spine. One tucked behind your right ear. Four more up the back of your neck. Two hidden in the soft edge of your hairline. Nine across the tops of your shoulder blades. Four more riding just along your waist, above the dip of your ass. Five more scattered low on your back.”

Her lips part, but I keep going.

“Your left arm has five—one near your shoulder, another on your tricep, one above the elbow, and two that run along your forearm where the sun hits when you drive. Your right arm has eight in total. Three up top, one near the back of your underarm, one behind your elbow, and three near your wrist.”

Her eyes flick to her arms now, and she starts actually counting, like she doesn’t believe me but I don’t slow down.

“There are thirteen across both your inner forearms. Little ones that show up when you’re stretched out under soft light. One just beside that faint vein on your left. Two trail it down. One near your watch strap, one on the base of your thumb.”

She’s falling behind, already lost in the numbers.

“Three tucked near your ribcage. One under your left armpit. Four curve beneath your breasts. Two tiny ones on the underside of each—so faint you forget they’re even there. But I don’t.”

Her mouth opens to say something, but nothing comes out.

“Ten more scattered across your stomach and along your sides, rising and falling with your breath. Seventeen trace down your calves—back, sides, even one right where your tendon tightens when you tiptoe. Six behind your knees, two on the front of your shins. Nine total along your ankles.”

She shifts again, her fingers twitching in her lap.

“There are fifteen on your feet and toes. And three on your heels.”

My voice drops lower.

“There are five on your fingers. One on your knuckle I kissed once without you noticing. Two along the backs of your hands. Four more on your palms.”

Her breath catches.

“Six just above the curve of your butt. Seven on your hips, right where I grip when you try to wriggle away. And one…”

I let the silence hang.

“…is tucked inside your pussy.”

“I don’t have a mole there.”

I chuckle.

“You do. It is tucked on the left side. Barely the size of a freckle. I almost missed it the first time.”

Her jaw drops. “Okay, nope. Stop.”

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