Page 47 of Hiss and Tell
Sebastian’s face lights up when he sees us, his snakes excitedly rippling in a way that makes my heart skip. He’s wearing a deep blue shirt that brings out the amber flecks in his eyes, and I notice he’s standing at his full height—no more hunching to make himself smaller.
“I brought my new book to show you and my friends.” Milo bounces with excitement.
As Milo settles onto his favorite cushion, Super Steggy clutched close, Sebastian’s eyes meet mine across the reading circle. There’s something different in his gaze—a new confidence, a sense of peace that wasn’t there before. And underneath it, a heat that makes my pulse quicken.
“Everything okay?” he asks softly as I take my spot along the wall.
“Perfect,” I tell him, and mean it. “I’ve been thinking about what you shared. About possibilities.”
Something warm and hopeful flickers in his expression, but he doesn’t push. “We can talk after?”
“I’d like that.”
The way he looks at me when he says it—like I’m something precious he can’t wait to get his hands on—makes warmth pool low in my belly.
Storytime is even more magical than usual. Sebastian reads with renewed energy, his dream manifestations more vivid and detailed than I’ve ever seen. When he creates a flock of pterodactyls that soar above the children’s heads, Milo’s gasp of delight makes several parents smile.
“They’re beautiful, Mr. Sebastian!” Grace calls out from the back row. “Can they do tricks?”
Sebastian’s grin is boyish as he guides the spectral creatures through loops and spirals. His snakes wear tiny decorative feathers today—clearly they’ve embraced their role as co-performers.
But it’s not just the magic that’s different. It’s Sebastian himself. He moves with new authority, claims his space without apology, lets hisvoice carry to every corner of the room. This is what he looks like when he stops hiding. It’s sexy as hell.
Every time our eyes meet during the story, heat flickers between us like a living thing. When he demonstrates how a pterodactyl parent would feed its young, his gaze finds mine and lingers just long enough to make me remember the way his hands felt on my skin a few days ago. The way his mouth moved against mine with such desperate hunger.
I have to press my thighs together and focus on breathing.
After storytime ends and the last family trickles out, Sebastian approaches where I’m helping Milo pack up his dinosaur book.
“Could you give me a moment to speak with your mom?” he asks Milo gently. “There are some new picture books about space dinosaurs that just came in. Want to take a look?”
Milo’s eyes light up. “Space dinosaurs? Really?”
“In the young readers’ section. Take your time.”
As Milo scampers off, Sebastian turns to me, and the intensity in hisgaze makes my breath catch. “My office?”
It’s not really a question. More like a promise.
I follow him through the quiet library, hyperaware of the way his shoulders fill out his shirt, the careful grace of his movements. When he closes the office door behind us, the soft click seems to echo through me.
“I’ve been thinking,” he says, his voice already rough with want.
“About the ritual?”
“About kissing you again.” His eyes are dark as they track over my face. “About how you felt in my arms at the lake. About how you tasted.”
Heat floods my cheeks. “Sebastian…”
“I know we should talk about the ritual, about next steps, about timing.” He moves closer, and I can smell his unique scent. “But right now, all I can think about is touching youagain.”
“The library—”
“Is mostly empty. And my office door has a lock.” His hands hover just above my waist, not quite touching, but close enough that I can feel his heat. “Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop. Tell me to wait, and I’ll wait. But tell me you want this too.”
“I want this,” I breathe, and then his mouth is on mine.
This kiss is full of hunger and desire too long denied. This is demanding, possessive, his mouth moving against mine with desperate hunger. His hands slide down to cup my ass, lifting me against him, and I can feel exactly how much he wants me. The hard length of his arousal presses against my belly, and I can’t help but grind against him.
