Page 184 of Venom Sweeter than Honey
By some miracle, I manage to press a kiss to her forehead and turn away to head towards my own bedroom. “Sweet dreams, princess.”
“Sweet dreams.”
Her bedroom door snicks shut. My hand rubs at the center of my sternum.
Fuck, I’m needy for this woman.
Absolutely pathetic.
A corner of my mouth lifts at the realization as I shut my own bedroom door.
And I wouldn’t do a damn thing to change it.
VIOLETTE
We’re supposed to proceed with our courtship rituals today. The realization sets my heart aflutter with jittery nerves. I quietly make my way downstairs to explore what we hadn’t last night due to exhaustion.
The kitchen is a large, cozy affair with a stone hearth, high beamed ceilings, multiple archways, marble countertops, brass fixtures, a gas stove, and panoramic windows overlooking the valley. The light of dawn casts an orangy glow into the room and paints the surrounding forest, the deep valley, and the wall of mountains beyond with gold.
So beautiful it makes my heart ache. It’s much more extravagant than my own home, and I instantly envy whoever owns this place.
If I could only get my matchmaking business going.
My heart twinges at the thought.
I haven’t quite put my heart and soul into it because I’ve been so... depressed.
Lonely, like Azrael, but unlike Azrael, I was not even remotely at peace with it or myself. And still very much consumed by my need for revenge against my father.
The realization that I no longer feel either of those emotions, and have hardly thought of my father since meeting Levi, and now Azrael, is a revelation. The burning fury that was previously inside me has all but been snuffed out by their loving hands. And in its place, my ever-expanding heart is filled with adoration for them and a newfound optimism for the future.
It’s mildly terrifying.
I don’t dare imagine what it would be like if the proverbial rug were ripped out from underneath me—something I have become more than accustomed to and constantly find myself bracing for.
A notepad on the kitchen island catches my eye. I round the corner to read Levi’s note.
Went to get supplies. Be back in about an hour, princess. xo
The sound of Levi’s truck coming down the driveway makes my heart leap with excitement, and I quicklywillmy hair into smooth, glossy waves. A few heartbeats later, I can hear his truck door shut and the crunching of his boots on the gravel driveway as I tug the front of my nightdress down to reveal a little more cleavage, and part my silk robejust so.
Look casual.
Be nonchalant.
I am the embodiment of effortless beauty.
I lean on the counter, trying to strike an elegant pose, but quickly decide against it.
Desperate fool. May as well tie yourself to his bed. At least then you might look less foolish.
Straightening, I glance down at my breasts, which prove mildly disappointing.
I pinch my nipples to harden them in the hopes of drawing his eye.
Much better.
“Are you quite alright?”
