Page 53 of Entranced By the Basilisks

But I need to know what happens next.

“You want ourChosen, don’t you? Our sweet librarian.” Ari’s grip tightens and he drags his teeth over Jasper’s ear, and I want to whimper.

Jasper breaks.

“Yes.”

I swallow in shock. He wantsme.

“Good,” Ari purrs. “For transparency’s sake, I want you both, but I won’t detail exactly what I want to do to the pair of you yet—”

Jasper's moan is thready and a matching one almost escapes from my throat.

“—I don’t want to scandalize you too soon, Emilia.”

The room falls into silence for a moment before Jasper lurches away from Ari and Ari lets him.

Jasper hisses. “Stop with your games, Ari.”

His fair complexion pinkens and it’s fascinating to see a man that I’d thought so strict and unyielding blush from embarrassment. Our eyes connect and the arousal that I’d ignored all day hits me low in the belly.

Discovered, I continue down the stairs until reaching the base. The movement brings me into the tension-filled room, closer to these men that I hardly know… but want to.Gah! Grace is going to give me such a hard time for this.

“Sorry for listening in.” My cheeks burn.

Ari’s grin is vicious in its triumph. “I’m not going to stop my games. Our pretty librarian is going to find out the truth that you already know one way or another. I go after the things I want.”

And he wantsme.Us.

Jasper makes a noise in anger, massaging the bridge of his nose. “Don’t make her uncomfortable. She’s already dealing with so much.”

Oh, his vehement response is almost sweet, but he isn’t denying any of Ari’s statements.

“Are you uncomfortable, dear Emilia? I’ll never push you if you object to any of my actions.”

“I—” The heat suffusing my cheeks is almost as painful as it is unexpectedly tantalizing. I swallow before starting again. “I’m okay. This is just a lot at once.”

I should shut this down right now. I am dealing with a lot, and I’ve always assumed that I’d never be into polyamory, but something about these two makes me curious and being curious makes me brave.

I’ve never thought of my curiosity as being what gets me into trouble, but the snakes on my head and what comes out of my mouth next would attest that it is.

“Grace and Rose did say something about how pleasure with serpent kin could break the curse—blessing—being Chosen. You know what I mean. Uh, so we could… you know, for science—”

My mouth snaps shut when my brain catches up.

What. Did. I. Just. Say?

Oh my god, I’m done for.

For science?

Ari opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. Jasper’s eyes widen. I need the lovely rug I’m standing on to swallow me whole, please.

Ari recovers first and laughs, it’s a soft huff as he shakes his head. “What I have in mind isn’t scientific in nature at all, nor do I think that would solve your issue with being Chosen.”

“Oh?” My throat is scratchy and it’s surprising I can muster speech at all after my clumsy proposition.

Ari’s smile is rueful. “I’m interested in having a relationship with you and Jasper. I don’t want to rush to physical intimacy, and I don’t want you to do anything with us because you think it could solve your current dilemma.”

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