Page 19 of SummerTime Madness
I don’t reply, but I do fall back to watch her ass as she walks towards the entrance of Tate’s garden. My heart ricochets inside my chest, butterflies dancing from the brief contact. She’s in me–been inside me from the moment I laid eyes on her. It’s like something blooming in the back of my skull.
Her voice.
Her need.
And I feed it.
The air cools, causing me to notice the difference and the way the plants perk up as our poisonous little snake steps into the garden.
Chapter Four
Queen B
Tate
I watch as my little snake slithers her way into my garden, her blue eyes widening as she soaks in the luscious green that surrounds us. This is my own little personal heaven and science lab in one. I built this greenhouse with my hands.
It’s my pride and joy.
And she looks right in her element, the Queen B of the hive, walking through it as if she owns it.
I once promised I’d build it for her; a place where we could create and study in peace. Of course, Chase would always be part of us, but science and spores are where she and I connect.
But things never happen. Instead, I get a knife in my back and a hunger that never sleeps. I watch as his eyes follow her, tracking every move of her hips.
Sometimes I wish I were moreemotional… more like him.
Chase is our emotional compass. Like he says, intelligent people can sometimes be truly detached from their emotions to focus on the facts and not the feel of things, which is why this dynamic works.
And why did I decide I want this back?
Because we connect.
I can have so much of her with this video on my phone. I can force her until she accepts it. But that's not what I want. I want Cordelia to beg, this is just a little nudge in the right direction.
Baby steps.
Tonight, I’ll push her a little bit, testing the water. The golden bands around her arms catch the muted lights that filter through the mossy roof as she leans in and inspects the new fungi I'm growing–a cross species.
“Tate, this is truly amazing,” she says, her voice upbeat like a kid walking down the toy aisle.
She moves on towards the pink and orange exotic plants, the result of crossbreeding. The garden hums in a way I’ve never seen, and it stirs something, watching her stroll through it.
My pride.
My lab.
As if it’s her birthright… but I guess that’s what happens when you grow and build with someone in mind.
“Thank you, those are all cross breeds. I wanted to test if the connection would work even if they are from different strains.”
I watch as the leaves move towards her. It was minimal but definitely there. Cordelia's presence even had my plants holding their breath, trailing her mindlessly, much like Chase and I have. But tonight, I'll balance the scales. She’s done being Professor Johnson's whore, she will become ours.
Only fucking ours.
As she moves deeper, we follow by pulling the small tube that contains my mini pre-rolled joints. I bring one to my lips and light it up. We walk in silence, Chase and I admiring our Queen. She seems oblivious to the way the plants react to her, following her around like faithful worshippers, or maybe I had too much wine with dinner or maybe I was high off her.
She turns the corner and comes to a halt when she finds my favorite piece, the one I finished tonight–just for her.
