12. Alice
Chapter 12
Alice
Steam still clings to my skin as I perch on the edge of my bed, the towel wrapped around me like a fluffy white cocoon. I’m trying not to think about it, about what I could do to Gordy, and a new thought occurs to me. Something as simple as picturing him in the shower, trying not to drown his snakes, makes me smile. Does he use a shower cap? The image is ridiculous and endearing all at once.
But then the smile fades, and the weight of the world seems to crash down on me. Did I cause his powers to go haywire? Will my unpredictable power be our downfall ?
And now, after everything, I’ve got gorgon-hunter blood in me. Just a flicker in the family tree, Gideon said—but enough to tangle with Gordy’s instincts. Enough to turn love into danger. It didn’t matter that I’d already fallen for him when I was stone. I didn’t know then that my magic might be wired to hurt him.
That’s why I ran. Not because I doubted how I felt—but because for one horrifying moment, I couldn’t tell if I was more curse than cure. If loving me meant risking him.
There’s a soft knock at the front door, and I freeze, my heart doing that weird little skip it only does for one person.
“Alice?”
“Gordy?” I manage to keep my voice steady, though inside, I’m anything but.
I quickly wrap the towel tighter and stand, padding over to the door. Taking a deep breath, I open it.
He stands there, tall and imposing and vulnerable at the same time. His hypnotic green eyes, which I’ve dared to look into more than once, hold a mix of guilt and determination.
“Can we talk?” he asks, his voice low and even. He knows how to do this, to coax out words when silence seems easier.
“Sure.” I step aside to let him in. As I close the door behind him, I’m intensely aware of the small space, of his presence filling every corner of my apartment. I turn and head back to the bedroom, indicating he should follow.
“Look, Alice,” he starts, instinctively touching the knit cap over his snake-laden locks. “I feel terrible about what happened. But I want to make things work.”
“Me, too,” I admit, reaching for the hem of my towel before remembering it’s all that’s between me and complete nakedness—not that he hasn’t already seen, tasted, and touched all the goods. “But I’m scared, Gordy. What if I hurt you?”
He steps closer, and I can smell the faint scent of books and something woodsy that’s intrinsically him .
“Then we’ll figure it out together,” he says firmly. “I’ve got these powers, and you’ve got yours. We’re not exactly your run-of-the-mill couple, but what we have is worth the risk, right?”
“Right,” I whisper. My heart swells with a mixture of fear and affection. This is Gordy. Shy yet brave, intelligent and loving. He’s standing in my bedroom, wanting me despite the chaos our combined energies could unleash.
“Besides,” he adds with a tentative smirk, “I’m getting pretty good at controlling the snakes now. And I trust you, Al. More than anyone.”
“Same here,” I confess. I step forward until we’re inches apart, my bare toes pressing into the cool hardwood floor. His gaze is intense but not frightening. It’s full of promise. “What if I turn you into something worse? Like a whole snake, or make snakes sprout out of your entire body?” I ask, the panic rising all over again.
“Then we’ll deal with it. Together.” He reaches out, his hand hovering shy of touching mine. “We’ll learn to control our powers. Gideon’s managed it. So can I. ”
He’s right about Gideon, the gorgon who’s practically mastered the art of not turning things to stone. But then, Gideon didn’t have me accidentally boosting his abilities to contend with.
“Gordy,” I start, taking a deep breath. “I don’t want to be the reason you lose yourself.”
“You won’t be,” he assures me, finally closing the gap and enveloping my hand in his. It’s warm and grounding. “Because I’ve never been more myself than when I’m with you.”
“Me neither,” I admit, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. And they’re true. With him, I’m not simply Alice. I’m more —someone stronger, braver.
“Okay.” He exhales, relief softening his features. “So, we study. We practice. You learn to dial down your power, and I’ll wrangle my snakes and my gaze.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I squeeze his hand, and the gesture seems to embolden him. “So, how do we test this? Should I—what—flash you?”
Gordy chokes slightly. “Let’s start with prolonged eye contact and work our way up from there. ”
I smirk. “Coward.”
Gordy shakes his head and chuckles. “Survivalist.”
“No time like the present,” I say, taking a deep breath to calm my throbbing heart.
I step closer, slowly and carefully, and remove his cap. This seems odd, considering we’ve already had mind-blowing sex, but caution is key right now.
Gordy’s snakes hiss, but not in alarm—more like gossiping teenagers discussing something scandalous.
“You all good?” I murmur to his serpents. “No sudden urges to turn me into a sexy garden statue?”
One snake flicks its tongue and bobs its head.
I narrow my eyes. “Was that a yes or sass?”
“That was the ‘she’s growing on us’ head bob,” Gordy translates.
I nod. “Good. Because I plan to spend a lot of time dangerously close to you. ”
I press my body to his, hips first. His breath catches. The snakes freeze like they’re watching an episode of their favorite show.
“They’re... calm,” Gordy says hoarsely.
My breath quivers out with a sigh, and I smile. “They love me.”
Gordy’s gaze drops to my lips. “They might not be the only ones.”
I tilt my head, brushing my nose along his jaw, then murmur, “So what happens if I kiss you right now?”
“I guess we find out if the snakes are truly Team Alice,” Gordy growls, “or just voyeurs.”
I kiss him—slow, deep, completely unhurried. The snakes stay still, only one curling around to rest lightly on Gordy’s shoulder like it’s watching approvingly.
When we finally break apart, breathless and smiling, I say, “I think I passed the test.”
Gordy brushes a thumb over my cheek. “You aced it. And for the record, they didn’t even flinch when your hand slipped under my shirt.”
I smirk. “Oh, honey. That was just phase one.”
“You know, maybe there’s a spell out there for snake taming,” he says wryly.
“Or we could always buy a huge shower cap,” I shoot back with a laugh, the tension easing from my shoulders.
“Exactly.” The corner of his mouth quirks up. “A monstrous-sized one.”
“Monstrous-sized everything,” I murmur, letting the words hang suggestively between us.
“Everything,” he agrees, and the heat in his eyes tells me he’s no longer talking about shower caps.
“Slowly,” I remind him and myself as he moves in for another kiss.
“Slowly,” he echoes, but his lips are inching toward mine with an urgency that suggests slow is relative.
“Very slowly,” I whisper, our breaths mingling, the word becoming a silent vow as we lean into a kiss so powerful that my toes curl on the floor and my fingers tighten against his ribs.
He pulls back, and I laugh like a valve has been released, all the pressure of our fears hissing out into nothingness.
“We’re ridiculous,” I say, but my voice is warm, my arms around his neck to pull him closer.
“Ridiculously in love,” Gordy counters, his eyes alive with mischief.
“Is that what this is?” I tease, but the butterflies in my stomach are doing somersaults because deep down, I know it is.
“Absolutely.” His hands are on my waist now, steadying me as if he knows I’m a breath away from falling. Or maybe we’re both falling for each other, against all odds.
“Scary thought,” I murmur, but I’m not pulling away. Instead, I find myself leaning into him, his closeness a magnetic pull I can’t resist.
“Terrifying,” he agrees, but his lips curve into a smile that doesn’t reach his hypnotic green eyes. Eyes I’ve learned to read, and right now, they’re saying he’s anything but scared .
“Then let’s be terrified together.” It’s the bravest thing I’ve ever said.
“Deal.”
And just like that, we tumble onto the bed, our laughter giving way to something deeper, more profound. Our kisses are a language unto themselves, speaking of new beginnings and shared fears, of promises made and boundaries yet to explore.
Gordy tells me how happy he is, his voice husky with emotion. “Al, you don’t know how much…”
“Shh,” I whisper, pressing a finger to his lips. “Keep talking later. Right now, I just want to feel.”
“Feeling’s mutual,” he murmurs before capturing my lips again. And, oh, how I crave this. The taste of him, the heat of his body pressed against mine, the way he makes me forget everything but the here and now.
“Never stop,” I gasp between kisses because his touch, rough and tender all at once, sends shivers down my spine .
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he promises, his words fueling the fire building between us.
As our kisses deepen and hands roam, lost in the urgency of our need, a soft thud interrupts us. We pause, breathing hard, and look down to find a box of magical condoms that’s appeared out of thin air. They promise protection against magical mishaps, and though we have no idea where they came from, there’s a sense of rightness about their sudden appearance.
“Guess someone’s looking out for us,” Gordy says, his voice laced with humor and desire.
“Or they have perfect timing,” I reply, trying to catch my breath and failing miserably as I take in the sight of him, all tousled snakes and burning eyes.
“Either way”—he picks up the box, examining it with curiosity and amusement—“might as well put them to good use.”
“Definitely.” I reach out, my fingers brushing his as I take one of the packets.
The room is charged with possibility, and though our journey here has been anything but ordinary, at this moment, we’re simply two magically inclined people, crazy about each other, ready to take the next step.
“Slowly,” I remind him, our earlier promise still hanging between us.
“Always,” he replies, and I believe him.
But as he moves over me, there’s nothing slow about the way my heart races or the anticipation that floods my senses. This is us, monstrous quirks and all, taking a leap into the unknown together.
I’m still panting, a little breathless from the passion that’s ignited between us when Gordy nonchalantly picks up the foil packet. He looks at it with an almost academic interest, like he’s analyzing a particularly curious passage in a rare manuscript. His eyes flicker to mine, a spark of mischief there that I’ve come to adore.
“Here goes nothing,” he says, and with a deft movement, he tears the packet open with his teeth. It’s so unexpectedly suave from my usually shy bookshop owner-turned-snake-haired sweetheart that I can’t help but let out a delighted giggle .
“Show-off,” I tease, a rush of excitement chasing away the shadows of my earlier doubts.
“Only for you,” he retorts, his voice low and husky.
The room is warm, the air between us electric with anticipation. He moves closer, and I catch a whiff of his scent of vellum and something wildly untamed.
I throw him a sultry grin, one that I’ve practiced in mirrors but never had the courage to use until now. Until Gordy. And I stretch my arms out to him, beckoning him to join me in this new adventure. There’s no hesitation in his movements as he settles into my welcoming arms, bringing with him the promise of a connection deeper than either of us has ever known.
“Come here,” I whisper, heart racing as our gazes lock. His enchanting green eyes are all I can see, all I want to see.
“Gladly.”
His lips land on mine.
It’s not the kind of kiss we’ve shared before—sweet, searching, hesitant .
No. This one is hungry.
It crashes into me like a wave, all tongue and teeth and the barely-leashed need of a man who’s been holding back too long. And I meet it head-on, yanking Gordy’s shirt over his head like it personally offended me.
He gasps against my mouth when I straddle him, hands braced on his bare chest. His skin is warm beneath my palms, traced with faint scars and old stories I still haven’t heard. The snakes twitch with barely restrained energy, weaving around each other like they’re bracing for impact.
“Tell me to stop,” I whisper, knowing he won’t.
“Gods, no,” he growls, his hands gripping my hips like he’s afraid I’ll vanish. “I need you, Al. Now.”
My pulse throbs everywhere at once.
I reach for his waistband, dragging the fabric down and freeing him—and yes, there he is.
Both of them.
Gordy, thick and already hard beneath my fingers, and the snake, emerging like a curious periscope from a submarine of sin. His tongue flicks out, tasting the air like it’s checking if this is happening.
“Hello again,” I murmur, smirking as I give it a lazy salute.
The snake gives a hiss that somehow sounds offended.
Gordy groans. “Please don’t talk dirty to my anatomy.”
“Why not? They’re part of the package.”
And, oh, what a package it is.
I sink down his body, letting my lips trail across his stomach, my hands sliding along the lines of his thighs. Gordy shudders when I take him in my hand and give a slow stroke, his hips twitching upward.
“You’re teasing me,” he rasps.
I smile up at him, innocence weaponized. “Would I do that?”
“Constantly.”
Before he can retaliate, I slide up his body, hovering just above him. My thighs are slick with anticipation, my skin alive with magic that sparks and crackles with every breath we share.
He reaches between us, his fingers slipping through my wetness with a reverence that makes my heart skip.
“You’re so ready,” he whispers, almost in awe.
“For you,” I say simply.
When he pushes into me, the universe aligns.
There’s no awkwardness this time. No hesitation. Just us , fitting together with a rightness that makes me gasp and bury my face in his neck.
“Al…” he moans, his voice ragged as he fills me completely. “You feel like heaven.”
I start to move—slow and steady, rolling my hips as I ride him. Gordy’s hands find my waist, then my breasts, thumbs brushing over my nipples in time with my rhythm. The friction is perfect, every thrust sparking through me like a live wire.
One of his snakes wraps loosely around my wrist like a bracelet, not restraining, just… holding. Claiming .
“Oh, we’re getting fancy now,” I pant, locking eyes with Gordy.
He’s watching me like I’m some divine miracle he can’t believe he gets to worship.
And I feel it, too—that worship. That hunger. That heat that builds between us like a spell being cast.
“Harder,” I whisper, leaning forward so my breasts press against his chest.
He bucks up into me, his grip bruising in the best way, and the change in angle has me crying out, stars exploding behind my eyes.
My magic surges, wild and wanting, flaring through my fingertips and into the air.
A lamp in the corner shatters.
“Oops,” I gasp.
Gordy grins up at me, breathless. “Your magic short-circuits when you come?”
“Apparently.”
“Well,” he growls, flipping us with a speed that should not be legal, “let’s do some real damage.”
I yelp as he drives into me again, this time from above, his rhythm relentless, his weight grounding me in the storm he’s conjuring between my thighs.
A snake slides down and brushes my nipple, and I don’t know if it’s on purpose or not, but it sends me right over the edge.
I arch, scream, shatter .
Light bursts behind my eyelids. Power ripples through the room. A bookcase tilts in protest, a mug cracks in the sink, and Gordy follows me into oblivion with a low, broken groan of my name.
We collapse into the bed, tangled and panting, our bodies slick with sweat and magic and something that tastes like joy.
The snake retracts slowly, smug.
I reach out to pat its little scaly head. “You’re an excellent wingman.”
Gordy groans into the pillow. “You’re never letting me live this down, are you?”
“Not a chance. ”
I curl into his side, my body aching in that delicious, well-loved way. My magic is finally quiet. Content. Like it’s purring right beneath my skin.
And Gordy?
He kisses my temple, still breathless. “I love you, Al.”
I blink, stunned—but the words bubble up so easily, so true, I don’t even hesitate.
“I love you, Gordy. You snake-charming, book-hoarding, deliciously-grumpy gorgon.”
He chuckles.
The snake lets out a very self-satisfied hiss.
And me?
I smile and reach for him.
The world fades to the two of us, exploring, learning, loving in a way that’s thrillingly new and as ancient as the myths he likes to share.
And for the first time in my life, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.