Chapter 9
NINE
Luke’s hands trailed down my bare arms like a flower petal falling gracefully from its stem. It tickled, but not in a humorous way. It sent prickles all the way down to my core, erupting goosebumps over my entire body.
When he placed his lips to my collarbone, I lay completely still, relishing his touch.
His hands continued to trail down my body, reaching my knee, then right back up my thigh.
His fingers traveled achingly slow, all the way to the hem of my shorts.
With his hands and lips moving over my body at the same time, I almost came undone in that very moment.
I breathed out his name like my life depended on it.
“Luke…” But he didn’t stop. He just worked his fingers up higher and higher until I felt them wistfully skim my hip bone.
I bucked my hips up, wanting more. Needing more.
He was good at this game, teasing me until I almost died .
Was that a thing? Dying from not being touched in all the right places? Maybe I would be the first known case.
“What do you want, Cammie?” he asked, voice raw and raspy .
I swallowed and thrusted my hips up again, harder this time.
“Tell me,” he barked.
“You. I want you.”
Then…
He hissed at me—like a snake. What the hell?
Hiss. Hiss.
“What?” I cried out.
My eyes flew open. My vision was blurred at first, but I then realized I was in my bedroom, which was very poorly lit from the barely there sun setting through the window. My gaze lingered there, amazed at the beautiful pink hues cast in the North Carolina sky.
I slowly sat up and looked around my room. I sat up even straighter when I heard another hissing noise come from the bottom of my bed. Oh my God! So, that wasn’t a dream?
When I looked down at my blanketed legs, I screamed bloody murder.
I flew out of the bed so fast that I fell right on my ass.
The second I felt the floor underneath me, I scooted backward all the way to my dresser.
My eyes widened as I stared at the black snake casually lying on my bed.
He was lounging there, staring at me like I was the intruder in his home. Not the other way around.
I couldn’t seem to make any noise other than the wheezing from deep within my chest. My head turned to my bedroom door when Luke came flying in with a bemused look on his face.
“What the hell, Cammie? What’s wrong?”
My shaky shoulders fell as I pointed to the snake whose head was now lifted, staring at the pair of us with slanted, demonic eyes.
“Uh…is this a pet snake of yours? ”
I whispered, “NO! Get it out!”
Luke’s eyes squinted when he looked at me again. Then, he let out a huge breath of air while shaking his head. He and I were on the same page of major confusion.
Luke slowly crept past me, keeping his eyes trained on the snake, and very slowly moved behind its back end, near the top of my bed.
He pulled my white pillow off the bed and reached inside the opening, pulling the pillow out of its case.
Then, he placed it back down and held the white pillowcase in his hand.
He looked at me, then at the snake, and then back at me and mouthed the words, “Shut the door.”
Luke was in complete military mode, eyes narrowed at the enemy, who was lying on my pretty white blanket. Luke’s shoulders were intense and pulled back. It was mesmerizing, watching how intent he was.
I crawled over to my bedroom door and gave it a slight push with my hand to close it without it actually latching and scaring the snake.
It was a really gross-looking snake. Its black skin was shiny, and its eyes looked as if they were glowing at me. Goosebumps broke out on my arms.
I sat with my back against the door, barely breathing because I was afraid to startle it. Then, I stopped breathing altogether when Luke slowly padded over to it.
In one single movement, Luke scooped up the snake into the pillowcase. He exhaled a huge breath, and I watched in horror as the snake thrashed inside its cotton enclosure. I put my hand over my mouth, fighting back a scream.
Luke and I were two unmoving statues as we both stared at the pillowcase he was holding with a death grip .
The second I let out a small giggle, Luke followed my cue and laughed uncomfortably for a few seconds.
“How did that get in here?” I pondered aloud.
No, seriously, how did it get in here, anyway? The trees rustled outside my window, and I glanced up to my white ceiling. Alex. I swore he had a way of messing with me all the way from heaven.
Luke, who had finally stopped laughing, looked at me, placing a hand on his hip. “I think I know how it got in here.”
I stuttered, “How? There aren’t any openings in my house. I don’t think.”
Luke grinned, raising one side of his mouth.
But then, his phone rang and drew his attention elsewhere.
Still holding the pillowcase enclosing the snake in one hand, he took out his phone and grimaced as soon as his gaze reached the bright screen.
His shoulders immediately went tense, and he paused mid-step. He answered quickly.
“Give me a minute.”
He placed the phone facedown on his chest. “I’ve gotta take this. I’ll leave my number on the counter in case any more snakes come to pay you a visit.”
God, I hope not . The thought occurred to me that I had better search my house high and low, with a gun or something, because I’d be damned if I woke up to another snake.
I watched Luke all the way out the door of my room, and when I heard the front door shut, I stood up and rushed to my kitchen to see if he really had left his number.
He had—with a little note right below it.
Cammie, it was my fault that the snake came in. I left the door open when I was flipping your furniture back over.
You’re welcome,
Luke
P.S. I hope you’re okay now.
I shook my head, smiling from ear to ear. I ignored the feeling of my heart growing inside my chest.
He’s just a neighbor. He’s just a neighbor. He’s just a neighbor.