Victoriously Yours,

Classically Terse

River stomped back to the tent as she violently snagged on her clothes. Several women of the tribe kept looking at her in their weird way.

Having enough of their judgment, she snapped at all of them. "What are you looking at? Don't you have work?"

They jerked back in shock and then, their eyes moved behind her. All them becoming almost dream like with a worship dotting in them, River rolled her eyes, knowing well who was approaching.

Their stupid brutish crush.

She entered his tent, and began to pack her things. When she heard him in come in, he stood at the opposite end of the pallet. She made no notice of him.

She folded her washed dried clothes, placed her dental pack with her toiletries back into her bag.

"Chris will take my place here. I'm going to be in Yosemite's tent." Not meeting his gaze, she picked up her bag, the strap onto her shoulder.

"Take one more step and see what happens."

She looked up and saw him petting snake.
His jaw taut. The tension thickened between them bracing the fact nothing was innocent anymore.

He has touched her in places no one has. Those hands meant to receive and take. It surged of life in her.

But with life comes caution. It prevents. It makes up dreams only to crash it with reality. It was hopeless hope.

The laconic manner in which his two forefingers swabbed over the head of the reptile was as if he was touching a cat. Giving it a nice little paddle of love and affection.

It seemed the snake could almost purr at his master's touch.

"What are you going to do? Tie me up? And speaking of which, you will not do that to me henceforth. You can tie up your other concubine but not me!"

Calm and cool like, his hands gracefully petted. "I don't tie up other women."

The question fell from her lips before she could even stop them. "Why?"

The snake forked his tongue out and those beady eyes moved to her, fangs snapping up and down.

"I never needed to. Women come to me, readily." He drawled as he lied back on the pallet.

His legs sprawled out and snake slithered down his shoulder like a dark long licorice provocative rope.

Momentarily going stiff, she closed off her lungs from making a sound as the brown and black scales dragged against the skinned ground right by her toes and it barricaded the door with its head rising up.

"Sit." His hand circled the space next to him.

The shiver of awareness of his hands and the soft bed rippled through her. She remembered how her skin felt against those rough palms.

"No." At the same time, snake hissed a warning. His tail moved rapidly like a rattle. Just a whisper of its tone.

"I suggest you come quick. Snake is either threatened or very aroused."

With a leap, she made her way on top of the soft mattress next to him.

"Take off your bag." When she resisted, the snake bared it's sharp long grooves fangs.