Page 105 of The Monster and the Masochist

It was vintage, with a thin yellow-gold band and a large, glistening princess-cut ruby in the center, held in place by intricate brackets. My eyes widened as I realized upon closer inspection that the brackets were designed to look like sharp, lethal claws. It was subtle and not immediately noticeable unless you looked closely, but they were there.

“This was Granny Fairview’s engagement ring. I don’t know if you remember her, but she was a formidable woman.” My mother smiled fondly at her memory. “Red is a complex color. It can be used to represent both love and fury,” Iris said softly. “It’s perfect for someone as fierce as Cassandra.”

Chills sheeted through my body as I examined the ring.

It wasn’t really Cassandra’s style. I’d pictured her with something sleek and modern… but… the blood red of the stone did remind me of her red bottoms.

I smiled.

Maybe she would like it? It didn’t hurt to ask. She didn’t have to wear it if she didn’t want to.

“Thanks, Mom,” I whispered, taking the box from her with the reverence it deserved. I tucked it into my pocket next to my Q-Tip and gave her a smile.

My mother looked up at me, her kind face glowing and warm.

“You do not have to let me in, Theodora, but I hope that you will let her in. She will protect you if you let her.”

“Uhm…” I didn’t know how to respond to that, but fortunately, I didn’t have to, because in that moment, my soon-to-be wife walked in the front door, and suddenly, nothing else mattered.

The door opened, and I couldn’t do anything but stare like a lovesick fool, as the golden glow of the hot afternoon sun pooled into the house… It was as if the sun itself were her own personal escort.

She looked absolutely stunning.

She was wearing a white, skin-tight silk dress with tiny spaghetti straps. It probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. She’d swapped her black Christian Louboutins for white ones, and I couldn’t help but drink in the long line of her tanned leg, poking out the slit of her dress that stopped just below her hip.

She was clutching the tiniest white and gold purse I’d ever seen, and her almond nails were painted a pearly satin. I swallowed, thinking about how good those fingers felt when she’d used them to stroke me into submission just a few days before.

She was so fucking gorgeous.

Her thick, dark hair was glossier than ever and hung in loose waves down her back, which…oh fuck me…

She turned slightly, and I realized the dress was backless.

I had a sudden vision of what she would look like sprawled out, face down on our bed, as I ran my tongue up her perfect spine.

I bit my lip and shuddered.

This was such a bad idea.

I had it so bad for her.

Why was I fucking sweating?

The second her eyes met mine, it was like the entire world fell away, and it was just the two of us, suspended in time.

In almost perfect slow motion, I watched the expression on her face transform. Her brown eyes turned soft and warm, and a wide smile spread across her face.

It was a smile I’d never seen her give anyone else.

It was a smile she seemed to reserve just for me, and my throat closed up at the sight of it.

“Theo…” she hummed, stalking down the hall and into the living room to greet me.

“Hey, baby girl,” I croaked, unable to take my eyes off of her for even a second.

“You look amazing,” she beamed, and I couldn’t seem to get my brain to function as she leaned forward, pressing a warm, soft kiss to my lips.

It was a casual kiss.