Page 13 of The Monster and the Masochist

“Oh, it’s no problem at all!” Maria squeaked, though, judging by the curling string of order chits printing nonstop out of the machine, it very much was a problem.

I leaned against the counter as I waited, slipping out my phone and opening up my conversation with Cass.

My last three messages to her had gone unanswered. She had read receipts off, but I knew she’d seen them. She was on her phone constantly for work, and she wouldn’t have blocked me, if only to make sure I could reach her in case of another emergency involving her brother.

Theo:

Hey, baby girl. Looking fire today.

I shot off the text just as Maria was returning with Cass’s drink. I smiled at the busy barista and slipped her a fifty with a wink.

“Keep the change, babe. Thanks so much for helping me out.”

“O-of course! Wow, thanks, Theo!” she babbled, and I grinned at her, shrugging indifferently.

“Don’t spend it all in one place,” I joked, before turning my attention back to Cass, who was still at the back of the line, but was now staring directly at me, her cheeks pink with irritation.

Guess she got my text.

Unable to wipe the smirk off my face at how surprised and annoyed she seemed to be to find me here, I snatched up Cass’s drink and made my way through the crowd toward her.

“What are you doing here?” she snapped, and I laughed softly.

“Hello to you, too, princess.”

“Don’t call me that.” She glared down her perfect nose at me, her dark gaze flitting to the drink in my hand before returning to my face.

“Guess you’re too good to wait in line like the rest of us. Maybe I should start fucking the baristas, too. Seems to have some perks.”

I barked out a laugh, my tummy warming at how insane this woman was. When she was like this, it was hard not to imagine how sharp that tongue of hers would be in bed.

God, I just wanted her to do whatever she wanted to me…

“I’m not sleeping with Maria. I just come here a lot.” I tilted my head toward Jerry, who was scowling at me with his arms crossed over his chest. “We come here to plan fight strategy.”

Cass narrowed her dark eyes on me, her gaze shifting to the bruise forming on my cheek from last night’s fight.

“Why haven’t I seen you here before, then? You sure you’re not just stalking me?”

“You wish, princess.” I smirked, leaning in to put my mouth close to her ear. “Maybe you’re just not as observant as you think.”

My pupils dilated as I watched the delicate skin on her throat pebble under the play of my breath, and it took everything in me not to feather my lips over her pretty neck.

Her scent flooded my nose, and I forced back a groan.

She smelled like a warm blend of vanilla and brown sugar, and my mouth literally watered with the desire to see if she tasted sweet, too.

She swallowed, and we both hovered there, frozen for a beat, before she took a firm step back, forcing that adorable little scowl back over her pretty face.

“Well, I’m late for work, so if you wouldn’t mind…”

I pulled back, giving her a lazy smile, before pressing the coffee I’d got for her into her hand.

“Here. You can have my coffee. I think you need it more than I do. We both know how bitchy you get without caffeine.”

Her perfectly manicured eyebrows raised in surprise, and she glanced down at the now-sweating iced coffee, her brow pinching even more as she read the order Maria had scribbled on the side.

“What? You copying me now, too? Since when do you drink oat milk?”