Page 63 of The Monster and the Masochist

Theo might not know it yet, but I did.

My monster was already latching onto her, and I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to fight it off much longer.

But I had to keep fighting…

Because if my monster ever truly claimed her, there would be no escape for her.

I would use her up until there was nothing left…

And I wasn’t sure either of us would survive it.

For the first time in weeks, I slept like a fucking baby.

There was no room for Samwell to haunt my every waking moment because my mind was filled to the brim with memories of warm vanilla, sharp, well-manicured nails, and soft, beautiful moans.

Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Cassandra’s gorgeous face tossed back in the most enchanting display of ecstasy I’ve ever seen on a woman’s face.

All I wanted to do was make her look like that over and over and over again.

And it seemed like I would have the chance.

She’d asked me to move in with her.

Well… asked was a bit of a stretch. It had been more of an order. But I sure as fuck wasn’t complaining.

That woman could literally step on my face, and I would probably thank her for it.

Even Jerry could tell something was different when I showed up for coffee the following day.

“Yuh either took my advice and went to therapy, or yuh got laid,” he muttered as I slid into my usual seat at our table. I put down the iced triple long I’d already ordered for Cass in case she showed up.

Eyeing him, I took a sip of my own coffee in an attempt to mask the permanent smirk that I couldn’t seem to wipe off my face.

“I went to therapy all right.” I chuckled, and Jerry rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

“As long as you’re not hungover, I don’t care what you’re doing to cope, kid. Now, we need to talk about your fight with DeLuca. It’s in two weeks, and you need to really set the tone in the first round. She’s quick. Quicker even than you, and if you don’t nail this, you can kiss your dreams of taking on the Russian goodbye. No way I’m letting you fight that beast of a woman if you can’t take out DeLuca in the first round.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m really not worried. I’ve fought DeLuca before. She’s good, but I’m still better.”

Jerry grunted, giving me another wary look.

“You are when your head’s in the game.”

‘You are when you’re not wasted,’ is what he was really saying.

I scoffed, giving him a lazy shrug.

“Told you not to worry about that. It was a one-time slip. It won’t happen again.”

And I meant it, too.

The last thing I wanted to do right now was drink.

Not when I was heading home later to pack up my very few belongings so I could move in with Cassandra.

Who needed vodka when you had a goddess like Cassandra Walker looking to you to help guide her through her queer awakening?