Page 54 of The Monster and the Masochist

“So, are you? Attracted to women?” Theo asked again, and the room suddenly felt too hot again.

She was staring at me–a calm, solid anchor that I found myself clinging to as all these new thoughts and questions kicked up into a raging storm in my mind.

I remembered how, literally just an hour ago, I’d needed to squeeze my thighs together just to suppress the thrill of heat that had cut through me at the thought of Theo naked, wet, and soapy in the shower.

My mouth went dry as I studied her face. She was somehow this perfect blend of masculine and feminine.

With her small, firm breasts curving slightly beneath her t-shirt, she didn’t physically present as a man, but her forearms were veined and muscled, and her biceps had that egg-shaped curve that leaned more masculine. Her jaw was sharp, and her lips were full, but her thick, dark eyebrows, while well-groomed, were not dainty by any means.

Was I attracted to women?

The slickness that had gathered again between my thighs from just looking at Theo told me that yes.

I very much was.

At some point during my inspection, I’d shifted closer to her, and there were only a few inches separating us now.

The room felt like it was shrinking again, and my breath was coming out in short, breathy bursts.

Theo’s gaze dropped down to my mouth, and I realized her chest was rising and falling nearly as quickly as mine.

She squeezed my hand in her lap and gently guided my arm forward, tugging me in closer.

My hands slipped under the hem of her t-shirt, and I bit back a shudder as my fingertips brushed across a hot, smooth sliver of skin on her abdomen.

Fuck.

Every inch of her was pure muscle.

I wanted to trace gentle lines up her abs and see what it would feel like to cup her breasts in my hands.

The thought slashed through my mind, and I literally felt my pupils blow.

Theo let out one of those delicious, low chuckles, and she slid her free hand up to my throat, cuffing me gently.

Hooking her thumb under my chin, she tilted my head up so she could meet my gaze.

Her eyes were heavy-lidded, and her pupils were just as large as I was sure mine were.

“Theo…”

Her name slipped out of my mouth like a whisper, and her lips were so close, I wondered if she could literally taste each syllable.

“Yes, Cassandra?” she hummed. The tip of her nose brushed against mine, and I found myself tilting my head to the side.

My mind seemed to have fully gone offline. I couldn’t remember what we’d been talking about.

All I could think about was how taut Theo’s stomach was beneath my fingers, and how insane her minty breath felt skating across my lips.

She smelled like eucalyptus and rosemary, and it was somehow both so relaxing and intoxicating.

My whole body was humming with anticipation as she gently stroked her thumb across my jawbone.

“What do you need, baby girl?” she whispered, hovering just out of reach.

“I-I don’t know.” My voice was breathy and quiet. I don’t think I’d ever sounded like this before, but I couldn’t form coherent thoughts.

Some small part of me was still warning me that this was a bad idea.