Page 121 of Monster

She sputtered something incomprehensible, and I laughed, pulling her into my arms and carrying her out of there. She burrowed into my chest, making me pause.

What was it about this girl that was affecting me so badly?

I didn’t know, and a part of me didn’t want to know the answer. I wasn’t the kind of man who scared easily, but fuck, I had to admit this girl scared me.

In the best way.

I walked us to the room and straight to the bathroom, setting her on the counter before wetting a clean cloth.

“Open,” I said, tapping the outside of her legs. She blushed but did as I asked and let me clean her up. I felt almost a sense of regret cleaning away my cum, but that just meant I had to keep dirtying her up.

I could fucking do that.

Once I was done, I quickly wiped myself clean and carried her out of the bathroom and to the walk-in closet.

“You do know that I can walk, right?” she asked dryly.

I grinned at her, tucking a strand of hair falling over her face behind her ear. “Your point?”

She opened her mouth, said nothing, and then closed it once more.

I turned away from her and looked for some clothes for us to wear.

I dressed us in T-shirts and sweats, and once that was done, I brought her back down for some food.

The rest of the night was spent peacefully.

I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a night when all the voices in my head quieted down. Perhaps when both of my boys were little and still needed me for every little thing.

But it was never like this.

It never made me want to stay inside this house for as long as I could.

We went to bed pretty early.

I arranged us in the same position we were in almost every night, with my arms wrapped tightly around her, my front to her back, and my face buried in her neck.

“Dominic?” she asked, breaking the silence.

I squeezed her to let her know I heard her.

“I didn’t mean that.”

“Mean what, wildcat?”

“That you’re the monster in my story.”

I didn’t say anything for a moment.

Then, “Yes, you did.”

She nodded. “Yes, I did.”

The room was bathed in silence after that. I gave her a chance to gather her thoughts. I was sure she didn’t know why she said it. But she had said it, and it was the truth. I was a monster, but I’d also meant it when I said I was her monster, standing between her and everything bad in this world.

I squeezed her to my side when it seemed she didn’t have any more to say.

“Go to sleep,” I said, my voice gruff with emotions I didn’t want to fucking contemplate.

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