Page 40 of Touch Me

Cassie’s in the kitchen, sugar nugget poised in her hand. She fell into hysterics when she found out it was just a donut hole.

She holds it up to get Henry’s attention. “I know you can sit.”

Henry sits.

“Can you shake?”

She holds her hand out, Henry’s giant paw swatting at her palm, practically knocking her off her feet before she tosses him the treat.

“Well, I guess you can shake. What else you got?” She grabs another donut. “Can you speak?” Henry lets out an ear-piercing howl, and Cassie jumps back, throwing the donut at him. “Okay, okay, take it,” she says, brushing the crumbs off her hands. “Geez.”

“Henry, no,” I interrupt. “Whisper.” Henry turns toward me and lets out a littlehmmph. “Good boy.”

“Holy crap.” She looks wide-eyed between the two of us. “He can whisper?”

“He gets a little loud for some of the other neighbors, so Max and I taught him how.”

“Wow, that's amazing. What else does he do?”

“Not a whole lot. Like I said, he’s pretty lazy. And if you give him any more donuts, this place will smell like napalm dropped on the roof.”

“Oh, sorry,” she says, closing the box of donuts and putting them in the pantry.

“It’s fine. He likes you. I might just drop him off in your room tonight if he starts smoking me out of my room.”

“I’m not sure he would fit in my bed.”

“Oh, he’ll fit.” I laugh. “You, on the other hand, may end up on the couch.”

She eyes Henry. “It’s like that, is it?”

“It can be. But he will also listen if you tell him no and ask him to get down. He’s kind of a dopey, loveable mooch. He’ll take whatever you give him, but he’ll respect you if you give him a command.”

Cassie walks over and squishes his face between her hands, doing a cutesy voice while telling him how perfect he is. As she wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him, I swear he looks back at me and winks. Oh, Jesus. He thinks this is a competition.

Game on.

* * *

After a grueling workout—onetasked to straighten out my scrambled brains—I leave the gym needing a hot shower. Coming down the stairs, Cassie’s on the couch with her legs curled underneath her while Henry rests his head in her lap. She’s watching TV and absently scratching behind his ears. His eyes are closed but peek open when I come to the last step. The look he gives me screams,Suck it, loser.

That’s just fucking perfect.Even with no other men around, I feel like I’m in last place.

He lifts his head, resting his chin between her tits and sighs. She immediately smiles and squishes his face, covering him with kisses and praises. Her tits bounce under her tank top as she jostles his head, and I can tell by her hardened nipples she isn’t wearing a bra.

After this stomach-turning yet arousing display of mutual adoration, Henry looks at me and rests his head back in her lap.

Henry, 1. Jace, 0.

Asshole.

* * *

After the coldestshower of my life, I come out to find Henry and Cassie still cuddling on the couch. She’s mindlessly stroking his head, and there’s no room for me to sit down.Big-ass dog.I wander into the kitchen in search of a snack. Or anything to take my mind off Cassie, and her nipples, which are still visible through the thin material of her tank top. She needs new clothes. Maybe I can convince Jess to take her shopping. And say what? Make sure she only buys canvas and velour so I can’t see her nipples through her clothes?

Who am I kidding? I would miss them. And it doesn’t matter what she wears or what I can see. I think about her, regardless. In the shower. Alone in my room. In the gym, which I go to to get my mind off of her.No longer effective.She could wear a garbage bag, and I would fantasize about hoisting her over my shoulder, hauling her to my room, and ravaging her.

This can’t be healthy or normal. Well, I’ve never been normal, so I guess I can add this to the list. Can’t go out in public like a normal person.Check.Can’t hold a normal conversation.Check.Can’t touch anyone without wanting to rip my own face off.Check.Has an abnormal obsession with a girl I’ve known practically my whole life, who’s best friends with my little sister and lives in my house, walks around all sexy, smelling good, and makes my dick hard just thinking about her.Check.

---