Lips press softly against mine, and I slowly open my eyes. Salvatore pulls back, looking down at me.

“I didn’t think you were ever going to wake up.”

He has a slight pout playing around his lips, and I want to laugh, but instead I just smile at him. I bet no one would think that the great Salvatore Castello could behave like this. I stare at him for a moment and take back the words in my head. I actually have no idea what he’s like with other people, if I’m being honest. I’m assuming how a mobster, a kingpin, would act. But I’m basing it off movies and books I’ve read.

“Where did you go?” he asks, bringing me back to the moment.

His hair is a little messy from our night together, and he looks relaxed. Right now I’d never think he’s in the mob.

“To be honest, I was thinking I don’t really know anything about you. The last twenty-four hours have been crazy. I mean, I watched you…” I trail off. He killed someone in front of me.

“We have all the time in the world, angel,” he says, leaning in and kissing me softly again. “I want to take care of you before I need to get some work done.”

He sits up and gets off the bed. My eyes follow him, watching his naked body move around the room. I feel myself blush, embarrassed by seeing all of him in the light of day. After all the things we’ve done, this shouldn’t make me shy, but it does. His body is perfect, even with the little scars littering his skin here and there. It reminds me once again who he really is.

He comes over to me, pulling me from the bed and throwing me over his shoulder. I squeal in surprise as he gives my butt a smack. I wiggle on his shoulder, laughing, and he smacks me again.

“Be still. I don’t want you to get hurt.” I do my best to keep from moving as he carries me. “Good girl.”

His voice is low and firm, and for some reason his praise makes my stomach do a little flip. I don’t know how he makes me lose all common sense, but he does. Maybe I should just go with it. When we get to the bathroom, I hear the water turn on, then he steps into the warm shower. I moan at the feel of it as all of my muscles ache from our lovemaking last night.

He slides me down his body, and his chest hair rubs against my smooth, soft skin. I giggle at the sensation and wrap my arms around his neck when I come to my feet.

“That tickles.”

When I feel his hard length slide against me, I stop laughing and moan. Then he’s the one to let out a chuckle. I lay my head against his chest, letting the water run over both of us. It’s soothing being next to him and surrounded by the warmth of the water.

“You sore?” he asks as he wraps his arms around my back and begins to rub.

“A little,” I admit.

“I’ll give you a massage this afternoon,” he tells me as he kisses my neck. “Until then, let me make you feel a little better.” He drops to his knees in front of me, his big hands engulfing my hips.

My hands go to his shoulders, holding onto him there. He looks up at me, his eyes impossibly dark. I’m starting to learn they do that when he’s really turned on. I glance farther down and see his cock is hard between his thighs.

“Never been on my knees for anyone before.” His thumbs slowly stroke my hip bones. “I like being down here for you though. Only you.”

I run my fingers through his ebony hair. Yeah, I’m going to give this a try. Though I’m not sure he’s giving me an option to begin with. He’s made it clear I belong to him, I just have to pray this is always the man he’ll be. Because if he is, I have no problem belonging to him.

“Part your legs for me, angel. I’m hungry for it.” His eyes are trained between my legs.

I lick my lips and do as he says, slowly stepping apart for him. I barely finish putting my foot to the wet tile floor and his mouth is on me, urgent to have me. He’s starving for it and can’t wait another minute to get his mouth on me.

He goes straight for my clit greedily. I jerk against his firm hold, but his grip on my hips keeps me in place. Otherwise I think I would’ve dropped to the floor. He growls against me, and it echoes through my whole body.

“Salvatore,” I moan.

His tongue laps at me like a lion, and I can tell he wants me to cum. It’s his only goal. There’s no teasing as he pleasures me.

I feel a small bite against my clit, and I scream out as the climax hits me fast, rocking through my body. My legs tighten, but I’m so far gone that I feel myself start to fall. But before I can, I’m in Salvatore’s arms. He’s holding me, cradling me to his chest.

I close my eyes for a moment, resting my head against him. There’s a moment when I don’t register anything as the orgasm just runs through my body and I melt into him.

“Feel better, baby?” he asks.

I open my eyes to look up at him. He looks so proud of himself, which makes me smile. “You can do that to me anytime you like,” I manage to say before I place kisses on his chest.

“I know I can,” he says cockily.

I let it slide, still enjoying the aftermath of my orgasm.

He sits me down on a bench in his giant shower and washes himself. I try desperately to stop myself from staring at him as he does. As my eyes trail down his strong back and to his round ass, I wonder where all the scars came from. I’m sure it has to do with his line of work, but I can’t find the right words to ask. I’m guessing he wouldn’t tell me anyway. I’m sure each holds its own story of darkness that I probably wouldn’t even be able to wrap my mind around.

When he’s finished with himself, he drops to his knees in front of me and washes my body. It’s so weird to see this powerful man on his knees for me. It does something to me, just like everything about him seems to.

He takes his time washing my feet, calves, and then my thighs before pulling me to my feet and slowly washing the rest of me. He even does my hair. First the shampoo, then putting in the conditioner, lovingly petting me with each touch. I’ve never had someone take care of me like this. It almost makes me want to cry, but I hold it in, not wanting to ruin this utterly sweet moment. Instead I enjoy it without thinking about it too much.

I can’t hold back the sounds that come from me as he rubs my scalp. My eyes fall closed and I moan.

When he turns off the water, my muscles feel so much better. I feel more relaxed than ever before. Salvatore grabs a towel and dries me off.

Once he’s finished, he picks me up and takes me to the bed. He sits me down on it and then walks over to the door and opens it. Bending down, he picks up a tray and closes and locks the door again. He sets the tray down on the bed in front of me, and I watch the whole thing with my jaw nearly on the floor. This is like something out of a movie.

“Angel, I hate to do this.” He glances at the clock next to the bed. I follow his line of sight to see it’s almost noon. I’m shocked because I’ve never slept this late before. “I need to get going. I have a few things to do.” I can see he doesn’t want to leave. “I hate leaving you naked in bed.”

The look on his face as his eyes rake over me has me biting my lip to hold back a smile. He wants me all over again, just as much as I want him.

“I understand,” I tell him. He’s standing over me, still naked with his cock pointing straight at me. I lick my lips, reaching for it.

“Angel,” he chides me, right before I make contact. It’s a warning. And a promise.

He jerks against my hand, groaning at the contact. I watch as a small drop of cum leaks out. I lean forward, and his hand slides into my hair, gripping me in a tight hold. He tilts my head back and makes me look up at him. His breathing is hard as his chest heaves. I love that I’m making him like this. I bet a man like him isn’t used to not being in control. It’s probably driving him crazy. I’m the reason for all of this, and it feels powerful.

“Lick that up, Thea. You made me do it.”

My core clenches as I do as he says. I lick the pearly drop off, but I want more. I try to stick my tongue in the little hole to get as much as possible, and another appears. I press my lips to the tip and suck it off, humming at his flavor.

He tightens his grip on my shoulders, and then I’m flat on my back. He looms over me as he pushes my thighs apart with his knees. Then, with one hard thrust, his cock is inside me and I’m beyond full. It’s not painful, but there’s an ache to his weight inside me, and I moan at the sensation. His thick, heavy cock throbs as it enters, and my body tries to hold all of him as far as he can go. It’s delicious. I’m still a little sore from the night before, but the pleasure is so much more powerful.

“You’re going to have to learn, angel,” he grunts, pulling out and thrusting fully back inside me. “You stole a taste. Until my baby is in your belly, all my cum goes into this cunt that now belongs to me. Every. Single. Drop.” He thrusts with each word.

I lean my head back, my eyes falling closed. I love this feeling of ownership he has over me. My body is alight with sensations and I can’t focus. Every inch of me is pulsing with need only he can satisfy.

“Eyes, angel. Give me those eyes that drive me fucking crazy.” I open my eyes and look at him. It takes everything in me to keep my eyes locked on his. They want to fall closed so bad. But he’s right. Looking at him like this while he makes love to me amplifies it a thousand-fold. I’ve never been more connected to someone in my life.

His words of possession should make me mad, but I feel myself grip his cock harder inside me, wanting the words that he’s saying to be true. That everything he’s offering me on a gilded platter is real. And even if it’s too good to be true, I’m not sure I want to break the spell.

His mouth comes down, sucking and biting at my neck. “Look what you do to me. I have no control,” he groans against my skin. “You touch me and I’m on you. I can’t help myself.” His words always come out like he doesn’t understand how this could be happening.

I feel the same way with him. Look at the way I’ve behaved with him. I’ve let him have his way with me from the second he saw me without putting up a fight. I think I’d do anything he asked of me at this point. But I don’t tell him this. He already has too much power over me and I haven’t even been in his home more than twenty-four hours.

“Angel. Have mercy on me and cum. I can’t hold on much longer with the taste of you still in my mouth from the shower.” Then he bites me right on my neck.

The pleasure and pain mix together and I come undone, doing as he begs me. I scream out his name as he grunts over and over. He moves on top of me as his warm release fills my body and I pulse around him. My orgasm moves from my core to my fingertips and it’s like a wave pulling me under.

He gives one final thrust as I try to catch my breath, and his body goes lax on top of mine. We lie there for I don’t know how long, but finally he looks into my eyes. I can’t read his expression, but he leans down and gives me one of those slow, soft kisses that he’s a master of.

He slips from my body and lets out a sigh of complaint at the loss. He moves down my body and rests his head for a moment on my chest like he’s trying to get himself together. Eventually he stands.

“We ruined your breakfast,” he says, and I glance beside us. Everything is still on the tray, but it’s all mushed together. He grabs my hands and helps me sit up. “I’ll have something else made for you. Do you want to take it in the kitchen?” I nod. I don’t want to stay in the room all day while he works.

“I’ll take care of it.” He kisses the top of my head and disappears into the closet. When he comes out a little later, he’s dressed in a suit like every other time I’ve seen him. He goes into the bathroom, and when he comes back out his hair is fixed and he doesn’t look like he just made love to me.

Wait. Was that making love or fucking? Or just sex? Maybe it was breeding. That thought hits me hard. Is that the only reason I’m here? It’s all he seems to talk about. Putting his child inside me. I shake the thought from my head.

“Get dressed, angel. Then you can eat breakfast and explore the house if you like.” He leans down, kissing me. “Don’t wash this off.” His hand parts my legs, and two fingers run along my sex before he’s pushing them inside me. I moan just as he pulls them out and licks them then brings them to his nose. “I’m going to love smelling you on my fingers. It’ll get me through the day while I’m away from you.” He smirks, and I blush.

“Tease,” I say admonishingly, and wink at him. For a second he looks like he might pounce on me again, and I don’t want to be the reason he’s even later to work. So I change the subject. “Are you leaving?” I don’t want to be in the house alone, even though I’m guessing there’s plenty of staff. I don’t want him to leave. I want to be able to go to him if I need something.

“No, I’ll be in my office. It’s the first door on the left when you come in the main entrance of the house.”

I nod, feeling a little better.

“Explore anywhere you like. Nothing is off limits to you,” he tells me before leaning in and giving me another kiss. He pulls back and looks at the clock. “I’m never late,” he says, more to himself. “Be a good girl.” He unlocks the door and takes one last look at me before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

I stand from the bed, feeling a little out of place. I grab Salvatore’s button-up shirt from the night before, sliding it over my head.

Everything feels like a dream. I’ve never been more loved in my life than I have these past few hours.

I make my way to the door and down to the kitchen. This house is so big I’m not even sure how I found it on the first try.

“Ma’am.” The man in the kitchen greets me and nods toward the plate on the breakfast bar.

I walk over and sit down, digging into the eggs and bacon. “This is wonderful,” I tell him. He smiles and goes back to cleaning the kitchen. I eat everything on my plate after realizing just how hungry I was.

“Thank you,” I say before standing from the stool as the man takes my plate.

“Would you like more?” he asks. I shake my head. I’ll burst if I eat more.

I turn from the kitchen. I want to finally explore the house, but I don’t make it far before I run into a man.

“What do we have here? Castello has a new girl?” My body freezes at his words. His hands are locked on my shoulders and I can’t move. I stare up at him, frozen with fear and unable to find words. “I can see why he kept you.” His eyes travel over my body, and though Salvatore’s shirt covers me more than most dresses, I feel naked.

Suddenly the man is being pulled from me and he’s hitting the floor. Salvatore looms over him as the man lies on the floor with his face bleeding. It all happened so fast, I can only stand there in shock.

Salvatore’s eyes come to mine. They’re so cold I take a step away from him. “What the fuck are you wearing?” he snaps at me.

He’s never talked to me in this tone before. Not even the night I saw him commit murder. Maybe I’m getting the real him now.

I don’t answer him. I don’t think I can.

“Go to our room now,” he hisses.

My eyes water as I move past him. He reaches out for me, but I dodge his hand. I hear him curse behind me, but I keep going until I hit the stairs and go straight for our room.

When I get there I see boxes everywhere. I flip one of the lids to see they contain my belongings. On top is my waitress dress, and I grab it. I check the clock and a plan forms in my mind. My shift starts soon, so I slip it on and pull my hair into a ponytail before heading downstairs.

When I get to the bottom, I see the man on the floor is gone, and so is Salvatore. I pull open the front door and come face to face with someone bigger than the Hulk. The man won’t meet my eyes, but he won’t let me pass.

“I’m leaving,” I tell him, but he shakes his head. He lifts his phone from his pocket and presses a button. Salvatore appears beside me in seconds.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he growls. I see his hands are red. His knuckles are bleeding.

“To work,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

His eyes narrow on me. “Your only job is belonging to me.”

“Maybe I don’t want to belong to you anymore.” His jaw tightens and I can practically hear his teeth grinding. “I want to go to work.”

I really don’t want to, but the coldness he showed me was something I want no part of.

“Okay,” he says simply, and I eye him uncertainly. That was too easy. “I’ll bring the car around,” he tells me with a smirk. He strides from the entryway, and I have to almost run after him to keep up. The car is pulling around the front just as we get outside.

The driver parks the sleek sedan and gets out. Salvatore opens the passenger door for me and I slide in. Then he goes around and gets behind the wheel so it’s just the two of us leaving the castle.

We ride in silence to the diner. The closer we get, the more the knot in my stomach grows. I have no idea what he’s playing at, but I’m just as stubborn as he is and I won’t be talked to like that.

It doesn’t take long to get there, and when we do he parks right in front of the diner. I look out of the window and see the closed sign hanging on the door. It’s odd because it’s the middle of the day. When I look over, I see Salvatore has a resigned look on his face.

“I bought it. It’s no longer in business.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“You’re a jerk,” I tell him, then look away. I don’t know why I’m so pissed; I hated that job. But today went from perfect to shit, and now I’m irritated.

For a moment, I try to think about what my next step is going to be, but then I feel his arms wrap around me as he pulls me into his lap. The feeling of his warmth wrapped around me melts my resolve and I look into his eyes. I see regret there, and I know he knows he fucked up. He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. I need to be able to speak my mind with him. There’s no room for doubt if this is going to work, and I want all cards on the table.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” I snap at him. “You were as cold as ice, and it cut me. That’s not who you are. I’ve seen the real you, and he’s warm and kind. You might have to be tough with your men and with the life you lead. But when it comes to me, there is only tenderness.”

His face goes soft and he cups my face with his hands.

“I’m sorry, angel.” I see the truth in his eyes, and I know he means it. This isn’t a ploy to win me over, because I see the pain there. “I don’t like other people looking at you. I didn’t think about one of my men walking through the kitchen. I wasn’t prepared for those feelings to rise up in me. I was only that way because I was jealous.” He closes his eyes and presses his forehead to mine before looking back into my eyes. “I promise to never speak to you like that again as long as I live. But I can’t promise that I won’t protect you from anyone who puts his hands on you. The idea of another man thinking you aren’t mine can’t happen.” He closes his eyes again, and I can see the anger just under the surface at the thought of me being with someone else. He opens them up and there is so much pain and need. “I love you, Thea. You’re mine.”

“You love me?” I ask, my eyes watering.

“Of course I do,” he breathes against my lips. “I’ve never wanted anything like I want you. It scares the shit out of me that something could take you from my grip. I’m sorry if I upset you. I’ve never let another woman in my house or my heart, so I don’t know what the rules are. But I want to learn with you, because you’re it for me.” He digs his hands into my hair. “I know it’s fast, but I knew from the moment I saw you that you were mine.”

“I love you, too.” With Salvatore, I feel like I belong. He’s the home I’ve never had, and though it may be quick, I don’t want to waste another second because of fear.

I feel all the tension leave his body as his eyes soften. “You mean everything to me, my angel. You saved me.”

Love wraps around my heart and around us as I brush my lips against his. “I need you,” I whisper. “Right now.”