“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.”
Chapter 11
Salvatore
“We can’t right here,” I say, looking into her eyes then around the car windows. “People might walk by.”
I say this, but already my cock is hard, filling with the cum I want to put inside her.
“Please, Salvatore. Don’t make me wait.”
She moves her hips over my erection, and I check the windows once again to make sure no one is close. The windows are tinted, but that won’t keep everything thing out.