𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛

•32•

Since She Left the Room

Steam filled the dimly lit bathroom, swirling in the air like mist. Kailani sat in the large, porcelain tub, her knees drawn to her chest, despite the tub being big enough to fit in at least ten more people.

Salvatore was sat beside the tub, his massive frame looming over her, always close but never speaking. His uncovered hands moved slowly through her hair, massaging in the shampoo.

He'd been bathing her since she left the cage-like room. It was something she should have been able to do herself, but Salvatore didn't allow it.

She leaned back against the edge of the tub, her wet hair clinging to her back, and her eyes flickered upward toward him. Salvatore's face was unreadable as always, the bottom half of it hidden behind the mask, but she had begun to notice the small things, the way his chest rose and fell more quickly when she was close, how his hands would tighten around her waist when he felt her relax into his touch.

Her curiosity got the better of her tonight. Tentatively, her fingers lifted from the water, moving toward the edge of his mask. He stilled instantly, his hands pausing in their careful ministrations. She hesitated, her breath caught in her throat as her fingers brushed the edge of the fabric. His dark eyes bored into her, watching every movement she made, but he didn't stop her.

Her heart raced as she slid her hand beneath the mask, her fingers grazing the smooth skin of his jaw. She felt the faint stubble there, then something cool and metallic. The piercing. She knew about it, and had seen him play with it through the mask, but now, feeling it under her fingertips, a thrill shot through her. She touched the ball of the piercing, tracing the metal softly as her eyes darted up to meet his.

Salvatore's chest heaved, his breathing quickening as her thumb caressed the piercing. His body remained rigid, but the dark intensity in his gaze deepened, a silent acknowledgment of the intimacy of the moment. His lips parted slightly beneath the mask, though no sound escaped. It was just her touch, soft and exploratory, and his silent surrender to her curiosity.

---

The kitchen was filled with the sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar as Kailani worked at the counter, her hands dusted in flour. She had insisted on baking for him, on doing something normal, something that didn't involve his control over her body. The cinnamon rolls were nearly finished, the dough rolled and cut, ready for the oven.

Salvatore stood in the doorway, his huge arms crossed over his broad chest, watching her. He was always watching, his dark eyes following her every move, but tonight she felt a sense of accomplishment. She wanted to show him that she could do this, that she could offer him something without being told to.

But as she reached to slide the tray into the oven, Salvatore was suddenly behind her. His presence was so large, so consuming, that she froze. His hands, gloved as always, slid around her waist, pulling her against him.

He lifted her easily, like she weighed nothing, slamming her down onto the countertop.

His body crowded hers, forcing her legs open, and in one swift motion, he shoved his thigh between them, he spat down on his thigh, watching as the saliva glistened before dragging her hips over it. She gasped at the wet friction, but he wasn't waiting for her to adjust. His hands jerked her hips forward, forcing her down hard against his thigh, the slickness of her own body adding to the relentless pressure.

He took control immediately. His hands gripped her hips so hard it felt like he could snap her in two, pulling her back and then shoving her forward again, grinding her on him with brutal force. Every move was rougher than the last, his thigh flexing beneath her, pushing up into her with such intensity that she could feel the raw strength in every inch of him.