𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛

41

The morning light filtered through the heavy drapes, bathing the room in a muted glow. Kailani stirred in bed, her body instinctively curling away from the brightness, but the memories of last night crashed over her, making her skin flush. Her heart pounded as she recalled the way his mouth had wandered-further than it should have.

Her breath hitched when she felt him stir beside her. Salvatore. The imposing figure was already awake, silently watching her with that ever-present intensity. His dark, unreadable eyes locked onto hers, and she could barely look at him without replaying the events of last night.

Swallowing hard, she fidgeted with the hem of the sheets, her voice barely above a whisper. "H-Hm... I don't think your um... mouth was supposed to be down there..." The flush on her cheeks deepened as she avoided his gaze, unsure if she even wanted a response.

Salvatore remained silent, as always, but there was a glimmer of something dangerous in his eyes. He didn't speak, but he rolled out of bed smoothly, walking to the whiteboard in the corner of the room. Grabbing a marker, he wrote his reply in bold, efficient strokes:

"It was exactly where it needed to be."

Kailani's breath hitched again. She stared at the whiteboard, the heat in her cheeks spreading down her neck.

"You spoke last night," she blurted out, her eyes wide. She sat up, clutching the sheets to her chest as if they could somehow shield her from the tension hanging between them. "Please... Say something. Just once. Again."

Without thinking, she crawled out of bed and stumbled toward him, her fingers clutching onto his thick arm like a koala clinging to a tree. "Please... Salvatore." Her voice was soft, pleading, her wide eyes desperately searching for any hint that he would give her what she wanted. The arm she was clinging to went up, his huge biceps flexing as he tied his air back, accidentally lifting her off of the ground as she clung to his arm.

Then, in a motion so slow and deliberate it made her stomach flip, he tilted his head down, eyes boring into her soul. With that same low, gravelly tone that had haunted her dreams, he spoke just one sentence:

"Behave, kitten."

---

The bath that followed was slow, methodical, and intimate. Salvatore had her submerged in the warm water, his large hands moving over her skin with an unsettling mix of gentleness and possessiveness.

Afterward, he left her to dry herself off with painstaking care, and then he applied lotion and oil on her, his hands rubbing her delicate skin as if she were made of the finest porcelain. She stood there, shyly in her little towel, not knowing that he had seen her completely naked many...many times.

He placed a soft, floral sundress-delicate, airy, a sharp contrast to his own dark attire, on the bed and turned around so she could change. Then came the makeup. His fingers, despite their size, handled the mascara wand with precision, coating her long, thick lashes while she blinked nervously. Blush next, applied in gentle strokes to bring out the natural pink in her cheeks, and he finished with lip gloss.

The scent of expensive perfume filled the air as he spritzed her neck, the brand unmistakably luxurious, its floral notes lingering. Next, he adorned her with jewelry-diamond earrings, a necklace, bracelets that sparkled in the dim light. Each piece was worth more than she could ever imagine.

Finally, he combed through her long curls, defining them until they bounced in perfect spirals around her face. When he stepped back, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked like a living doll, delicate and refined, as though she belonged to a different world.

Salvatore, however, was her opposite. He stood in all black-his massive, tattooed frame clad in a dark suit that made him look more dangerous than ever. The stark contrast between them was almost startling.

---

The car ride to the market was silent, but tension hung in the air. Salvatore drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting possessively on Kailani's thigh. She couldn't stop fidgeting, her lungs tightening with each passing minute. The way his thumb stroked the inside of her thigh, just beneath the hem of her dress, made her shiver, but she tried to focus on the world outside the window.

It was her first time outside in two months, and it felt surreal.

Arriving at the market, Kailani hesitated, frozen in her seat. The market was massive, teeming with people. The sheer size of it overwhelmed her, and she couldn't bring herself to open the car door.

Without a word, Salvatore stepped out, circled around, and opened her door himself. His strong arms effortlessly lifted her out of the car, cradling her against his chest for a moment longer than necessary before setting her on her feet.

Her legs trembled as they entered the market, her heart racing as she clung to Salvatore's arm. The noise, the crowd-everything felt too much after so long in isolation. But she wasn't alone. Salvatore was there, always just a breath away, his arm around her waist, his touch constant.

People stared. Whispered. Wide eyes followed their every move. It wasn't hard to see why. She looked young and fragile beside him, delicate as a flower. And Salvatore? He exuded danger-dark, deadly, possessive.

To onlookers, they might have appeared like any couple-a housewife and her husband-but the difference between them was glaring. He didn't care.

As they walked through the aisles of the market, his hand never left her body. His touch grew bolder, his fingers sliding lower and under her dress, gripping the back of her thigh before moving back up to her ass, his huge hand gripping it in an overflowing grip, squeezing firmly.
His thumb brushed the inside of her thigh, dangerously close to her center.

They paused at a stall, his hand slipped from under her dress, but only for a moment to reach for a few items above her head and place them in the trolly before he reached around her waist, pulling her back flush against his front as she examined the different items, debating on which ones to take.
His palm flattened against her stomach, fingers spread wide, holding her in place as if she might try to escape. He leaned down, his breath hot against her neck, the warmth of his body enveloping her completely.

Then, his fingers gripped the sides of her ass, lifting her slightly as he pulled her closer to him, her body helplessly molding against his. He squeezed harder, his thumb tracing the seam of her panties through the dress, making her reach her small hand up to play with his hair that rested on his shoulder, then pulling it away.

Kailani's hands moved nervously as she wandered down the aisles, her eyes darting from one shelf to another. She hadn't been in a store for months, and the overwhelming variety of items felt foreign. Still, she tried to focus, pointing at different things, her voice soft but steady. "Can we get this one?" she asked, motioning toward a delicate box of chocolates. Salvatore stood beside her, silent as always, pushing the cart with one hand. He gave a slow nod, his eyes never leaving her, and she placed the chocolates carefully into the cart.

Her fingers danced along the edges of a glass jar of honey, lifting it and turning to show him, a shy smile tugging at her lips. "This too?" He didn't answer, but the approving tilt of his head was enough. She added it to the growing collection of items in the cart. Every time she reached for something, she felt his presence behind her, his body close, shadowing her every move.

Kailani spotted the ice cream freezer at the far end of the aisle and, for a moment, her shy demeanor melted away. Her eyes lit up like a child's, and without thinking, she skipped ahead, her curls bouncing with each step. "Ice cream! They have my favorite!" Her voice was bright, filled with a rare burst of joy.

Before she could reach the freezer, Salvatore was on her. His large hand gripped her waist, pulling her back with firm but controlled strength. She stumbled slightly, her eyes wide as she looked up at him, confused.

He grunted low in his throat, shaking his head as his hand slid down to clasp her hip, drawing her closer to him. His grip was possessive, but protective too, like a reminder of the last time she had eaten ice cream and gotten sick. The memory made his jaw tighten.

Kailani pouted, her lips forming a soft frown as she glanced longingly toward the freezer. "But... it's my favorite," she mumbled, her voice soft and pleading.

Salvatore didn't budge. His grip remained firm, steering her away from the temptation, his silence a clear refusal. Even without words, she knew better than to argue, though she allowed herself a soft, playful pout as she followed his lead.