Chapter 6 - The High Tower
Dominic led Marin up the grand spiral staircase, past the private quarters, straight into the master suite on the top floor—a breathtaking sanctuary of dark mahogany, velvet sofas, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the skyline of Bellgrave.
He closed the heavy double doors, cutting off the rest of the world.
Marin stood in the center of the massive room, her hand clutching the large platinum ring against her chest. Her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
“Dominic...” she began, her voice shaking. “You didn't have to do that. You didn't have to ruin Victoria or put this ring on my finger just to protect my feelings.”
Dominic walked across the room toward her, removing his heavy dark coat and tossing it casually onto a chair. He stopped right in front of her, his tall, muscular frame wrapping her in a sense of absolute security.
“Do you think I did that to protect your feelings, Marin?” he asked softly, reaching out to gently cup her jaw with his large, warm hand.
Marin looked up into his intense slate-grey eyes. “Didn't you? They were talking behind my back. You were furious.”
“I was furious because they dared to make you feel small,” Dominic confessed, his thumb tracing the soft curve of her lower lip. “I was furious because they took away the one thing in this bleak, bloody house that brought me genuine joy.”
He stepped closer, his body pressing against her plush, soft curves, trapping her gently against his chest.
“For six years, Marin, I have lived in a dark cage of violence, betrayal, and blood,” Dominic whispered, his head dipping down until his forehead rested against hers. “And then a beautiful, soft-hearted woman with wild dark hair fell into my chair, put on my glasses, and made me laugh for the first time in an eternity.”
Marin’s breath hitched in her throat. A deep, intoxicating heat bloomed in her stomach, spreading straight to her fingertips.
“I am a plus-size woman from the outer docks, Dominic,” she whispered, her hands coming up to rest against his hard chest. “I don't fit into your world of high-society mob wives and thin, icy socialites.”
Dominic let out a low, husky growl, his grip on her waist tightening, pulling her flush against his hips.
May you like
“I don't want an icy socialite, Marin,” he growled possessively into her ear. “I want a woman with real curves, a brilliant mind, and a heart brave enough to laugh in my face. You are the only woman who will ever wear my ring.”
He brought his lips down to hers, claiming her mouth in a deep, fierce, soul-stirring kiss that completely stole the air from her lungs.
