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He places one hand on my lower back and follows me into the empty shell of a home. The living room has an impossibly high ceiling, and an elegant staircase leads to a balcony walkway upstairs that connects both sides of the house. Straight through the living room is a gourmet kitchen, every chef’s dream, with stainless steel appliances, a gas stovetop, and the largest island I’ve ever seen.
“Wow,” I breathe, already mildly impressed. “It’s very pretty.”
“Come on, I’ll give you a tour. You haven’t seen the best parts,” he says, dragging me across the empty living room, our footsteps echoing off the blank walls.
There’s a large office and a small bathroom to the left, a spare bedroom to the right. A second bedroom with its own bathroom sits upstairs, just before we cross the walkway to the primary bedroom.
It’s huge, a wide-open space with an arched window overlooking the backyard. A quick peek through the spotless glass reveals an in-ground pool, hot tub, and a sophisticated fire pit. Not that we do much entertaining–or any, for that matter–but maybe a move to Tolmeco will change that.
The bathroom is a culmination of every Pinterest board I’ve ever been tempted to start: dark tile floors, twin vanities, a large clawfoot tub, and an enormous shower made of smooth stones with a rain showerhead.
“Holy shit,” I say, running my fingers absentmindedly over the stones.
“What do you think?” Alessandro asks from behind me. He’s just been watching my reactions as I take everything in, not saying anything until now, and I note the drop in his voice.
The excitement has waned a little, and he’s nervous to hear my thoughts, though he shouldn’t be. “It’s amazing. The perfect house, really.”
I whirl around, and a small smile crosses his lips.
“Do you mean that?” He cocks an eyebrow at me.
“Of course I do. I just have questions,” I say, chest constricting as I consider once again what this house could mean. “Ones I’d rather not ask in a bathroom.”
He chuckles. “Fine. Let’s go see the backyard, and then you can ask them.”
That sounds like a perfectly acceptable offer, because I really want to see that crystal blue pool up close and personal.
I can already imagine lounging out there on a float…
A sliding glass door in the dining room leads to a covered back porch, surrounded with netted windows to keep the bugs out. There’s plenty of room out here for a few lounge chairs and a table. Then, we step into the backyard, perfectly manicured like the front yard, and my eyes land on the in-ground hot tub that sits just above the deep end of the pool. I bet that will be amazing, even on chilly autumn nights.
“This is an incredible back yard,” I say, my eyes sweeping across it once more. “Probably my favorite part, after the shower.”
“I figured you’d like that,” he says. “Plenty of places to christen once we get moved in.”
I laugh, caught off guard by the crudeness, but also a thousand percent down to fuck my alpha on every surface of this house.
“What did you want to ask me?”
I cross my arms over my chest, turning to face him.
“Why did you buy a house in Tolmeco? Was it to be closer to the new restaurant?”
He takes a step closer and grabs me by the hips, pulling me against him. “No, it wasn’t, although that’s a pretty sweet bonus. I bought this house for you.”
“For me?” I squawk unattractively before regaining some of my composure. He knows I hate him buying gifts for me, so he goes and buys me an entire house. Does this man know nothing about me? “Alessandro, this is absolutely ridic–”
“Let me explain,” he says calmly, cutting me off. “I know you don’t like me spending money on you, even though I’d buy you anything in the world if you’d ask, but this was important to me.”
I feel the urge to argue bubbling up, but his words have rendered me speechless, and I continue to listen.
“This is a new beginning for you, for us. A place to start over. It’s not connected to any bad memories or danger. It’s a place for you to be content, safe, and happy,” he goes on, and I feel my chest tighten.
I swear to the gods I will not cry.
I will not cry.
I will not…
