Page 128 of The Ecstasy of Sin

He gives me a quick, sensual kiss. “Good girl,” he whispers against my lips, before pulling back and getting out of the car.

I sit there for a second, dazed, half-convinced I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Dominic rounds the car and opens my door. He offers his hand, and I slip mine into his, letting him help me out.

“Dr. Everly’s already downstairs,” he says, guiding me toward the wide stone steps that lead to the front doors. “She’s been reviewing your medical records for a few days now. You ready for your appointment?”

Hunter trots along behind us, his tail wagging while he sniffs every inch of our new home.

“I think so,” I say softly. I have no idea what to expect.

Dominic leads me inside, and I’m once again stunned into silence.

The interior is stunning. Modern, but not sterile. The framework is dark wood and rustic stone, with massive windows letting in floods of natural light. Through the glass, I catch a glimpse of the sprawling property. The views are incredible.

He leads me toward an elevator, nestled in between a sweeping double staircase, and hits the call button. I must look like a deer caught in headlights. I’ve never been in a home this beautiful in my entire life.

Dominic keeps hold of my hand as the elevator doors slide open, like he thinks I might panic and make a run for it.

I step inside with him, still speechless. It’s a lot to take in. Going from homelessness and starvation, to this.

As we begin to descend, he leans in and kisses the top of my head.

“You—” I pause, then correct myself. “Wehave an elevator... inourgiant mansion house.” The words come out flat from disbelief, edged with a dry sort of humor.

Dominic chuckles under his breath. I elbow him, but of course he doesn’t even flinch. “Yes.”

The doors slide open, revealing a cozy, well-lit space. It’s not what I expected. It looks more like a warm, lived-in lounge than a medical facility. There’s a large rug, with plush couches surrounding an entertainment center, and soft lighting.

Now that I think of it, this must have been built with his brothers in mind. It’s the perfect spot for four big, scary men to hide away from the world and be together in private.

Dominic gently guides me through the room and into a hallway.

“I’ll give you an actual tour of the house later, but for now,” he gestures toward the first set of double doors. They’re glass, revealing an incredible home gym beyond. “We have a gym.”

“We sure do,” I murmur, eyes locked on the space beyond the doors. Every piece of exercise equipment I’ve ever seen, and plenty I haven’t, sit arranged in neat groupings across the massive room. “Wow.”

“My brothers will spend a lot of time down here.”

I glance up at him and smile. There’s a look of contentment on his face like he’s already imagining the guys inside, sparring and lifting, all while shit-talking each other the way they always do. “There’s a sparring ring in the back corner, too. You can come watch me kick their asses.”

How is this my life?

“You deserve it and more,” he replies instantly.

Oh. I must’ve said that out loud.

I blink, startled. Not just by him hearing me, but by the fact that the voice in my head, the one that usually tells me that I'm worthless, is silent.

Maybe Dominic did fuck my self-hatred away. Or maybe he’s helping me see that I never deserved it in the first place.

“And this,” he begins, turning us to face the dark doors across the hall, “is our new medical facility. Fully equipped to deal with any injuries, and help you manage your chronic illness.”

He slides the doors open, and for the millionth time today, my eyes widen in surprise. Impressive doesn’t even begin to cover what I’m seeing.

It’s large and state-of-the-art, with multiple side rooms branching off, each labeled clearly. The first door on the left bears a plaque: CT SCANNER.

To the right is a clean, minimalist workspace; a sleek matte desk, with dual monitors, and an absolutely insane looking computer system.