Chapter 49 A Kiss
Chapter 49 A Kiss
That night, the bedroom was wrapped in a quiet glow and a soft amber light spilled from the bedside lamp, painting the walls in warmth, turning the air calm and intimate. The outside world felt impossibly distant, sealed away behind heavy curtains and silence.
Liora stood beside the mirror, finishing her nighttime routine. She gently brushed her fingers through her long hair, letting it fall freely down her back instead of braiding it like she usually did. The silky strands draped over her shoulders, catching the golden light and making her look softer, more vulnerable than she intended.
When she finally turned around, she froze because Dominic was still awake.
He sat near the bed in his wheelchair, posture straight despite the late hour. A book rested in his hands, his gaze lowered, completely absorbed in whatever he was reading. Liora paused, curiosity stirring.
It wasn’t unusual for him to stay up late she had already learned he rarely wasted time idling but something about the quiet intensity surrounding him made her linger herr eyes drifted to the cover and the title was clear. Marxism.
Her brows lifted slightly in surprise and a quiet realization spread through her chest her husband was terrifyingly intelligent not just wealthy and composed but deeply, dangerously intelligent in a way that made people underestimate him at their own peril.
No wonder he carried himself with such calm authority and his confidence never felt loud or forced it was the kind that came from knowing far more than he ever revealed.
She swallowed softly before speaking..“It’s late,” she said gently, her voice warm but firm in the stillness. “We should sleep.”
Dominic closed the book slowly and deliberately as if he had been waiting for those exact words all along.because hidden inside the thick volume was a secret.
Carefully concealed within the hollowed center of the book was a much smaller one thin, discreet, and deliberately absurd in contrast to the intellectual cover that masked it.
Its title read: How to Control Your Woman.
A faint flicker of amusement passed through his eyes as he slid the hidden book back into place, ensuring it remained unseen. Then he shut the larger book entirely, the soft thud echoing faintly in the quiet room.
He turned his wheelchair toward her. “Liora,” he said softly, his voice unusually warm almost coaxing, “now that we’ve reached a mutual understanding, wouldn’t it be a shame to sleep so early?”
She blinked, caught off guard by the shift in tone there was something different about him tonight, less guarde and more dangerous but she didn’t suspect anything.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked, stepping closer without hesitation her expression remained open, trusting. “Come, I’ll help you onto the bed.”
Dominic didn’t refuse, he could easily support himself using his arms because his upper body strength alone would have made the transfer effortless but when she offered help?
He had absolutely no intention of declining.
Liora bent slightly, reaching for him with careful movements one hand hovered near his shoulder while the other moved toward his arm, trying to support his weight without hurting him and in that fleeting moment, that tiny shift of imbalance a faint smile curved at the corner of Dominic’s lips.
It was subtle and calculated before she could react, he moved.
With effortless precision, he pulled her down with him, a soft gasp escaped her as the world tilted.
The next second, they landed together on the bed and the mattress dipped beneath their combined weight, the motion bouncing them slightly before settling into stillness.
“Did I hurt you?” Dominic asked immediately, his voice threaded with concern.
Convincing concern butIn reality, he was partially on top of her heavy, solid and completely unyielding.
Liora’s cheeks warmed instantly, but she shook her head. “N-No…” she murmured, her voice smaller than before.
Her heartbeat had begun to race not from fear but from something far more dangerous.
Dominic remained where he was, not making the slightest effort to move. A quiet pause stretched between them, thick with something unspoken then he sighed softly.
“I can’t move my legs,” he said, his tone laced with faint regret almost helpless. “What should we do?”
The words snapped Liora back into practicality. “Call Mr. Lawrence,” she said instinctively, trying to push against his shoulders nut no matter how she tried, he didn’t budge.
Her nose scrunched slightly with effort, the tiny crease forming between her brows in an adorably unconscious expression.
Dominic watched her silently, memorizing every detail. “He’s asleep,” he murmured.
Now their faces were only inches apart and close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath and every small movement felt amplified.
The playful softness in his expression vanished In its place, something darker emerged.
His eyes deepened, intensity gathering slowly like a storm forming beneath still water quiet, controlled but unmistakably powerful.
Liora felt it immediately that shift and pull, her breath hitched. “Why don’t you kiss me,” he whispered.
His voice was low, magnetic and dangerously persuasive. “And give me some strength?”
The words hung between them, bold yet spoken with such calm seriousness that it was impossible to tell whether he was joking.
Liora stared at him, stunned, suspicion flickered across her face. “A kiss?” she asked, uncertainty threading through her voice.
Dominic didn’t smile or blink, he simply held her gaze, steady and unwavering, as though the entire world had narrowed down to this one moment. “Try it,” he said quietly.
And this time he sounded completely serious.