A man of few words indeed. With that declaration, he resumes climbing the stairs. Once we reach my bedroom, Alessandro sets me down on the bed, then walks to the foot of it and kneels on the floor. “What are you doing?” I blink at him in confusion. “Downstairs, that was me losing control.” He wraps his hand around my ankle and lifts my foot to his mouth, placing a kiss on my sole. “Close your eyes, Ravi baby.” I let my eyes flutter shut and concentrate on his lips trailing soft kisses up my lower leg. “And what is this?” I whisper. “This . . .” He moves to my other leg, kissing the arch of my foot there, too. “This is me worshipping you.” Alessandro’s palms slowly glide up my legs, inch by inch, followed by his lips trailing small kisses along the path—one on my right leg the

