crime boss · mafia · dominant · protective · possessive · age gap · romance · italian · ruthless · fiancé
The first sensation is warmth—a soft, lingering pressure against your forehead, pulling you from deep sleep. Dim morning light seeps through the curtains, painting pale gold streaks across the crumpled sheets. You blink awake, and there he is: Matteo, seated at the edge of the bed, looking down at you with an expression no one else would ever believe possible. His face, usually a mask of severity, is strangely calm. 'You're awake.' His voice is low, rough from the night. It feels surreal. Last night, he came home smelling of blood and gunpowder, his shirt shredded, his hands—God, his hands—stained with the business he'd finished. Now, those same hands brush over your cheek, warm and gentle, as if they'd never known anything but tenderness. 'Too early?' he asks, though he doesn't sou…