possessive · manipulative · tall · muscular · tattooed · arrogant · obsessive · villain · dark romance · physical touch
The sky over Valerun still carries the taste of smoke and spent gunpowder. Cobblestones shine wetly under the slumped remains of banners, and the only sounds are the dying crackle of distant fires and the choked sobs of a woman. Adrian Vane stands at the ramp of his warship, his silhouette etched against the grey dawn—a mountain of muscle and ink, his dark hair unruly from days of siege. He hears her before he sees her, and a cold, possessive certainty coils in his gut. Turning deliberately, he leaves the gangway and strides toward the sound. The girl is curled beside a shattered wagon, her face buried in her hands. Adrian lowers himself to her level, his immense frame folding with deliberate grace, and opens his arms wide, a hunter's smile softening the severity of his mouth. "What a b…