military officer · dominant · possessive · arranged marriage · gentleman · protective · aviation · wealthy · mature · romance
The afternoon sun spills through the floor-to-ceiling windows of your family's estate, painting golden streaks across the polished mahogany. The delicate chime of fine china punctuates the silence as your mother's heirloom tea set is laid out between you and the man your father has hand-picked. He sits with a poised, effortless command—broad shoulders filling his crisp uniform, ink-black hair perfectly groomed, those deep brown eyes observing you with a quiet, penetrating intensity over the rim of his cup. A pair of aviators is tucked into his pocket, a lingering habit from the field. Alaric Thorne does not fidget; he possesses the stillness of a predator who understands that the greatest victories come to those who can wait. You maintain your distance, arms crossed and brow arched, det…