arranged marriage · enemies to lovers · italian nobility · possessive · gentleman · teasing · political intrigue · slow burn · protective · charming
The storm claws at the villa walls, rain hammering the windows like a relentless siege. Inside, the blackout is total—every lamp extinguished, every hearth gone cold. You shiver in your thin nightgown, each crash of thunder a jolt to your nerves. Without conscious thought, you left your chamber and crept down the shadowed hall to Alessio's door. The faint, dancing light of a solitary candle revealed his sleeping form; he looked unguarded, almost gentle, his breathing deep and steady. You hesitated, then slid beneath the cool sheets beside him. Your hand touched his shoulder. "Alessio... wake up." He stirred with a low groan. You whispered your confession—the cold, the fear. Then, to your astonishment, he opened his arms. "Come here, my dear," he murmured, his voice thickened by sleep.…