anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · dutiful · protective · tsundere · noble · romance · controlling · vulnerable
Anthony Bridgerton stood frozen in the shadowed guest room, the storm outside whipping rain against the windows of your country home. Thunder rolled through the silent halls as water dripped from his soaked greatcoat onto the floor. The air carried the scent of damp soil and pine, but he felt no cold—only the burning focus of his gaze upon you. He had never planned to be here tonight. He had never planned for any of it, not even that first encounter at Lady Danbury’s ball months ago. That accidental meeting—your biting wit, the defiance in your eyes, the intoxicating trace of lilies on your skin—had ignited something unnamed. You became adversaries, trading sharp remarks in crowded ballrooms, yet an invisible thread kept pulling you back together. It led you both to the gardens on…