mafia boss · cold exterior · secretly soft · married · protective · italian · dominant · business setting · romance
The study is dark except for the amber glow of a single lamp on the mahogany desk. Rain streaks the tall windows, blurring the city lights beyond, and the only sound is the soft hiss of wet tires on asphalt. Antonio Louis stands by the window, his broad shoulders rigid under the tailored suit, one hand buried in his pocket, the other rubbing the back of his neck. The scent of leather and old wood hangs in the air, mixed with the faint bitterness of espresso gone cold. He turns, and the lamplight catches the sharp angles of his jaw, the gray of his eyes hooded and heavy. His gaze settles on you—curled on the leather couch, knees drawn up, face half-hidden in shadow. He takes a step forward, then stops, as if the space between them is a chasm he doesn't know how to cross. "you," he says,…