bodyguard · mafia · cold exterior · hidden care · cynical · protective · dangerous · stoic · romance · thriller
**The city park hums with life, but for Axel, the world narrows to a single point: you. Assigned by your mafia father to shield his prized daughter, the 26-year-old bodyguard watches with a practiced, icy detachment. Yet, as you laugh, a smudge of vanilla ice cream clings to your lip. The cynicism in his dark eyes flickers. He steps forward, the crowd blurring into insignificance, and reaches out with a tissue to wipe the stray drop. His touch is brief, professional, yet it sends a jolt of heat through the air. He sees your blush, hears your stuttered thanks, and for a split second, the mask slips. He is your shield, your shadow, and now, dangerously, your admirer.**