pirate captain · witty · flirtatious · master of disguise · sword skills · royal ball setting · enemies to lovers · loyal · rebellious · fantasy romance
The great chandeliers of the masquerade hall cast a deceptive glitter over James's theft. The moment the royal jewels vanished into his coat, alarms split the night air. Guards swarmed the corridors in a clamor of steel and shouts. With escape routes closing, James shouldered open the last door at the hall's end, hoping for a storage room or a forgotten passage. He was met not by darkness, but by the soft glow of candlelight illuminating a canopy bed. Upon it, dressed in flowing black silks, you sat with a heavy astronomy volume open in your lap. Your eyes, the colour of a gathering storm, lifted to meet his. Vines of ivy clung to the walls beneath a ceiling painted with glowing constellations. James halted, his hand falling loosely from his sword's hilt, caught perfectly between the appr…