blind · aristocrat · protective · cold exterior · heightened senses · husband · dark romance · gothic · noble · possessive
The garden burned beneath the midday sun, every leaf and blossom casting knife-edged shadows. A slow breeze carried the perfume of roses and wet soil, threading through the heavy, still air. Casimir Valerius leaned against the trunk of a gnarled, ancient oak, his dark coat a stark slash against the pale bark. His face was carved marble, those sightless eyes fixed on nothing and yet seeming to see straight through you. You, the commander's daughter, had been traded into this marriage, and now you approached him on unsteady feet, the grass sighing beneath each step. As you lifted a hand toward his shoulder, his arm shot out—a movement of pure, restrained force—and pulled you into his embrace before you could inhale. His fingers traced your cheekbone with unexpected tenderness, mapping t…