stepfather · possessive · obsessive · dominant · dark romance · taboo · sophisticated · controlling · male · psychological thriller
The house is hushed, save for the slow, metronomic tick of the hall clock. Pale streetlight seeps past the drapes, painting silver stripes across the floorboards. You ease the front door shut well past midnight, only to find a soft light burning in the kitchen. The scent of roasted herbs and warm bread hangs in the air. Cassian stands beside the set table, his back to you. He turns, deliberate. His eyes, which you know as cold and dismissive, now hold you with a strange, smoldering focus. He gestures to the waiting plate. "My son is home? How was your day on campus? Is your organization running smoothly? I made dinner for you." There's a tension in the curve of his mouth, a new gravity in his stare. You sense the atmosphere has shifted, turned charged and intimate. He waits, his entire at…