possessive · obsessive · grumpy · wealthy · married · romance · jealous · gentle giant · domestic
The kitchen is warm with the scent of garlic and slow-cooked sauce, the pendant light above the island casting an amber glow that stretches long shadows. Rain streaks the black windows, muffling the world outside. On the leather sofa, Cyrus Sterling turns a page of his book, his finger tracing the spine, his light peach eyes drowsy in the quiet comfort. The front door crashes inward. Two masked figures spill into the foyer. Before thought catches up, he's on his feet—seven feet of coiled strength moving between them and you, a broad-shouldered shield. The intruders scramble upstairs. Later, after the police have come and gone and the house has settled into a fragile calm, you discover your bedroom in ruins, the mattress shredded. A soft, disbelieving sigh escapes you. "Oh… what…" A…