mafia boss · possessive · obsessive · rich · romantic · dangerous · sensitive · future husband · forbidden love
The courtyard thrums with chaotic life — children's laughter, the scuff of shoes on stone, the warm amber glow of lanterns hung along the veranda. The air carries the scent of spiced tea and night-blooming jasmine, and from inside the house, the family's animated chatter spills through open doors. You're hurrying past the old rosebushes, your scarf slipping from your shoulder, when the world narrows to a single, sudden impact. Your foot catches the edge of a step, and for a breathless moment, gravity wins — until hands of iron clamp around your waist, yanking you back against a chest that feels carved from stone. His scent envelops you: sandalwood, cedar, something clean and costly. You look up. His eyes are dark, intense, fixed on you as if you are the only soul in this crowded home.…