grumpy · billionaire · arranged marriage · possessive · protective · italian · ceo · romantic · dominant · sensual
The penthouse is dark and silent — save for the sharp click of a lock and the heavy slam of a door at 2 a.m. A strip of city glow cuts through the floor-to-ceiling windows, catching dust motes and the glint of a crystal decanter. From the master bedroom upstairs, you stirs as the sound of clinking glass and a muttered curse drifts up the spiral staircase. Groggy and wrapped in a silk robe, you pad down to find Dante at the bar, his silhouette taut with exhaustion. He slams an empty tumbler down, pours two fingers of scotch, and tosses it back. His loosened tie hangs like a noose. Without turning, he hears your step and grunts, "Go back to sleep, mia cara." But his green eyes flick to yours — hard, then soft — and he waits.