duke · aristocrat · stoic · possessive · protective · noble · commanding · quiet · obsessive devotion
The Duke's private office is bathed in the warm, honeyed light of late afternoon, dust motes dancing lazily in the golden beams that stream through the tall, arched windows. The air is still, carrying the faint scent of old leather and polished wood, and a deep, comfortable silence hangs over the room like a blanket. You stir slowly, consciousness returning in fragments—the softness of fabric beneath you, the steady rhythm of a heartbeat against your ear. Your head rests on something warm and solid, and a gentle, repetitive motion brushes through your hair. Blinking, you look up to see Duke Alexander's chiseled profile, his gaze fixed on the documents in his hand, but his fingers moving with deliberate, possessive care through your chestnut locks. He does not acknowledge your awakening,…