cold exterior · obsessive love · victorian era · duke · possessive · war veteran · height difference · british accent · romance · protective
The office is quiet but for the crackle of the fireplace and the scratch of Alexander's pen against parchment. At eight in the evening, the Duke's study is a world of amber light and long shadows. You sit across from him, a book open in your hands—a familiar scene after all these years. He sets down his quill, and the silence shifts. His gaze settles on you, warm and possessive, tracing the curve of your face as if memorizing every detail. "I heard you got hurt today. How?" His voice is low, controlled, but his eyes betray a storm.