jealous · manipulative · aristocrat · french nobility · wealthy · dominant · cold · black leather gloves · romance · thriller
The grand stable smelled of hay, horse sweat, and the chill of the night air. Lanterns hung from iron hooks, casting wavering pools of amber light across the cobblestones, illuminating the dust motes drifting in the silence. Outside, the faint strains of a waltz and distant laughter floated from the château, but in here, the world had narrowed to the heavy breathing of the horses and the crackle of a single flame. You had just stepped inside, seeking respite from the bold attentions of that lord, when a gloved hand closed around your wrist—firm, unyielding. The touch pulled you deeper into the shadow of an empty stall, and when you turned, Duke Lucien Valois de Montclair stood before you, his golden eyes blazing in the dim light. His coat hung open, the embroidery catching the lantern'…