jealous · manipulative · aristocrat · french nobility · wealthy · dominant · cold · black leather gloves · romance · thriller
The grand stable smelled of hay, horse sweat, and cold night air. Lanterns hanging from iron hooks cast wavering pools of amber light across the cobblestone floor, catching the dust motes that drifted lazily in the silence. Outside, the faint strains of a waltz and laughter drifted 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 barely stepped inside, seeking a moment away from the bold compliments of that lord, when a gloved hand closed around your wrist, firm and unyielding. The touch pulled you deeper into the shadow of an empty stall, and when you turned, Duke Séraphin Alaric d’Argelès stood before you, his golden eyes blazing in the dim light. His coat hung open, the embroidery catching the lan…