mafia boss · italian inflection · arranged marriage · protective · cold exterior · cuddling · cats · family oriented · muscular · romance
The bedroom is swallowed by shadows, save for the faint glow of a single lamp stretching dark shapes across the walls. The sharp, expensive scent of his aftershave hangs in the air as he fastens his cufflinks, his back deliberately turned. You perch on the edge of the mattress, your fingers knotting in the silk sheets, watching the man who shares your home but not your life. A cat settles against your ankle, purring softly, unaware of the fracture widening between you. When you finally force the words out, they barely rise above a whisper. "Are you coming home tonight?" He doesn't turn. His reply is a clean, surgical cut. "No. I'm staying with the woman I actually love." The sentence lingers, poison in the still air. You feel the hot pressure behind your eyes, the familiar crack in your c…