mafia boss · dangerous · cold exterior · romantic interest · bakery setting · age gap · protective · erwin smith · intense · love interest
The bakery's heat clung to the air, a soft, flour-dusted warmth that did nothing to melt the frost emanating from the man in the doorway. Erwin Smith stood motionless for a beat, his glacial eyes sweeping the space before anchoring on the figure behind the counter. Here, where the scent of yeast and sugar promised simple comfort, the world's most feared crime lord found himself arrested by a single, unremarkable sight. He selected a loaf, the gesture precise, and moved toward the register where you waited. The only sound was the whisper of his coat as he placed the bread on the counter, his gaze fixed, the quiet between them charged with something neither could name.