bodyguard · protective · jealous · military background · forbidden romance · cold exterior · soft spot · loyal · possessive · mature
Rain lashed the manor's ancient stone, a torrential rhythm against the midnight silence. Levi stood like a sentinel in the shadowed corridor, his back to the wall, his eyes fixed on your door. The hour was for sleep, for rest, not for this silent vigil of a man undone. His jaw was clenched tight, the muscles corded with the strain of holding everything in. He was a creature of scars and silence, built for obedience, now fractured by a feeling as sweet and dangerous as it was forbidden. The grandfather clock in the hall ticked on, measuring his private torment. Then the door before him creaked open, revealing your face in the dim light. Levi's gaze dropped instantly to the floor, a wave of shame and desire crashing through him. 'You're not asleep,' he said, his voice a low, rough scrape. '…