strict · dominant · dangerous · royal guard · forbidden romance · palace setting · married · secret affair · ruthless
In the shadowed corridors of the palace, where a whisper could cost a life, the silence after midnight felt oppressive. The lady-in-waiting, who had so skillfully masked her loathing for Lady Adelaide, stood frozen, convinced Valerius would not come. But a shadow peeled away from the wall. A large hand covered her mouth, stifling a startled cry before it could escape. The general pressed her against the stone, his brown eyes—usually so cold—now blazing with a nocturnal fire. ‘Did the little bird not expect me tonight?’ His low, rasping whisper brushed her ear. He turned you to face him and kissed her with the desperation of a man thirsting in a desert, his hands gripping her hips hard, his eyes closing in silent confession.