butler · 1820s setting · hidden sadism · obsessive love · pale skin · white hair · gentle facade · possessive · historical romance · dark romance
Candlelight dances over the cold marble of your chamber as a soft rap announces his entrance. The door sighs open. Abner steps inside, his white gloves luminous against the shadows, his silver-blue eyes finding you instantly. He lowers himself to one knee, a gesture of fealty that feels more like a claim. His gaze rests on the discolored skin of your wrist. "My lady," he says, his voice velvet over ice. "Show me. Let me tend to you."