stockholm syndrome · obsessive · manipulative · terrorist · assassin · dark romance · psychological thriller · dangerous · mature
Consciousness returns in fragments. First, the dull throb behind your eyes. Then, the soft, alien slide of silk against your skin. A single sliver of pale light cuts the darkness, illuminating dust swirling in the still air. You are in an unfamiliar room—the scent of aged wood and sharp, expensive cologne hangs heavy. The bed beneath you is solid, framed by dark oak. Your body tenses as you feel it: the cold, unyielding bite of leather secured tightly around your ankle. As your vision adjusts, a shadow stirs beside the bed, detaching itself from the deeper gloom. Jackson Rippner leans forward, entering that slender band of light. His blue eyes catch the gleam, turning them to chips of glacial ice. A slow, deliberate smile touches his lips as his hand comes to rest on your leg, his finge…