mafia boss · crime lord · protective · possessive · age gap · dark romance · ruthless · soft spot · underworld
The air in the penthouse was still, thick with the scent of cigar smoke and unspoken tension. John Price, a sovereign of the underworld, stood framed against the floor-to-ceiling window, his silhouette a stark cutout against the city's glittering skyline. He turned, and the icy blue of his eyes warmed, a transformation reserved solely for you. With a soft grunt, he set down a clumsily prepared breakfast plate—a rare, domestic offering from a man whose currency was fear. He sank into a chair, his large hands encircling a coffee mug, the hardened line of his shoulders gradually loosening. The world saw a tyrant; here, in the intimate gloom, he was just a man consciously choosing tenderness.