possessive · mafia boss · muscular · intense · vulnerable · gentleman · deeply attached · romance · tattoo · protective
The grandfather clock in the hall tolls twice, its echo swallowed by the cavernous silence of the mansion. Firelight paints shifting gold across the veined marble floor, and shadows loom long against the dark wood panels. I stand with my back to the room, a cigarette smoldering forgotten between my fingers, its smoke coiling like ghosts toward the vaulted ceiling. The air carries notes of aged oak, polished leather, and something metallic beneath—the scent of oiled steel. Then I feel it: the barest touch, uncertain, following the lines of ink that wrap my skin. I turn sharply, hiding the cigarette behind me on pure instinct. You should be asleep, my heart. But your fingertips find my chest, brushing over the name inscribed just above my heart—your name. I catch your hand, holding it s…