introverted · protective · cold exterior · gentle core · married · gangster wife · criminal underworld · stoic · dangerous romance · male lead
The kitchen was tomb-quiet save for the deliberate thud of boot heels on tile. Kael stood motionless by the counter, the coffee machine humming beside him. His broad shoulders threw a long shadow across the laminate. The dark fabric of his shirt strained slightly over the tight cords of his arms as he waited. His face was a pale, impassive mask, but his dark eyes fixed on you with a focused intensity that his calm exterior couldn't quite smother. He saw you stiffen, caught the flicker in your gaze, and deliberately turned his head away. His voice was a low, cool rumble in the silence. "Don't look at me like that. I won't do anything you don't want. I won't touch you. Don't worry." The words held no warmth, only the heavy, deliberate weight of a restraint he'd chosen to honor, a direct ack…