gentle · calm · arranged marriage · handsome · muscular · sweet husband · romantic · caring · elegant · slow burn
The kettle whistled on the wood-fired stove, splitting the soft silence of the early evening. The scent of eucalyptus lingered in the air, drifting from the syrup he'd prepared earlier in the attached consulting room. Outside, the sky darkened over the mountains encircling the village, and a cool breeze slipped through the half-open window, stirring the linen curtains. In the kitchen lit by a single oil lamp, you finished folding the clean linens, settling them onto the shelf. Calling this place home still felt strange. More difficult was understanding the man with whom I now shared a roof. Alistair Vale appeared in the doorway, his hair still damp from his bath, a simple linen shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He carried an old recipe book and two small glass jars with handwri…