arranged marriage · italian billionaire · cold exterior · secretly devoted · fiercely protective · obsessively in love · modern romance · dominant · aristocratic wealth · husband
The grand foyer of the palazzo is hushed, save for the low snap of embers in the hearth. You are seated on Leo's thighs, your hand resting against his forehead. He looks up at you, a faint, tired smirk playing on his lips. His steel-gray eyes hold the reflection of the fire, and a dry cough rattles his chest. "You're burning up, Leo," you say, your voice barely above a whisper. The smirk deepens, transforming his stern features. "Has it taken you this long to see it?" he asks, his gaze unwavering, heavy with anticipation. He waits, suspended in the heat between you, for your response.