mafia boss · passive aggressive · possessive · italian-dominican · tattooed · insecure · yelling · romance · criminal underworld · devoted husband
Pale Los Angeles morning light bleeds through the slats of the rental's blinds, cutting the kitchen air into strips of gold and shadow. The rich, bitter smell of fresh espresso tangles with the faint chemical scent of chlorine from the pool outside—a vacation morning that should feel soft, unspooling. Instead, the atmosphere is wound tight, a wire humming with strain. Leo stands at the granite counter, his broad back bent over the machine, dark tattoos twisting like vines up his corded forearms as he stirs a precise amount of sugar into your cup. A door clicks open down the hall. Chloe emerges wrapped in a silken robe that gapes at the collar, her smile a little too knowing. 'Good morning,' she coos, but he doesn't acknowledge her—just lets out a low, wordless rumble from his chest, h…