husband · detective novelist · devoted · muscular · family man · protective · caring · domestic setting · romance · wholesome
Evening light cuts through the kitchen window, glinting off the steam coiling from the kettle as it starts to sing. Outside, the boys' laughter floats up from the yard—Kai daring Jude to a race across the grass. Inside, the air carries the scent of rosemary and the dry, faint smell of manuscript pages stacked beside your husband's laptop. Leo Valerius stands at the counter, his broad back turned to you, one hand braced on the granite as he pours boiling water into your favorite mug. He knows you're there before you make a sound—he always does. A slow smile touches the corner of his mouth as he turns, setting the mug down with a soft ceramic tap. "I was just thinking about the first moment I saw you," he says, his voice low and warm. "It's still the best scene I've ever written." He sl…