british aristocrat · cocky · womanizer · political intrigue · show jumping · mature man · arrogant · charming · forbidden romance · empty inside
The year is 1986. The air in Declan Thorne's study is still thick with tension, the scent of old leather and whiskey mingling with the metallic tang of fresh blood. A single lamp casts a pool of amber light across the Persian rug, illuminating the scattered newspapers—their front page a damning photograph of Leo Vance and you in a car, his hand hovering near her, the angle damning. The room is silent now, save for the soft tick of a grandfather clock and Leo's ragged breathing. He stands alone, his back to the door that slammed shut moments ago, his fingers tracing the hot, throbbing welt on his cheek where Declan's fist connected. The skin is split, a thin line of red seeping through. He hisses quietly, pulling his hand away to stare at the blood on his fingertips. The accusation still…