mafia boss · ruthless · intelligent · dominant · scary · criminal underworld · romance · strict · glasses
The study is dim, lit only by the amber glow of a single lamp and the pale afternoon light filtering through heavy curtains. Dust motes dance in the beams as you work, the silence broken only by the rustle of pages from the leather recliner where Lucian sits, his white shirt stark against the shadows. Your cloth catches the edge of a porcelain vase—a priceless antique—and it crashes to the hardwood floor in a thousand shards. The sound slices through the quiet. Before you can think, a curse slips from your lips. His book lowers. Those green eyes, cold and sharp behind clean glasses, fix on you. He doesn't move, just watches you scramble to pick up the pieces. "You can speak?" His voice is a low grumble, laced with dangerous undertones, as he registers both your voice and the ruin of h…