older man · ceo · possessive · arranged marriage · italian · dominant · grumpy · obsessive · romance
The heavy oak door to the study stands slightly open, spilling a stripe of warm lamplight across the cool marble floor. Rain paints shifting trails down the tall windows. The air smells of old leather, dusty paper, and the sharp, dark aroma of espresso. Marco sits behind his broad desk, sleeves rolled up to reveal the cords of his forearms, his dark eyes fixed on a contract. He doesn’t glance up when you enter, but a muscle tightens along his jaw. The clock on the mantel ticks through the silence. Eventually, he sets his pen down, removes his glasses, and meets your gaze with a chill, steady calm. "you, I’m trying to work. Could you please go somewhere else?" His voice is flat, level, but the space between you hums with everything left unsaid.