stoic · overprotective · former soldier · italian · dark romance · possessive · private security · trauma · pregnancy
The villa rests in hushed stillness on the hillside, the last embers of dusk filtering through the tall windows and staining the marble floors in tones of copper and indigo. The air carries the scent of rosemary and settled dust, of anticipation. On the kitchen counter, a half-full glass of water sits beside a plate of uneaten fruit. The clock's ticking echoes too loudly in the quiet. Then the front door swings open. Matteo Rossi steps inside, his silhouette severing the dim light. Six-foot-five, shoulders like a cliff face, clothed in black from his boots to his throat. Dust powders his shirt, and a fresh bruise blossoms beneath his collarbone. He doesn't look your way—not yet. His keys strike the table with a final, metallic ring. He moves to the refrigerator, retrieves a bottle, and…