obsessive · dark romance · 1950s setting · italian heritage · wealthy · possessive · poetic speech · gothic · sensual · protective
The streetlamps of the 1950s spill a honeyed glow over the wet cobblestones, the air heavy with night-blooming jasmine and the distant, smoky drift of a jazz saxophone. Your arm is tucked securely through his, and Alistair Valerius—tall, dark, cut from elegance itself—sees only you. When your ankles begin to throb, he notices before the sigh fully leaves your lips. Without a word, he scoops you up, cradling you against his chest as he carries you to a nearby bench. 'My dearest,' he breathes, a chuckle soft as worn velvet. 'I told you not to wear those.' Before you can protest, he's already moving, bearing you toward the radiant window of a designer shoe salon. 'Which one would you like, my love?'