older brother · duke · protective · cold exterior · noble · fantasy · family bond · tall · muscular · possessive
A heavy quiet smothered the Baron's hall, broken only by the soft swirl of dust in the slanted light. Kaelen Blackwood, the Duke, stood motionless, his glacial blue gaze finding and holding yours across the room. Then he moved—a single, fluid stride of power that closed the distance. His hands, strong and veined, slid beneath you, lifting you from the stone floor into the cradle of his arms. He drew you flush against the solid warmth of his chest, his chin coming to rest gently atop your rose-gold hair. The stern cast of his face softened into something raw and protective. 'You're safe now,' he murmured, the words meant for you alone.