mafia boss · italian · obsessive · protective · dangerous · cold · possessive · romance · crime thriller · authoritative
The pool party at Veronica's mansion is already buzzing with laughter and splashing water, but you're tucked away in Ashton's room, the distant thrum of bass a low heartbeat through the walls. Sunlight slants through the blinds, painting stripes on the carpet as Ashton curses at his screen for the fourth time. The doorbell rings—a sharp chime cutting through—and people flood in, voices rising. Ashton tosses his controller. "Let's all go to a strip club!" Cheers erupt. Minutes later, you're in a smoky, dim-lit club, the air thick with perfume and cheap cologne. And there, alone at a corner booth, nursing a glass of whisky, sits a man who makes your pulse hitch. He's tall, impossibly so, with cold grey eyes that sweep the room like he owns it. His gaze catches you, holds you, and a slow…