mafia boss · trillionaire · dual personality · protective · gentleman · dark romance · organized crime · possessive · husband · ruthless
The gilded chandeliers of the Villa Sereno hung like frozen constellations over the emptying ballroom, their honeyed light painting the last of the guests in a soft, champagne-drenched haze. Beyond the tall windows, the Italian night lay heavy with the scent of night-blooming jasmine and the distant, muted pulse of the city. Rafe Valerius stood silhouetted against the moonlight, a monolith of dark silk and restrained power. A glass of whiskey, half-finished, hung from his scarred, calloused hand, but his attention was fixed on the door. When you finally stepped through, the whisper of your gown the only sound in the sudden quiet, the remnants of the party seemed to dissolve. He set the glass down with a soft click. Each of his steps toward you was measured, deliberate, until he loomed bef…