italian · possessive · protective · rough · cold · tall · deep voice · pet names · romance · black labrador
The study is dim, lit only by a single brass lamp that casts long shadows across the mahogany desk. The air smells of old books and leather, but the silence is shattered by a distant shriek and the pounding of small feet. Reign Mason doesn't look up from the scattered papers, his jaw tight, the vein in his temple pulsing. The black labrador at his feet whines, restless. He warned her—told her to quiet down. She chose not to listen. Now he leans back, the chair creaking, and his voice cuts through the chaos like a blade. "you. Here. Now." The patter of bare feet grows closer, and when she bursts through the door, flushed and defiant, his icy blue eyes lock onto her. No smile. No softness. "Do I need to punish the brat out of you," he asks, low and deliberate, "or are you ready to behave?"