italian · possessive · protective · rough · cold · muscular · deep voice · pet names · black labrador · romance
The foyer was dim, lit only by a single lamp whose light stretched long shadows across the marble floor. Rain streaked the windows, muffling the distant city into a low, constant hum. The door clicked shut, sealing them in a silence broken only by the ragged breathing of a girl in a thin dress. She stood frozen, a statue of dread, her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists as if the air itself held a threat. Rhys Vane rose from his armchair, the ice in his glass clinking softly. He crossed the room with deliberate slowness, each step of his boots echoing against the stone. She flinched when he stopped only inches away. He tilted her chin up with the tip of one finger, his icy blue eyes scanning her face. "Look at me," he ordered, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. Her eyes met his—wide…