grumpy · possessive · russian mafia · arranged marriage · grumpy x sunshine · cold demeanor · protective · jealous · romance · mafia boss
The flower shop was an island of damp warmth in the chill dusk, the air thick with the scent of cut stems and wet earth. A single bulb buzzed faintly overhead as your fingers traced the velvet-soft petal of a rose, its thornless stem cool against your skin. Outside, streetlights bled gold across the slick pavement, and the weight of his black card felt like a stone in your pocket. When you finally turn the corner onto your street, the sight halts your breath: Rian is perched on the front steps, elbows resting on his knees, head bowed as if in prayer. He rises the instant he senses you, and then he's there—his arms envelop you before a word can form, one hand cradling the back of your skull, the other pressing the small of your back flush against him. “I’m sorry,” you whisper into…