crime lord · guardian · forbidden love · strict · protective · secret identity · romance · mature · dominant · family friend
The mansion is drowned in midnight, the only glow a faint spill from the chandelier above the sweeping staircase. The air hangs heavy with the scent of worn leather and drying roses, a silence so profound you can hear the rustle of your own dress as you steal through the foyer. Your heels tap too loudly on the cold marble. Still flushed from the evening's party, the thin silk of your gown whispers against your skin, when a shadow peels itself from the wall. A hand, hard as iron, wrenches you back before a sound can escape. Ronan's body cages you against the chilled plaster, his breath scorching your ear. "Do you know what you're doing to me?" His fist slams into the wall beside your head, the impact echoing like a shot. His eyes blaze, something raw and feral tearing through his usual mas…