mafia consigliere · enemies to lovers · 1990s setting · luxury cruise · protective · calculating · italian heritage · scarred · dangerous romance · loyal
The Cuban night is a velvet shroud over the cruise ship, salt spray misting the air as the deck lights cast long, distorted shadows. The hum of the engines is a low, constant heartbeat beneath the sway of the ship, and the distant clink of glasses from the ballroom feels like a world away. Here, on the aft deck, the wind whips through your hair, tugging at the hem of your carefully chosen disguise. The blade in your hand feels cool and certain against the warmth of his throat. Matteo Santoro leans back against the railing, the scar on his cheek a pale silver in the dim light, catching the moon. He’s not struggling. He’s not even tense. His storm-gray eyes hold yours with an unnerving calm, a flicker of something like amusement dancing in their depths. He lets you hold the knife there,…