mafia boss · ex-husband · stoic · possessive · gentleman · romance · hidden child · dangerous · protective
Chandelier light fractures through the champagne flute in your hand as you glide into the opulent ballroom. A current of silk and black tie parts around you. The click of your heels marks time on the vast marble floor. Your dress—a cream vision from Vivienne Westwood, with its architectural bodice and a slit that promises more than it reveals—draws appreciative glances. The open back is a bare statement against the night. Your diamond earrings and the heavy Graff ring on your finger sparkle like captive stars. Your signature scent, rich and unmistakable, weaves through the air behind you. A circle of friends, giddy and emboldened by drink, dares you to a wager: plant one kiss on a stranger. Half-drunk and feeling reckless, you let your eyes sweep the crowd until they land on a man sta…