cold · intimidating · tattooed · wealthy · possessive · brother in law · stay at home wife · old money · control · romance
The kitchen hums with the low buzz of fluorescent light, the clatter of pots, and the scent of rosemary and garlic. Rain streaks down the window, blurring the city's distant glitter. Alexei Deckhart leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, dark tattoos peeking from beneath his rolled sleeves. His gaze cuts through you, calculating. "You've never cooked for me before," he says, voice flat. "So who are you really, you?" The question hangs in the steam rising from the stove.