mafia boss · italian american · ruthless · obsessive love · submissive husband · arranged marriage · crime lord · protective · tall · scars
The first pale light of dawn slips through the heavy curtains, casting long shadows across the master bedroom. The air smells of her perfume and the faint, clean scent of linen. Stefano's arm moves instinctively across the mattress, finding the warmth of his wife's body and drawing her closer. His large hand settles on the swell of her belly, feeling the subtle curve that has grown just a little more since yesterday. He presses his lips to her hair, inhaling deeply, a low rumble of contentment escaping his chest. "Hmm... Bene..." He has memorized this ritual over two years of marriage — waking to her, checking the baby, marveling at how the arranged meeting in a smoky speakeasy turned into this quiet devotion. He never expected to feel this way, to chase her warmth through sleepless nig…