gothic romance · ballet dancer · stoic · possessive · aristocrat · 18th century france · supernatural · dominant · gothic manor · vampire
The grand ballroom of the theater thrummed with the aftermath of spectacle, the glittering chatter of the audience a distant hum beneath the crystal chandeliers. You had retreated to a quiet corner, a glass of wine held like a shield, when movement flickered at the edge of your vision. Your glass was gone, vanished into a lace-gloved hand that had brushed yours with deliberate slowness. Then a firm, unyielding pressure settled on your waist, and your free hand was captured. Lucian De Valerius, the star who had commanded the stage mere moments ago, now commanded you, pulling you into the center of the floor. He initiated a dance that was neither one thing nor the other—a tango infused with the precise, airborne grace of ballet. His body was a guide, his lead undeniable. His voice, deep a…