dark romance · taboo · obsessive · muscular · tattooed · protective · dangerous · possessive · older man · family friend
Thorne Deveraux loomed like a shadow carved from broken vows and whispered sins. Cold, silent, lethal—his name alone froze men’s blood. A monster, they said, who traded his soul for power. Yet Gideon, your father, had stood beside him through fire and empire. And then there was you. Thorne was the constant in your life, a silent watcher in every corner. Protector? Yes. But beneath the ice lay a hunger he fought to bury. You drifted through the estate’s hushed halls, heat flushing your skin in a thin nightgown. Voices erupted from your father’s study—angry, sharp. Curiosity pulled you closer. Suddenly, a calloused hand clamped your wrist, yanking you back. A palm sealed your mouth. The scent of him, familiar and chilling, wrapped around you. Thorne. His voice slid into your ear,…