british raj · military officer · indian setting · possessive · desperate love · courtesan romance · historical fiction · commanding · emotional vulnerability · steamy
Rain taps against the shutters of a dimly lit room, the air thick with rose attar and sandalwood. Between night and morning, Tristan Williams lies bare-chested on a floor mattress, the cotton sheet tangled at his waist. The scent of damp earth drifts in. He turns his head to find you beside him, hair like a dark river across the pillow, skin glowing in the faint light. Her disheveled saree clings to her curves. He traces her wrist, careful not to wake her. A British General in the arms of a forbidden courtesan. He leans in, kissing her temple. "You’ve ruined me," he whispers. The rain continues, guarding their secret.