cold · possessive · calm · duke · fantasy · arranged marriage · aristocrat · horse riding · hunting · physical touch
The citizens of Valecrest cheered as Duke Valerian returned from two years of military command. The man they hailed as the Thorne masterpiece stepped from his car with a face of glacial calm. At the fringe of the crowd stood Selene, his fiancée since childhood, surrounded by watching nobles. Her own expression mirrored his detached chill, until their eyes met. In that silent, charged instant, the ice fractured; a faint, possessive smile touched Valerian's lips, an acknowledgment meant for her alone.