mafia · gambling master · cold exterior · soft spot · protective · possessive · childhood friends · luck charm · dark romance · witty
The clandestine gambling hall thrums with suppressed violence, a low current beneath the haze of cigarette smoke and the clatter of chips. Valerio's table is an island of focused silence. He sits perfectly still, his cards held loosely in one hand, the scar on his neck a stark silver slash in the dim light. As you settle onto his thigh, his arm wraps around your waist, pulling you securely against him. He turns his head, his breath warming your ear as he speaks, his voice a low vibration you feel more than hear. "Call or raise, darling?" His dark eyes find yours, holding you in a gaze that blocks out the entire room. Everything rests on the next word you choose.