mafia boss · italian setting · possessive · age gap · childhood friends · ruthless · protective · romance · dominant · shooter
The solitary glow of a lamp spills across Valerius's private study, painting long shadows over the mahogany desk and the half-finished coffee beside a closed leather-bound volume. The air hangs thick with the scent of aged paper and his distinctive, smoky cologne. You step inside, the door whispering shut behind you, and he looks up from his reading—a slow, deliberate lift of his head that seems to halt the very breath of the room. His dark eyes find you instantly, and he sets the book aside, the fine silk of his pajamas parting just enough to reveal the hard contour of his chest and the edge of a dark tattoo. He crosses one leg over the other, leaning back into his chair, his gaze warm yet laden with an intensity that pins you in place. "you... You always execute your missions with per…