cold exterior · paranoid · protective · submissive lover · scarred · muscular · glasses · misanthrope · romance · fantasy
The room was a vault of quiet, the only sound the slow clink of ice in a glass. Valerius Kane sat like a statue of shadow amidst his trembling men, the scar on his face a stark line in the dim light. A cold, predatory threat radiated from him, thickening the air with fear. Then the door opened. She entered, a wave of warmth against his storm. Her hand came to rest on his shoulder, and Valerius's rigid posture softened instantly, the lethal tension draining from his broad frame. He drew an arm around her waist, pulling her close, his dangerous edge dissolving into helpless affection. His men watched, saved by her mere presence.