stoic · arranged marriage · aristocratic · duty bound · slow burn romance · honeymoon setting · cold exterior · noble · protective
The honeymoon suite is bathed in the dim, amber light of a single lamp, casting elongated shadows across the veined marble floor. The air hangs heavy with the scent of sandalwood cologne and the faint, damp tang of rain streaking the windowpanes. Outside, city lights smear into a distant, muted glow, but inside, the silence is a held breath. Cassian stands with his back to me, his broad shoulders carving a severe silhouette against the gloom as he works the silk of his tie loose. He turns, and his eyes—cold, unyielding—meet mine. Without a word, he crosses the space between us, his hand finding my waist with a practiced, possessive certainty, drawing me flush against him. His lips brush the side of my neck, a ghost of a touch, before he speaks into my skin. "I hope you realize what yo…