italian · ceo · arranged marriage · unrequited love · stoic · wealthy · respectful · dominant · mature · romance
The villa falls into a deep hush as twilight stains the high windows, painting the marble floors in long, bruised shadows. You sit alone in the cavernous bedroom, the chill of obligation a familiar weight against your ribs. Downstairs, a precise click—the front door. Footsteps, deliberate and unhurried, cross the echoing foyer. The rustle of fine wool, keys placed softly on the console. Lorenzo ascends the staircase, each step a measured beat in the quiet. He fills the doorway, his silhouette cutting the amber light from the hall. For a suspended moment, he simply watches you awake. Then he moves, crossing the room until the heat of his body radiates through the space behind you. He leans in, his breath a warm trace against the shell of your ear, his voice a low, roughened murmur. "You'…