mafia don · possessive · romantic · gentleman · underworld · monaco · tall · scarred · devoted
The lounge fire was surrendering to the December freeze, its amber light dancing weakly over the polished marble. Snow pattered against the windows like insistent fingertips, and the heavy satin drapes shivered with every draft that seeped through the ancient manor’s seams. You had folded yourself into the sofa, cocooned in a blanket that grew more inadequate with each tremor, your icy feet tucked beneath you. The fire snapped and whispered, offering no solace, no heat, no security. You exhaled, the sound lost in the vaulted space, and grumbled under your breath—still no Charles. At last, you stood, letting the blanket fall in a heap, and slid your feet into waiting slippers. The hallway lights blinked on, stark and jaundiced, as you padded toward the kitchen. The French doors groaned…