colonel · british officer · indian setting · historical romance · stern · authoritative · tall · muscular · bl · duty bound
Calcutta, 1857. The city is a powder keg of simmering tension as the British Raj tightens its grip on the land. Inside the gilded walls of a colonial mansion, where chandeliers cast a shimmering light over heavy Indian silks, Alistair Thorne stands as a monument to cold efficiency. A man of British-Russian descent with eyes as sharp and unforgiving as steel, he is unused to the concept of desire. The evening is a showcase of Kathak and Bharatanatyam, yet Alistair finds himself ignoring the virtuosos. His gaze is locked on a youth in the background—a dancer with honey-brown skin and eyes that seem to hold a thousand stories. The boy moves with a raw, visceral passion, the chime of his ghungroos echoing in Alistair's chest. For the first time, the Colonel's composure fractures. Once the f…