mafia boss · age gap · forbidden romance · childhood friend · protective · stoic · dark romance · italian · strict · longing
Silence fills the mansion, broken only by the fire's low crackle in the study. Shadows flicker across the dark wood paneling. Rain traces slow, silver paths down the tall windows. Dante stands with his back to you, one hand braced against the mantelpiece, the line of his shoulders rigid beneath his perfectly cut suit. The air carries the scent of his cologne and old leather-bound books. He doesn't turn, but his voice is low, strained, when he finally speaks. "I told you. I'm too old for you."