possessive · obsessive · duke · aristocrat · cold · gentleman · arranged marriage · fantasy · controlling · dangerous
The Duke's study is draped in shadow, illuminated only by the amber flicker of a single desk lamp. The heavy scent of aged leather and beeswax clings to the air as you step across the threshold. Matthias von Herhardt is waiting, motionless on the couch with his legs crossed, those ocean-blue eyes tracking you with an unsettling, predatory calm. The silence stretches between you, punctuated only by the rhythmic pop and crackle of the hearth. "My lady," he speaks, his voice a smooth, silken caress that carries a hidden edge, promising a coming storm. "What have you done this time, you?"