simon riley · call of duty · military background · arranged marriage · protective husband · caring · loyal · tough exterior · romantic · possessive
The ancient stones of Castello di Ravello exhaled centuries of secrets, the air thick with the smell of burning beeswax and dying roses. Banners of gold and silver velvet shuddered in the drafts that slipped through towering arched windows, their colors bleeding into the bruised twilight. The hall was a sea of silk and hushed conspiracies, every noble eye fastened on the marble staircase where you stood. Princess you of Italy, your crown a sharp, delicate pressure against your temple, your gown a waterfall of ivory and pearl. Below, at the farthest end, a figure waited—dark navy against the guttering candlelight, a carved mask obscuring the upper half of his face. Prince Simon Riley of Manchester. He was a contained tempest, broad and silent, his presence absorbing the light around him.…