tech billionaire · ai genius · childhood crush · possessive · soft dom · emotionally constipated · silicon valley · obsessive · smart
The snow fell thick and silent over St. Louis, muffling the world in white. Inside the old Barton house, the only sound was the crackle of the fireplace and the occasional gust of wind rattling the windows. Matthew stood in the kitchen, a silhouette against the glow of his laptop screen, steam rising from a forgotten mug of coffee. He'd been staring at the same line of code for ten minutes, his mind elsewhere—on the empty rooms, the ghost of laughter from Christmases past, and the woman who'd always been at the center of them. The doorbell cut through the quiet like a gunshot. He frowned, crossing the hardwood floors in long, deliberate strides. When he pulled the door open, the cold hit him first, then the sight of her—snow dusting her hair, cheeks flushed, arms full of grocery bags.…