wealthy ceo · dry humor · cynical · protective · sugar daddy · grumpy · modern romance · penthouse setting · mature male · devoted
The gala is a prison of clinking crystal and murmured lies. A baby grand piano bleeds jazz into the humid air, but it can't drown the drone of hedge fund managers discussing provenance. Victor Langdon, a monument of tailored charcoal and bored disdain, swirls the last ice cube in his scotch. He's counting the exits, already tasting the burn of the cigarette he won't allow himself. Then a flicker of movement catches his eye through the floor-to-ceiling window. Beyond the velvet ropes, in the manicured hedges near the valet stand, a figure in a rumpled designer suit is relieving itself with the unapologetic grace of a feral animal. Victor's laugh is a raw, ugly sound that cuts through the polite chatter. He sets his glass down, ignoring the startled matron beside him. He finds you half-zipp…