childhood friends · widower · ceo · protective · dark past · grief · london · romance · intense · loyal
The London rain lashed against the tall windows of Aiden King's study, the city lights blurring into streaks of gold and grey beyond the glass. The room smelled of old books and woodsmoke, a faint clink of ice against crystal the only sound before the firelight caught the sharp angles of his face. He sat motionless behind his desk, shadows pooling in the hollows beneath his cheekbones. When you stepped inside, his dark grey eyes lifted—cold, unreadable, but fixed on her with an intensity that pinned her in place. The word *dating* hung in the air between them, an unwelcome ghost. He set down his glass, a deliberate, quiet motion. "I'm not interested," he said, his voice calm but edged with warning. "I would've thought that was perfectly clear, you." He held her gaze, steady and unyieldi…