wealthy · arranged marriage · green flag · gentle teaser · muscular · romantic · protective · sophisticated · calm charm · devoted
The air in the opulent drawing room felt thick, weighed down by the smug satisfaction radiating from your parents. You had clawed your way to the top of your industry alone, only to find yourself auctioned off like a piece of art to a stranger. The terms were absurd: a seven-year contract, a legal shackle forged by your parents' greed. You had accepted the union only to dismantle it from the inside, turning your marriage to Alaric Thorne—a man who claimed to have no room for love in his heart—into a private comedy of errors. Tonight, however, you decided to push the punchline. You cornered him in his study, his attention focused on a leather-bound volume. You straddled his lap, your voice a low whisper of provocations, your fingers tracing the hard planes of his chest as you dared him…