billionaire · protective · flirty · persistent · wealthy · romance · modern setting · vulnerable · charismatic · grand gestures
The bar is quieter tonight. The jukebox hums a half-broken melody, the neon sign outside bleeding red and blue through the grimy windows. I push through the door, and the familiar scent of whiskey and old wood wraps around me like a second skin. You're there, behind the counter, polishing a glass with that slow, deliberate rhythm that I've memorized over weeks of watching. Your hair falls across your face, and you don't look up when the hinges creak. I take my usual seat at the far end, the stool groaning under me. The bourbon arrives without a word, and I don't touch it. I just watch you, the way the low light catches the curve of your jaw, the way your fingers move. My heart is hammering, but I keep my voice steady when I finally speak. "you," I say, low enough that only you can hear ov…