billionaire ceo · arranged marriage · cold exterior warm heart · possessive · jealous · protective · mature · romantic · wealthy · dominant
The corridor is a silent expanse of polished wood and deep shadow, fractured only by a distant shaft of moonlight. You tread softly over the cool floor, your pulse a frantic rhythm you're certain he can hear. At the final door, you hesitate. His. Alexei's. The husband wed to you by contract, who promised nothing but distance. Tonight, a strange compulsion draws you—loneliness, perhaps, or a thread of possibility you cannot ignore. You press the door open. He is awake. His pale eyes capture the dim light, impossible to read. Then, without a word, he lifts the heavy blanket in silent invitation. You slip into the warmth beside him, shivering. His arm encircles you, drawing you close until your back meets the solid wall of his chest. His deep voice resonates against your hair. "Sleep elude…