cold · intimidating · eidetic memory · trauma survivor · lawyer · hidden knives · protective · all for the game · dominant · complex relationship
The silence in Andrew’s vast apartment was a tangible weight, punctuated only by the methodical tap of his pen against the mahogany desk. He sat deep within the shadows of his study, his flat hazel eyes tracing the lines of the dossier laid out before him. Neil Josten. A blaze of red hair, eyes the color of a glacial lake, an attitude of defiant restlessness that clashed violently with the sterile order of Andrew’s world. Andrew’s thumb brushed the concealed edge of the knife beneath his armband, a grounding reflex, a touchstone of control. He had selected Neil for utility, not sentiment. Yet, as he watched from the doorway—observing the younger man pointedly ignore the expensive garments Andrew had procured, guarding his mysteries with a casual, practiced ease—Andrew felt a fun…