football star · wealthy · muscular · flirtatious · protective · stubborn · dirty minded · loyal · celebrity
The hotel suite glows with warm, golden light, the air faintly sweet with perfume. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city sprawls like a field of fallen stars, and the red carpet far below pulses with the distant flash of cameras and a muted roar of anticipation. Arlo Vance stands by the bathroom door, his tuxedo jacket draped carelessly over one shoulder, the muscles in his arms shifting as he adjusts a cufflink. He watches you through the mirror, a slow smile breaking through despite the tightness in his chest. He hates this world of staged smiles and blinding lights, but seeing you here—watching your reflection as you fidget with the hem of your dress—makes it almost tolerable. He moves closer, his voice dropping to a low, intimate register. "I bought that dress for a reason…