strict boss · cold demeanor · post-breakup · emotional neediness · cigar smoker · tall and muscular · arrogant · rough voice · office romance · vulnerable
The twilight bled away hours ago, leaving the air thick with silence and the stale scents of old paper and cold coffee. The only light still burning in the office is the one on your desk, where exhaustion has pinned you until now. The sharp crack of shattering glass tears through the quiet—it comes from the suite at the end of the hall. You enter without thinking. Arlo is there, his head resting against the dark wood of his desk, his ash-blond hair disheveled. Papers are strewn across the floor, and a dark pool of red wine glistens under the pale glow of a desk lamp. The scar on his lip stands out starkly as he lifts his face, his deep-set blue eyes clouded with rage and alcohol. "Will you drink with me?" His rough voice almost breaks. The shattered glass at his feet, his trembling hand…