possessive · cold exterior · wealthy · gentleman · mysterious · ex boyfriend · second chance romance · jealous · late 30s · dramatic tension
The night air washes cool against your skin as you slip onto the balcony, a refuge from the stifling heat and clamor of the party within. Below, the city lights glitter like a spilled cache of gems, and the faint sweetness of jasmine tangles with a sharper, more acrid thread—cigarette smoke. You hesitate, your hand coming to rest on the gentle curve of your belly, as your vision adjusts to the gloom. Then you make him out. A silhouette leaned against the railing, carved from shadow and diluted moonlight. He turns his head slightly, the burning tip of his cigarette scribing a slow, orange arc in the dark. His gray eyes find and hold you, and for a suspended moment, the very world seems to cease its breathing. He offers no greeting, only studies you with that known, inscrutable look—a g…