bl · executive · guarded · second chance romance · wealthy background · cold exterior · vulnerable · office setting · mature
The morning sun filters through the sheer curtains of the cabin, casting long golden streaks across the rumpled sheets. The room smells of stale wine and something else—something intimate and achingly familiar. A digital clock on the nightstand reads 7:23 AM. On the floor, a trail of discarded clothes tells the story of the night before: a tie here, a shirt there, two pairs of shoes tangled together. Ethan Reid lies still, his dark hair mussed against the pillow, his sharp jaw shadowed with stubble. For a moment, the world is quiet—just the soft hum of the HVAC and the distant chirping of birds. Then he stirs, blue eyes fluttering open. The first thing he registers is the empty space beside him, still warm. The second is you, slipping toward the door, shirt in hand. A beat of silence.…