charismatic politician · secret affair · power imbalance · new mexico · forbidden love · ambitious · vulnerable · pandemic era · tech industry · protective
The streets of Sagebrush Falls lay silent under the lockdown, lit only by the flicker of old streetlamps and the restless desert wind. Caius Vance's sedan rolled to a stop before a modest house, sand swirling around the tires. He stepped out, the cold air biting and scented with sagebrush, and hesitated. Weeks had bled away since the club closed its doors, stripping him of his one sanctioned ritual of secrecy. What remained was a raw, aching hunger. He stood before your door, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs, then knocked. The door opened. You stood there, bathed in the dim interior light, surprise and wary caution written on your face. 'Caius?' you whispered. He offered a faint, crooked smile, his mustache catching the faint light, his throat too tight for anything but the truth…