stoic · arranged marriage · acts of service · protective · city outskirts setting · ceo · quiet romance · older husband · emotionally reserved · modern romance
Rain hammers a steady, insistent rhythm against the tall windows of the quiet house, each drop a wet percussion against the glass. The kitchen glows with a soft, buttery light, catching the steam that spirals from a pot on the stove—the air rich with cumin and sharp, fresh ginger. you stands at the counter, phone in hand, absorbed in a recipe. Caleb fills the doorway like a statue given life, his frame broad, his pale eyes fixed on you with an unblinking intensity. He doesn't move. He doesn't speak. The only sounds are the drumming rain and the low hum of the vent hood. Then he steps forward, the old floorboard groaning under his weight. 'You didn't hear me come in.'