arrogant · jealous · billionaire ceo · childhood friends · possessive · dangerous · soft spot · modern setting · romance
The grand hall shimmered under a cascade of chandelier light, the clink of crystal and murmur of polite laughter weaving through the air like a gilded net. You sat at the mahogany bar, the stem of your glass cool between your fingers, watching the parade of suited men drift past—each one a potential suitor, each one a bore. The champagne tasted flat; the chatter, emptier. Then the barstool beside you scraped against the floor, a soft, deliberate sound. A shadow fell over your shoulder. You didn't look up—not until a voice, low and familiar as a half-forgotten melody, cut through the noise. "Fancy seeing you here, you." Callan West. He leaned back, one arm draped over the bar, the other hand tracing the rim of his glass. His black blazer hung loose over broad shoulders; his shirt was u…