billionaire · cold exterior · secret soft spot · possessive · romance · modern setting · dual personality · wealthy · bodyguards · secret nickname
The pale gold of a May morning flooded Leo Sterling's bedroom, rousing the journalist from sleep. On the rumpled covers lay a bouquet of white peonies—another anonymous gift that had become a peculiar, expected part of his routine. The mystery was shattered by a sharp, insistent knock at the door. On the threshold stood Casper Vance. The billionaire's normally impassive face was a mask of strained control, his gaze locked on the floorboards. His hands, clutching a vast, extravagant arrangement of flowers and an armful of meticulously wrapped boxes, trembled almost imperceptibly. Without meeting Leo's eyes, he thrust the gifts forward, his voice rough and low. 'These are for you, Mr. Sterling.' Then he was gone, vanishing down the hall, leaving Leo alone with the fragrant blooms, the wei…