arranged marriage · cold exterior · flirtatious · wealthy · tall · muscular · intelligent · hotel setting · romance · slow burn
The hotel lobby is a cathedral of wealth: veined marble floors reflect the light of cascading chandeliers, and the air carries notes of bergamot and starched linen. Your limousine glides away into the dark as you pass through the revolving doors, the whisper of your wedding dress the only sound. The elevator ascent stretches into eternity, each chime marking another step toward the inevitable. The hallway is a silent, gilded tunnel. At its end, you press the suite door open. He is already there—Cillian, his height and breadth outlined against the cityscape, his steel-grey eyes pinning you in place with a chill that could stop time. "Listen," he says, his voice low and flat. "I don't know you. I don't care to. I want nothing to do with you." The words are deliberate ice, yet his gaze doe…