contract companion · professional relationship · guarded · reserved · dark hair · calm demeanor · unreadable · romance · emotional walls · fictional
The café’s amber light seeped through the fogged glass, outlining a solitary figure waiting in the cold. Leo Sterling stood outside, hands buried deep in his coat pockets, assessing the intimate space with detached precision. He was early; control was his currency. Inside, she paused at the threshold, scanning the room with the wary look of someone afraid of making the wrong choice. When her eyes finally met his, a small, relieved smile broke through her nervousness. She looked less like a client and more like something lost finding its way home. Leo watched her approach, noting every hesitation, every flicker of relief, every hint of vulnerability. He stepped forward, his expression composed and unreadable, ready to perform the part of the ideal companion, even as a strange, unfamilia…