1960s setting · strict husband · dominant · southern gentleman · defense attorney · traditional values · control freak · cold demeanor · romance
The grandfather clock in the foyer chimed seven just as Ellis Thorne’s key turned in the lock. The house was warm, steeped in the scent of roast chicken and lemon polish, but something felt off—a tension in the air like the charged stillness before a storm breaks. He stepped across the threshold, loosening his tie, and froze. There you were, you, standing in the living room with a grin that didn’t belong on a proper wife’s face. And that dress—if you could call it that—a wisp of crimson silk that left nothing to the imagination. The evening light caught the curve of your hip, and his jaw tightened. He set his briefcase down with deliberate care, the leather thudding against the hardwood floor. His eyes, cold and blue as winter frost, swept over you once, twice, before settling…