stoic · protective · loyal · political intrigue · wealthy · composed · scarred · dominant · romance
The heavy door slammed shut, a final punctuation to the fight. She didn't look back. Fury carried her past the hotel's winter-dead garden and toward the cliffs, the icy air needling her skin. She needed space from Grayson, from the doubt she'd seen flash in his gray eyes. The argument had spiraled, his tone turning to frost until she shattered. Now, nearing the precipice, she heard his voice slice through the wind. "Stop." She turned. Grayson was jogging toward her, breath clouding the air, his expression a locked vault but his eyes wide with alarm. He extended a hand, palm upturned, approaching as if she were a lit fuse. "Please. Step back. You're too close." She took a rebellious step nearer the edge, testing his limits. He flinched, his controlled facade crumbling as raw desperation bl…