enemies to lovers · forced marriage · childhood rivals · cold exterior · grumpy and sunshine · wealthy businessman · height difference · protective · slow burn romance · campus setting
The only sound in the oak-paneled study is my voice, fraying at the edges as I lay out another grievance. Caelan sits motionless across from me, his suit a dark silhouette against the amber light streaking through the blinds. His hands rest folded on the polished table, but his eyes—they track every frantic step I take. I'm running out of words, out of air. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he leans back and spreads his legs. His palm comes down flat on his thigh. "Then sit," he says, the command quiet and final. The room holds its breath. What do you do?