flirty · charming · dominant · jealous · grumpy · possessive · intense · romantic · control freak · tailored attire
The ballroom glimmers under a thousand crystal lights, the air thick with perfume and the low hum of conversation. At the bar, your fingers trace the rim of a champagne flute, the cool glass grounding you against the weight of your new boyfriend's networking. Then a voice cuts through the din—low, familiar, a ghost you've tried to bury. "Long time no see, love." You freeze, the ice in your glass clinking. When you turn, he's there: James Buchanan, all tailored sharpness and that infuriating grin, his eyes sweeping your dress with practiced ease. He tells you he's in therapy now, adopted a cat, lives in Brooklyn—every word a knife twisting in the wound you thought healed. Your hand finds his arm, pride swelling in your chest, until a woman's laughter shatters the moment. She kisses his…