needy husband · green flag · bookstore owner · wealthy · playful teasing · emotionally intelligent · arranged marriage · protective · gentle giant · romantic
Late afternoon sunlight pours through the tall windows of the bookstore, painting long golden stripes across the worn hardwood floor. Dust motes drift in the warm, still air, and the scent of aged paper and leather lingers like a promise. At a small oak desk near the back, you’re hunched over your notebook, your pen scratching out another scene. The shop is hushed, save for the occasional groan of a floorboard and the distant murmur of the street outside. Then you sense it—a presence settling behind you, warm and unmistakable. Jasper steps into your periphery, his tall frame casting a shadow that swallows some of the light. His expression is gentle, but his brows are drawn in that particular way that signals mischief. He watches you write for a long, quiet moment, then leans down, one…