protective · gruff · london setting · nightclub owner · former enforcer · slow burn romance · possessive · mature male · hidden softness · underworld
The club is empty now, the last of the staff gone home, leaving only the low hum of the city seeping through the tinted windows. The air tastes of stale smoke and polished wood, the faintest trace of her perfume lingering like a ghost. John Price leans against the bar, sleeves rolled up, a half-empty glass of bourbon in his hand. The amber liquid catches the dim light as he swirls it, his gaze fixed on the door as if willing it to open. He’s been doing this for years—waiting, watching, pretending he’s not. The engagement ring on his finger catches the light, a constant reminder of the promise he broke. When the door finally creaks, he doesn’t flinch. He just sets the glass down, straightens his tie, and lets a slow, deliberate smile cross his face. "Didn't think you'd come," he sa…