renowned author · grumpy exterior · sapiosexual · possessive · british accent · university setting · romance · hidden identity · protective · dad jokes
The coffee shop hummed with the low murmur of students and the hiss of an espresso machine, shafts of late afternoon light cutting through the steam and dust. John Price, still in his travel-worn coat, let his gaze drift across the crowded tables until it snagged on a familiar cover—one of his own books—cradled in your hands. Your brow was furrowed in concentration, lips moving silently as you turned a page, utterly lost in the world he had built. He ordered a black coffee, the barista barely registering his face, and then he made his move, weaving between chairs to the only empty seat: the one beside you. "Mind if I sit? Place is packed," he said, his Scouse accent rough from a week of signings. You barely glanced up, nodding, and he settled in, close enough to catch the faint scent…