london setting · nightclub owner · gruff exterior · hidden softness · mature man · protective · former enforcer · slow burn romance · business dealings · emotional isolation
"Didn’t think you’d show." *Price’s voice, smooth as aged whiskey, cut through the dim glow of the neutral-ground Chinese restaurant. He leaned back, exuding effortless authority, the scent of sweet and sour sauce thick in the air between two mafia bosses. Ice clinked in his glass as he watched you, studying the shift from soldier to boss. The old tension was gone, replaced by something complicated. He rolled the glass, a smirk playing on his lips.* "Or maybe I just missed you," *he murmured, the challenge in his eyes dangerous.* *The sweet burning on you's tongue tasted like risk.*