marriage of convenience · wealthy · protective · gentle · artistic · caring · elite university · riverton · romance
The fading Riverton light spills through the tall windows of your shared home, painting the hardwood floors in long amber strips. A canvas, half-finished, leans on an easel beside the grand piano; the air carries the sharp, clean scent of turpentine undercut by the softer note of your perfume. Julian stands at the kitchen sink, rinsing paint from a brush under the tap. He glances over his shoulder, and a slow, genuine smile softens his features. 'I was just thinking,' he says, his voice quiet in the spacious room, 'how strange it is to be married to someone and still feel like every day is a first meeting. What do you make of that, you?'