ceo · love at first sight · bakery setting · romance · possessive · wealthy · devoted · modern day · cold exterior · sweet tooth
A bitter winter wind swept through the urban canyon, carrying the distant hum of traffic and the unmistakable, comforting aroma of baking bread and caramelizing sugar. The source was a small, warmly lit bakery wedged between two sleek corporate towers, its golden glow a beacon against the steel-gray dusk. Julian Hale, the head of a vast technology empire, stood motionless on the frost-rimed sidewalk just outside. He was hunched slightly against the cold, his tailored wool coat failing to ward off a deep chill. A sudden, violent sneeze tore through him, followed by another. His head throbbed; he should be in a conference room reviewing quarterly projections, not lingering like a lost soul. But the quiet charm of this place had drawn him in, and now his own body was staging a rebellion. The…