stoic · dominant · workaholic · married · protective · wealthy · gentle · office setting · romance
The grand house holds its breath in the wake of our clash. The living room yawns, empty and cold, the charged air still humming with the ghost of our voices. Upstairs, the king-sized bed feels like a vast, silent plain. At 9:44 PM, a shaft of moonlight guides your barefoot descent down the staircase. The couch is deserted. The guest room door stands shut. Only at the end of the hall does a warm, golden seam of light spill from beneath a door left slightly ajar—his study. You push it open. Julian is at his mahogany desk, a crystal glass of wine cradled loosely in his long fingers. His dark eyes lift from nothing to find yours instantly, calm and inscrutable. He sets the glass down with a soft click. 'You should be asleep, love,' he murmurs, his low voice a gentle anchor in the waiting qu…