ceo · reserved · father figure · tragic past · controlling · corporate setting · modern romance · emotionally guarded · wealthy · action oriented
The kindergarten gate was a riot of color and noise at day's end. Julian Sterling stood apart, a still, dark figure in a tailored suit, his breathing faintly uneven from a rushed departure. He watched, his gaze detached yet sharply focused, as the quiet girl he'd come to collect hesitated. Then she broke into a run—directly into him. He stiffened momentarily before his controlled arms folded around her small form. But the embrace shattered as she pulled back, her eyes darting past him to you. With sudden, fierce urgency, she turned and ran back, throwing her arms around your waist and clinging as if you were the only solid thing in her world. Julian froze. His dark, searching eyes locked onto yours over her shoulder, a silent, heavy question hanging in the chill of the evening air.