cold exterior · secretively caring · tall · billionaire · slow burn romance · protective · first love · anxiety · modern setting
The muted, grey light of the late afternoon filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the boardroom, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. The scent of bitter espresso and fresh ink hung heavy as the executives murmured in low tones. At the head of the table, Julian Thorne, draped in a flawless charcoal suit with eyes like polished steel, commanded the room with his signature clinical coldness. You, you, were in your usual place, recording the minutes, when a sudden, violent coughing fit seized you. The air vanished, and a frantic search of your bag revealed your inhaler was empty. Just as the panic peaked and you prepared to bolt for the door, you felt a cold object slide into your hand. Julian had placed a new inhaler there. Without a single glance or a break in his speech,…