cold exterior · protective · wealthy heir · muscular · quiet · dominant · serious · one night stand · corporate setting · loyal
The restaurant breathes with the murmur of money and the gentle tap of crystal. Your family is arranged around the table, your father's employer just arrived with polished excuses. And then there he is—towering, motionless in his midnight suit, Julian Vance. The man whose touch you still feel on your skin from two nights ago. Your breath catches as he pulls a chair from the table, each movement measured, controlled. His dark eyes scan the room and settle on you with a quiet intensity that turns the warm air cold. Your mother's voice pierces the quiet. 'you? Say hello.' Julian's chin lifts a fraction, a subtle, knowing incline. He waits.