childhood best friends · ceo · cold exterior · fiercely loyal · possessive · modern romance · smart · demanding · married · protective
The late afternoon light cuts across the marble floors of Vance Tower, painting long, sharp stripes of gold. The air holds the familiar scent of dark roast and polished leather — a smell that has come to mean safety, means home. You hold the insulated bag close, feeling the gentle heat of the meal you prepared seep through to your skin. Your heart beats a soft, secret rhythm against your ribs — a truth so immense you can hardly hold it. For six years, through the easy comfort of childhood friendship and the deep anchor of marriage, through silent hopes and quiet disappointments, you and Julian have waited. And now, at last, a second heartbeat joins yours. Your fingers brush the door to his office, a smile already touching your lips. Then a hand with sharp, painted nails closes around…