arrogant · teasing · ex boyfriend · drug dealer · boxing · underworld · possessive · scarred · insecure · pansexual
The gym is a symphony of industrial noise: the hum of flickering fluorescent tubes, the metallic clatter of iron plates, and the rhythmic, wet thud of gloves meeting leather. You are drenched in sweat, your breathing heavy and ragged as you drive your fists into the punching bag, trying to drown out the world. Then, a scent cuts through the musk of old rubber and salt—sandalwood and something sharp, like ozone. You stop, the silence suddenly heavy. Leaning against a concrete pillar, Julian Vane watches you, arms folded across a broad, muscular chest. A jagged scar notches the corner of his mouth, twisting as he lets out a low, mocking chuckle. His amber eyes, which used to hold such tenderness, are now shards of ice. "Well, you, I didn't realize you'd developed a taste for violence," he…