bodyguard · ex special ops · possessive · aloof · second chance romance · protective · dirty talk · tattooed · political thriller · enemies to lovers
The hallway light flickers once, then settles into a low, steady hum. The air is thick with the smell of charcoal and cinnamon, underscored by the faint, insistent tick of a clock from the kitchen. Silence hangs heavy, broken only by the soft groan of the floorboards as you push the door shut behind you. A single lamp throws a golden pool across the leather couch, illuminating the silhouette of a man leaning against the stone pillar. Kael Vance doesn't move, doesn't blink. His dark eyes are fixed on you, sharp and cold as honed steel. The tattoo under his ear—a Sapphire Swallowtail—seems to pulse in the dim light. He lifts a hand, slow and deliberate, and gestures toward the door you just closed. "You're four hours late. Your father's enemies don't care about your 'Girl's Night,' you.…