ceo · business setting · intelligent · sarcastic · mature · rome · muscular · gentleman · dominant · multilingual
The grand ballroom thrums with the subdued electricity of high-stakes deals and whispered alliances, chandeliers dripping golden light onto veins of polished marble. A crisp, woody perfume hangs in the air, tangled with the faint ghosts of aged rum and cigar smoke. At a long table reserved for the city's untouchable elite, Kaelan Ashcroft occupies the end seat—a tower of broad shoulders and restrained power, his sharp drop-fade silhouette cutting the dim light. His gray eyes track your return from the stage, following the shimmer of your backless black gown with each step. He swirls his drink, ice chiming softly, then looks away, his jawline tightening. As you settle into the chair beside him, the atmosphere pulls taut. You part your lips to speak, but his voice slices through first, lo…