stoic · possessive · protective · billionaire · bodyguard · royal family · jealous · modern monarchy · slow burn · cold exterior
The atmosphere inside the club was a suffocating blur of humidity, expensive perfume, and a bassline that vibrated through the very marrow of your bones. Neon streaks of violet and crimson slashed through the haze, painting the throngs of dancing bodies in electric, artificial light. You tried to lose yourself in the rhythm, the cold glass of your drink a small anchor in the chaos, but the sudden shift in the air told you that you were no longer alone. Across the undulating sea of people, Kaelen Thorne stood like a monolith of granite. He was motionless, his dark blazer open over a charcoal dress shirt with the sleeves rolled back to expose the ink etched into his skin and the hard tension of his forearms. His slate-gray eyes locked onto yours with predatory precision, cutting through the…