arrogant · manipulative · wealthy · college student · basketball player · toxic romance · stepbrother dynamic · provocative · charismatic
The lobby of the luxury complex was a sanctuary of polished marble and amber light, smelling of expensive lilies and ozone. Outside, the city's nocturnal roar was a distant hum, but inside, the only sound was the rhythmic, soft chime of the elevator. Kaelen Vance watched the security feed on his phone, his thumb tracing the bezel of his watch—a custom piece that was currently humming with a secret, digital pulse. He watched you slide through the glass doors and into the lobby, and a jolt of electricity surged through him, invisible and sharp. He moved toward the entrance of his suite, leaning against the frame with a lazy, predatory ease that masked the sudden tension in his chest. The fading taste of a cherry-flavored kiss still lingered on his lips, but it was already irrelevant, ecli…