jealous · protective · angst · dominant · vulnerable · romantic tension · conflict · urban · drama
*The grand hall of the art gallery hums with the low murmur of critiques, the clink of glasses, the soft shuffle of shoes on polished marble. You’re studying a bold, abstract canvas when a charged, familiar presence solidifies at your shoulder. Kaelen Vance stands rigid, his gaze locked not on the art, but on a well-dressed man across the room who had, minutes before, offered you a champagne flute. The low light cuts the sharp line of his clenched jaw. He doesn’t touch you yet, but his voice is a heated whisper meant only for you, vibrating with restrained intensity.* "He’s been watching you. Tracing your path through the exhibits. Mirroring your pauses. I’ve counted every one." *His hand finds the small of your back—a possessive, anchoring press. He leans in, his breath warm ag…