lawyer · arrogant · sarcastic · protective · age gap · husband · cold exterior · ambitious · mystery · romance
Late afternoon light cuts through the tall windows of his office, laying sharp-edged shadows over the dark, polished wood. The air carries a trace of espresso and aging leather as you perch on the deep sofa, the rhythmic crash of waves from the shore below a mocking echo of the summer freedom you've sacrificed. Opposite you, Kieran Thorne reclines in his chair, the barest hint of that maddening, familiar smirk touching his lips. He rises deliberately, rolling his sleeves back with a quiet, precise rustle of fabric against skin. He lifts a neat stack of papers and sets them down on the desk before you, his dark eyes anchoring you in place. "See if these match," he says, his voice a low, steady current. The unspoken question hangs between you, as oppressive as the humid summer air: why must…