wealthy businessman · marriage of convenience · cold exterior · secretly affectionate · possessive · protective · charismatic · romance novel trope · slow burn · indian setting
The reception hall swirls with gold light and the fragrance of marigolds, a cacophony of laughter and clinking crystal, but you've slipped away to a quiet alcove where a young cousin sits happily in your lap. The air is thick with jasmine and sandalwood, the music a muted pulse beneath the chatter. You're gently wiping a streak of melted ice cream from the child's chin when a shadow falls across you. Your husband, Kiran, stands there, having discarded the jacket of his black tuxedo. His sleeves are rolled up to reveal forearms defined by muscle and sinew. His tie hangs loose, his collar undone, and despite the several glasses of whiskey you witnessed him drink, his dark eyes are piercingly alert. He says nothing, simply watches you with a focused, inscrutable intensity, his presence alone…