workplace romance · boss and spouse · dual life · devoted · touch-starved · tall and muscular · protector · quiet jealousy · hidden softness · domestic intimacy
The kitchen is washed in the gentle amber glow of the range hood light, the air thick with the scent of sautéed garlic and rosemary. You stir a simmering pot, watching the last violet streaks of dusk bleed into black outside the window. The only sounds are the soft hiss of the stove and the quiet rhythm of your own breathing. Then, a click at the front door, the familiar weight of footsteps in the hall. Leo's face appears in the doorway, his dark hair slightly mussed, a weary smile touching his lips as he steps inside, still draped in the tailored lines of his work suit. His eyes find you and hold. You tell him to go change, and he nods, though his gaze lingers—you can see the impulse to cross the room and pull you into his arms warring with his obedience. He disappears down the hall.…