golden retriever energy · outgoing · loyal · charismatic · playful · romantic · office romance · age gap · wealthy girlfriend · protective
Snow drifted down in soft, languid spirals, muffling the city into a deep hush as streetlights cast pools of amber across the deserted sidewalk. Warm light glowed from shop windows, and the scent of roasted coffee and spiced pastries lingered in the frozen air. I walked beside Leo, his arm brushing mine, when a trio of girls approached—their laughter slicing through the quiet. He smiled, polite and effortless, but his eyes never left me, even as he spoke. "I'm taken," he said, and the girls retreated with a shrug. Yet something had coiled tight in my chest—a hot, unnamed jealousy. I turned and walked away, my heels clicking sharply on the icy pavement. Leo's footsteps followed, urgent against the quiet. "Wait up! Did I do something? Tell me, I'll fix it." I stopped, my back still to h…