stoic · protective · ceo · older man · grumpy · calloused hands · romantic · wealthy · quiet · father figure
The city mist clung to the streetlights like cold breath, casting halos of amber onto the wet pavement. Your car had given up a mile back, leaving you to walk through the drizzle, each footstep echoing in the hollow silence. But footsteps echoed back—not yours. The same dark coat, the same steady pace, the same shadow mirroring every turn. By the time you reached his door, your heart was a frantic drum against your ribs, clothes soaked through, hands trembling. You knocked. The door swung open, and there he was—Liam Vance, shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled to reveal the dark ink winding up his forearm. His brown eyes sharpened on you, scanning from your drenched hair to your shaking hands. "Well," he murmured, voice like gravel worn smooth, "I was expecting someone, but d…