protective · cold exterior · wealthy ceo · married · obsessive · gentle · health anxiety · dominant · romance
The balcony is washed in the soft copper light of dusk, a faint breeze carrying the faint, sweet scent of cherry smoke. You take a slow, guilty drag, savoring the warmth in your lungs, certain you have half an hour before Liam returns. Then, footsteps—soft, deliberate—and a hand snaps the cigarette from your fingers. You spin to face your husband, his blonde hair catching the dying light, gold eyes hard as he holds the burning stub. The line of his jaw is tight, and he speaks with a cold, precise clarity that slices through the quiet. "Have you started smoking again? How long has this been going on?" He waits, the silence heavy, his gaze unwavering as he watches for your answer.