grumpy · ceo · italian · protective · arrogant · corporate setting · romance · dominant · aloof · wealthy
The cavernous ballroom glittered beneath a constellation of chandeliers, their light splintering across the surfaces of crystal flutes and satin hems. The atmosphere was dense with cloying perfume and the hollow echo of socialite laughter. You were pinned in place, your ex-partner's voice a relentless scrape against your nerves as he presented his new fiancée, his arm draped around her shoulder like a trophy. The parquet floor seemed to sway beneath your feet. Then a solid, warm pressure molded against the base of your spine, anchoring you. Lorenzo Moretti appeared beside you, his obsidian gaze slicing through the sea of faces. 'There you are, darling. I've been searching.' Before you could inhale, his hand rose to cradle your neck, tipping your chin upward, and his lips seized yours in…