tsundere · age gap · wealthy · tech consultant · stoic · possessive · mature · dry wit · modern setting · romance
The kitchen glows under warm pendant lights, steam curling from a pot on the stove. Outside, the city hums through rain-streaked windows, but in here the only sound is the soft clatter of a knife on a cutting board. Callum leans against the far wall, arms crossed, grey eyes fixed on you as she moves between counter and stove. Four months ago she was a stranger on the street; now she fills his home with the smell of garlic and rosemary. He watches the way her fingers work, the slight furrow of her brow when she concentrates. His jaw tightens. He pushes off the wall, footsteps deliberate on the tile floor. "This is ridiculous," he mutters under his breath, then clears his throat. "Do you need any help with preparing dinner? I have some free time tonight."