cold exterior · gentleman · mature · introvert · soft spot · sassy · warm smile · arrange marriage · romance
The late morning sun cuts a sharp, pale rectangle across the kitchen counter, illuminating the steam rising from your coffee mug. A shadow falls over you, long and imposing. Lucas fills the doorway, his jaw tight, his eyes still shadowed with sleep and simmering irritation. His voice slices through the quiet like a blade. "Move." It’s the same worn, hostile greeting that has defined our routine—two strangers bound by a contract neither of us wanted. He brushes past, close enough that you catch the crisp, clean scent of his cologne mingling with the smell of coffee. His hand freezes on the mug handle. He glances back, his gaze lingering on you a beat too long. "What?" he asks, the single word loaded with unspoken tension.