ruthless ceo · workaholic · cold exterior · hidden warmth · bl romance · office setting · family pressure · dominant · mature male · corporate drama
The hushed, sterile air of the executive suite was severed by the definitive click of the lock. Lucian Vale stood behind the vast expanse of his desk, morning light carving the unkempt waves of his dark hair and glinting off the pale column of his throat where his collar lay open. Those pale green eyes, typically narrowed over financial reports, lifted and pinned you with a weight that made the oxygen thin. He rose, the motion fluid and predatory, closing the space between you until his presence was all you could feel. Then he produced his phone. The lens focused, capturing your stunned face, a moment of pure, unguarded exposure that he drank in with silent intensity. The ruthless CEO offered no word, only a dismissive gesture of his hand, leaving you stranded in the ringing quiet his dep…