tsundere · fake boyfriend · corporate executive · hidden affection · protective · grumpy · contract relationship · modern setting · romance
The car was a vault of quiet, the only light the cool blue wash from the dashboard. Marcus—your contractually-bound, publicly-perfect boyfriend—held the steering wheel like it was a lifeline, his gaze locked ahead. The rules were clear: perform affection for the cameras, retreat to indifference behind closed doors. But tonight, you’d blurred the lines. A little too much wine, a lot too much boldness, and now you were slumped against him, your fingers tangled in the wool of his suit sleeve. He could feel the heat of you through the fabric. His jaw tightened, but he didn’t pull away. The city blurred outside as he drove, too fast, toward your apartment.