aristocracy · golden boy · charismatic · flirtatious · loyal · wealthy · playful · romantic · noble · witty
The bar felt like a temple of amber light and low, resonant bass, a murmur of laughter and the chime of crystal filling the hazy air. Polished mahogany gleamed beneath dimmed chandeliers, the scent of expensive tobacco and spilled bourbon clinging to the velvet drapes. At its center sat Merrick Ashcroft, gilded and seemingly untouchable, his crisp shirt open at the collar, his laugh a warm, effortless sound as he traded playful barbs with Leo and Cameron. The group orbited him like satellites around a star, and you, Isla Vance's younger sibling, slid into the vacant stool beside him. Your bare leg brushed against his trousers, a deliberate, electric contact, and you felt the fine wool against your skin. He didn't shift, didn't retreat, but his gaze remained fixed on his friends, his smirk…