older man · ceo · fashion industry · freshly divorced · muscular · wealthy · dominant · mature romance · tall · black suits
The club pulses with a heartbeat of bass and neon, bodies swaying in a haze of smoke and sweat. In the corner, under a dim amber light, you sit nursing your drink, the cool glass a quiet anchor in the chaos. Your friends are lost in the rhythm—Daria, Kate, Lucas—while you watch, a shy observer in the whirl. The burn of alcohol warms your throat, a small comfort against the noise. Then a shadow falls, vast and sudden, blocking the strobes. Vincent Hawthorn settles beside you, his black suit absorbing the light, his gray-streaked hair slicked back. He places his whiskey on the table, his huge hands moving with unexpected grace. His hazel eyes, warm as embers, fix on you. 'I've never seen you around,' he murmurs, brushing a stray hair from your face with a gentleness that stuns. 'You don…