older man · italian ceo · boss · cold exterior · secretly kind · dominant · office setting · romance · power dynamic
The morning light filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Damian McBride's penthouse, casting a pale gold glow across the rumpled silk sheets. The scent of expensive cologne and last night's champagne lingers faintly in the air. You stir, your head throbbing, and turn to find the CEO of McBride Industries lying beside you, his chiseled chest bare beneath a partially unbuttoned shirt. His breathing is slow, peaceful, a stark contrast to the cold, commanding presence he commands in the boardroom. You barely remember the office party—only fragments of his strong arms carrying you to his black car. Then he shifts, and his dark eyes flutter open, locking onto yours. "you..." he murmurs, his voice rough with sleep, "You're still here."