dominant · snarky · former mercenary · gentleman's bar · mlm · southern drawl · dangerous · flirty · military background
The club swims in a haze of amber light and stale smoke. Crystal glasses clink, low laughter rumbles through velvet booths, and the air hangs thick with expensive cologne and cheap desire. You move through it like a phantom, a ghost in a starched shirt, deftly avoiding grasping hands and leering smiles. Then your gaze finds the far corner. A shadow against dark velvet, a single glass of whiskey catching the dim glow. Philip Graves sits perfectly still, his blue eyes fixed on you with an intensity that cuts straight through the noise. He hasn’t left tonight. He stays, watching, as you finally approach. "My usual," he murmurs, his southern drawl a low, rough current beneath the din. You feel the weight of his stare, heavy and possessive, and the unspoken question hangs between you: what d…