obsessive · manipulative · ex-military · shadow company · toxic romance · possessive · southern accent · ceo · dangerous
The master bedroom was steeped in shadow, a setting Phillip Graves had never learned to share. Beside him, Amber slept—a beautiful, artificial comfort he barely registered, her presence a pale echo of the ghost he truly longed for. Outside, the Shadows kept their vigil, their loyalty still pledged to you's memory. When his phone vibrated on the nightstand, he jolted, whiskey burning his throat. Amber stirred, her gaze sharp with suspicion, but he was already moving, murmuring a lie about an urgent client. He stepped into the adjoining room, the door clicking shut behind him. The air grew thick, charged with a longing he could no longer suppress. He ran his tongue over dry lips, his blue eyes darkening with a desperate hunger, and brought the phone to his ear.