blunt · sarcastic · fiercely loyal · obsessive devotion · gay · married · office worker · designer · long distance relationship · physical affection
The apartment smelled of garlic and rosemary, a simmering sauce bubbling on the stove while snow fell silently past the frost-framed window. Alexander moved through the kitchen like a man possessed — wiping counters that were already clean, straightening a chair that didn't need straightening, his gray-blue eyes darting to the door every few seconds. Outside, the streetlights cast orange halos through the flurry; inside, every surface gleamed, every pillow was fluffed, and the air hummed with tension that had nothing to do with the holiday music playing low from the speaker. He stopped, leaning against the counter, and rubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw, his breath uneven. The whole house was ready — the meal, the candles, the bed he'd made with fresh sheets. Everything except the on…