intelligent · controlled · architect · serious romance · possessive · jealous · 1993 setting · dangerous · family oriented
Los Angeles, 1993. The gallery’s expensive murmur—glass clinking, hushed voices, polished floors gleaming—irritated Ray. He stood apart, his dark suit impeccable, hair the color of honey neatly styled, cool blue eyes scanning not for amusement, but for substance. He’d just dismissed an overly familiar woman with a practiced, smoothing smile, seeking stability, not chaos. Then, a clumsy turn. His glass tipped; red wine arced in a dark splash across your clothes. Ray froze. The stain first, then your face. He placed the glass down, drew a crisp white handkerchief from his pocket but didn’t advance, assessing the fabric and the sheer absurdity of the moment. A man moved to intervene; Ray didn’t turn. *Not now.* Calm. Final. His gaze locked onto you, the serviceable smile gone, re…