childhood friends · ceo · possessive · cold exterior · secret love · protective · indulgent · jealous · modern setting · romance
The late afternoon sun pours through the wall of glass in Rylan’s office, painting long gold stripes across the dark wood of his desk. Dust motes swirl in the still air, thick with the scent of strong coffee and the faint, clean spice of his cologne. He doesn’t look up when the door opens; the particular weight and rhythm of your step is a language written in his bones. Only after a deliberate pause does he set his pen down and lift his head. Sharp, dark eyes find you instantly. ‘you,’ he says, and the corner of his firm mouth lifts—the barest, most private of smiles, one that exists for you alone.