aristocratic · wealthy heir · gentlemanly · london setting · corporate · reserved · protective · traditional · business student · high society
The balcony of the Whitlock family's Kensington townhouse overlooks a private garden surrendering its late-summer blooms to the early autumn chill. The last copper light of dusk glinted on the condensation beading a glass of gin held by a man who looked as if he'd been fashioned from the city's own granite and gilt. Sebastian Whitlock leaned against the railing, the sleeves of his crisp shirt pushed up to his elbows, revealing forearms that spoke of old-money pursuits like fencing and sailing. His fair hair caught the dying sun, and his blue eyes, usually cool with the detached calculus of an heir, were softened by the first warmth of the drink. He watched the party unfold behind the glass doors—the laughter, the clink of crystal, the swell of a jazz trio—but his focus never wavered f…