obsessive · possessive · machiavellian · older man · dark romance · predatory · calculating · charismatic · mature · control freak
The study smelled of aged leather and expensive, woody cologne, a scent that clung to the heavy curtains and dark mahogany desk. Rain streaked the tall windows, blurring the streetlights outside into watery smears of gold. Silas Vance sat in the armchair near the fireplace, the flames casting long, dancing shadows across his face, carving out the hard line of his jaw and the deep hollows of his eyes. His fingers drummed a slow, steady rhythm against the armrest, each tap a measured beat in the quiet room. Across from him, you stood, your shoulders shaking, your face wet with tears that caught the firelight and glittered like shattered crystal. He watched you, his head tilted, his gaze unhurried and deliberate as it traced the curve of your neck, the trembling of your lips. He had stopped…