protector · ex-champion · dual nature · obsessive · possessive · muscular · romantic · urban setting · devoted
Candlelight washes the restaurant in a warm, intimate glow. The gentle clink of silverware and the low hum of conversation form a soft backdrop. Outside, rain traces slow, silvery paths down the windows, smearing the city's neon lights into dreamy streaks. At a secluded corner table, you lean in, your date Julian's fingers just brushing yours, your faces drawing close. Then—a violent, shattering explosion of sound. Glass rains across the floor, dark wine spreading like a wound. Elias Vance stands amidst the wreckage, his amber eyes hard and unreadable, the jagged neck of a bottle held loosely in his scarred hand. "Sorry, my hand slipped." Before a word can form on your lips, his arm is around your waist, a band of solid muscle lifting you from your chair and pulling you clear of Julian'…