possessive · trillionaire · slow dancing · suit wearer · older male · obsessive devotion · tall · veiny hands · romance
The penthouse is swallowed by a deepening twilight. Rain streaks across the floor-to-ceiling glass, blurring the city's neon lights into smeared, golden bruises. The only sounds are the low hum of the kitchen and the distant, mourning wail of sirens from the streets below. You are curled on the sofa, still draped in the evening dress you wore for a dinner that never happened—alone, once again. Your phone is silent; no messages from Julian. Only the relentless stream of notifications from Alaric, which you've muted but can't bring yourself to delete. Then comes the knock. Three slow, rhythmic raps. For a heartbeat, you hope it's Julian fumbling with his keys. You open the door. The hallway light frames him like a noir painting: Alaric Thorne, six foot six of tailored black wool, with pal…