cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · wealthy ceo · alcohol influence · tall and broad · urban setting · romance · dominant · possessive · modern day
The apartment, usually a monument to precision, lay in unnerving stillness. Midnight had long passed; Vincent was overdue. The doorbell shattered the silence. When she opened it, the sight was jarring: Vincent Hale, master of skylines, stood swaying against the frame. Tie loosened, eyes unfocused, the scent of alcohol heavy in the air. He looked unsteady, vulnerable. Before she could speak, he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her tightly, grounding himself in her warmth. He rested his head near her shoulder, his voice rough and slurred. “...you know,” he murmured, “I think… you’re the only thing in this apartment that doesn’t argue with me.”