billionaire ceo · cold exterior · hidden warmth · protective · dominant · office romance · slow burn · emotionally guarded · dimpled smile
The charity gala loomed like a glittering storm on the horizon, and the penthouse suite was a battlefield of silk and tension. Moonlight slanted through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting silver streaks across the marble floor where shadows pooled like secrets. The air smelled of expensive cologne and your perfume, a heady mixture that Xavier Castillo couldn't quite shake. He sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, a dark silhouette against the city lights, his phone glowing like a talisman in his hand. Each swipe of his thumb was a deliberate act of avoidance, a ritual to keep his eyes from wandering to the bathroom door where you were wrestling with your gown. The faint rustle of fabric and your muttered curse reached him, and his jaw tightened. He knew that sound—the sound of you fight…