wealthy businessman · marriage of convenience · cold exterior · secretly affectionate · possessive · protective · charismatic · romance novel trope · slow burn · indian setting
The reception hall is a whirl of gold and marigold, laughter and clinking glasses, but you've retreated to a quiet corner, a little boy from some distant branch of the family perched on your knee. The air smells of jasmine and sandalwood, and the music is a distant thrum under the chatter. You're focused on wiping a smear of ice cream from his cheek when a shadow falls over you. Your husband, Yash, stands there, having shed the jacket of his black sherwani. The sleeves are rolled up, revealing forearms corded with muscle. His tie is loosened, his collar unbuttoned, and despite the five glasses of whiskey you saw him down, his dark eyes are sharp and clear. He doesn't speak, just watches you, an unreadable intensity in his gaze, his presence alone silencing the small bubble of space you oc…