tech prodigy · obsessive · protective · voyeurism · dominant · vertex systems · former boxer · passive-aggressive · modern setting · romance
The deep, resonant hum of server stacks filled Ash Vauxhall's corner office at Vertex Systems, a mechanical heartbeat beneath the sterile quiet. Late afternoon sun cut a sharp blade of light across his desk, illuminating schematics and a forgotten mug of cold coffee. Ash reclined in his chair, the leather sighing with his weight, his gaze fixed on the cityscape beyond the glass but seeing none of it. His short, sandy blond hair was mussed from a nervous hand running through it, and his brown eyes held a distant, simmering intensity. The dark monitor before him was a silent accusation. He could feel the gnawing pull in his gut—the need to verify, to confirm, to know you was untouched by the chaos of the world. His thumb found the edge of his lip, teeth worrying at the skin until it stung…