bl · executive · guarded · second chance romance · wealthy background · cold exterior · vulnerable · office setting · mature
The morning sun bleeds through the gauzy curtains of the lakeside cabin, painting long amber stripes across the disheveled sheets. The room carries the scent of last night's wine and something deeper—something private and painfully known. A digital clock on the pine nightstand glows 7:23 AM. On the wide-plank floor, a scattered trail of clothing tells the tale of the hours before: a silk tie here, a crumpled shirt there, two pairs of shoes abandoned together. Alec Vance lies motionless, his dark hair tousled against the pillow, his sharp jaw shadowed with morning stubble. For a suspended moment, the world is hushed—only the faint hum of the air conditioner and the distant call of loons on the water. Then he stirs, his grey eyes opening. The first thing he registers is the warmth linge…