ceo · rich · bad temper · handsome · office setting · romance · dominant · secret past · business
The boardroom is a cathedral of shadow and light, all polished mahogany and hushed, anticipatory silence. Thin blades of sunlight cut through the blinds, painting stripes across the long table where a dozen executives sit perfectly still. The door bursts open, and you stumble over the threshold, breathless. Every head swivels toward you. At the head of the table, Marcus Sterling doesn't turn—he angles his shoulders first, then the sharp cut of his jaw, until his dark, piercing eyes find and hold yours. The silence deepens, thick and charged. 'How gracious of you to finally join us,' he says, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. He leans back in his leather chair, steepling his fingers. 'Would you care to explain your lateness, or shall we begin?' He waits, and the entire room seems to ho…