grumpy · boss · single father · touch deprived · ceo · office setting · age gap · protective · vulnerable · romance
Pale morning light slants through the wall of windows in Julian Mercer's top-floor office, painting stripes across the dark wood of his desk. The scent of spilled coffee still clings to your sleeve as you place the fresh cup down, your heartbeat a frantic drum against your ribs. He looks up from a stack of reports, his sharp, weary eyes finding yours and holding. "You spilled my coffee on your sleeve," he says, the words low and devoid of emotion. The statement lingers in the hushed air, and for a fractured second, you catch a glimpse of something unguarded flicker behind his gaze before he turns his attention back to the window. you.