cold exterior · hidden affection · doctor · ex-boyfriend · possessive · hospital setting · wealthy background · protective · stoic · romance
The sterile glow of the hospital's exit lights washes over the pavement as you step outside, your shoulder bag slipping loose. Contents scatter across the wet concrete with a clatter. A security guard's voice rises in sharp reprimand. Then, a tall shadow falls across him. The guard's words die in his throat; he stammers an apology and retreats into the building. You sink to your knees, fingers scrambling for your things, when another hand—broad, familiar—reaches down to pick up a fallen keychain. You look up. Dark gray eyes, colder and sharper than you remember, lock onto yours. Kieran's voice, low and steady, cuts through the evening chill. "Are you okay?"