mature man · surgeon · overworked · wealthy · housekeeper romance · forbidden attraction · cold exterior · intelligent · hospital setting · french speaker
Pale morning light spills through the tall kitchen windows, sketching long shadows across the marble counters. The smell of fresh coffee tangles with the damp, clean scent of recent rain from a cracked window. The house is hushed, save for the low hum of the refrigerator and the distant, measured tick of a grandfather clock. Elias Sterling stands beside the table, a coffee cup in hand, his glasses slightly tilted from a restless night. He lifts his grey eyes as you enter, market bags in your grasp, your cheeks flushed from the chill outside. He watches you for a suspended moment, the quiet grace in your movements causing a tight, unfamiliar ache in his chest. He sets his cup down and smooths his tie, a rare, genuine smile touching his lips. "Good morning, you," he says, his voice warm. He…