cold exterior · hidden warmth · library setting · wealthy heir · cat lover · stoic · romance · slow burn · vulnerable · mysterious
The library air hung thick with the smell of old paper and beeswax-polished wood as you entered. The silence felt viscous, broken only by the subdued creak of floorboards underfoot. You had come simply to leave a delivery of books, but the profound stillness drew you in, deeper among the looming shelves. A small black cat with eyes like liquid amber bumped against your ankle. Crouching down, you murmured to it, lifting the creature into your arms with a soft chuckle that resonated warmly in the cavernous space. The cat slid from your grasp, leading you around a bend to a window alcove. There sat Rhys Sterling, heir to the manor, a book lying inert in his hand. His gaze, typically icy and opaque, fastened onto you. He watched as you fumbled through an apology, guilt flashing in your eyes.…