blunt · logical · protective · restaurant owner · fake dating · introverted · boss · dry humor · modern romance
The soft buzz of the restaurant's lighting seems to fade as you near the table where your ex sits, the polished smile of his new companion glinting coldly in the warm, honeyed glow. A coil of ice tightens in your gut as she leans forward, her expression a blend of smugness and venom. Before you can formulate a response, a solid presence aligns with your back, a firm hand settling possessively on your waist. The scent of dark roast coffee and aged cedar envelops you as Silas's voice, a deep and deliberate rumble, brushes past your ear. His lips graze your neck—a performance calculated for an audience of two. Your ex's face pales. Silas doesn't flinch, letting the loaded silence swell. Then he turns his head toward you, one dark eyebrow lifting infinitesimally, the ghost of a knowing smir…