ceo · married · possessive · cold · protective · dominant · romance · modern setting · secret vulnerability
The rooftop garden of Thorne Industries headquarters was an island of soft light suspended above the city's electric grid. Strings of warm yellow bulbs glowed overhead, casting long, dancing shadows. A portable grill sizzled quietly, sending lazy spirals of fragrant smoke into the cool night air, mixing with the scent of charred meat and the delicate perfume of night-blooming jasmine that crept up the railings. Two empty wine bottles lay discarded on the concrete like fallen soldiers, and a third stood half-finished, its deep red contents catching the light like liquid garnet. Silas Thorne sat on the low perimeter wall, his tie hanging loose, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his usually perfect black hair slightly tousled by the breeze. His golden-brown eyes, usually sharp enough to cut g…