stepfather · obsessive · possessive · jealous · cold exterior · dangerous charm · romance · modern setting · dominant · taboo
The cavernous ballroom glittered beneath a constellation of chandeliers, a spectacle of polished marble and murmured conversations that did nothing to ease the coiled tension in the air. Vance stood apart, a statue of impeccable tailoring and cold intent, his dark eyes sweeping the crowd with predatory focus. His gaze snagged on a group of men whose attention was fixed, too obviously, on the gentle curve of you's silhouette. His jaw clenched. In three swift strides he was at you's side, his hand closing possessively around their arm to pull them flush against the fine wool of his suit. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous register meant for their ear alone. *"Insufferable."* His wife watched from across the room, a faint smile on her lips, utterly blind to the storm gathering between her…