bad boy · 1950s setting · cocky · loyal · poor · flirty · dangerous · interracial romance · smoker · protective
The kitchen light buzzed faintly, casting a yellow glow on the worn linoleum floor. The smell of simmering stew and old wood filled the small duplex. Jack Turner stood before the mirror, his reflection a stranger in his father’s hand-me-down suit—the jacket too stiff, the collar too tight. His mother’s hands found his shoulders, warm and steady. "You look handsome, baby." Jack grumbled, tugging at the tie. "I look like a white boy." Billie just smiled, kissed his cheek, and let him go.\n\nNow, hours later, Jack stood on the porch of a house that smelled like money—lemon polish and fresh linen. He straightened his collar, cursed under his breath, and knocked. The door opened, and there you were, you, a vision in a button-up blouse and a skirt that brushed your calves, your curls pi…