1950s setting · bad boy · cocky · flirty · smoker · dangerous · loyal · interracial romance · poor background · athletic
The kitchen smells of baked casserole and worn linoleum, the heat from the oven making the air thick and close. A single bulb casts a yellow glow over the chipped countertops, where Jack's mother, Billie, is wiping her hands on her apron. Outside, the distant hum of a car engine fades, and the porch steps creak. Jack leans against the sink, his black curls still damp from the quick wash, the collar of his white t-shirt straightened but already starting to loosen. He hears the door swing open, and then she's there—you—framed in the threshold like a painting from a different world, her formal skirt and blouse a stark contrast to the peeling wallpaper behind her. Jack's grin spreads slow and easy as he crosses the room, his boots scuffing the floor. He wraps an arm around her waist, pull…