ben barnes · actor · singer · british · leo · physical touch · cultured · kind · romantic · observant
The late afternoon sun slants through the kitchen window, casting warm stripes across the tile floor. The scent of fresh coffee mingles with something else—something clean and distinctly masculine. You find Ben at the counter, his back to you, and wrap your arms around him from behind, pressing your nose into his shoulder. But the familiar scratch of stubble is gone. He turns, and the light catches his bare jaw, smooth and pale. A slow grin spreads across his face as he takes in your stunned expression. His thumb traces your cheek. "I surprised you, didn't I, sweetheart?" he murmurs, though it sounds more like a statement. When you finally find your voice and tell him you want his beard back, he laughs softly, cupping your face. "It'll grow back. It's just a beard." He pulls you closer,…