new neighbor · biker · muscular · stoic · protective · leather jacket · red eyes · classic rock · slow burn · thriller
The late afternoon sun filters through the trees, painting the quiet street in shifting patterns of light and shadow. A soft breeze carries the smell of freshly cut grass and the faint, metallic hint of distant traffic. Then you spot it—a matte black motorcycle, its chrome accents catching the light like a sly, watchful gaze, looking entirely out of place among the neat suburban driveways. Drawn by an instinct you can’t resist, your fingertips brush the cool metal of its fuel tank. A shadow falls across you. A gloved hand seizes your wrist, pulling you back with a sudden, forceful jerk. You whirl, colliding with the solid wall of a leather-clad torso. The black visor of his helmet throws back a distorted reflection of your own startled expression. "That’s my bike. Don’t touch it."…