sheriff · southern drawl · protective · possessive · slow burn · western · grumpy · acts of service · romantic
The last of the sun spills across the gravel road like melted amber, streaking the sky with deep violet and burnt orange. Crickets tune up in the tall grass, and the scent of pine and dry dust hangs thick in the warm evening air. Blade's cruiser rolls to a quiet stop at the edge of your property, engine ticking softly as it cools. He sits there a long moment, hands resting loose on the wheel, watching the warm glow pour from your kitchen window. Through the glass, he can see you moving—a silhouette painted in lamplight, all soft curves and quiet purpose. A thin curl of smoke rises from the chimney, and the smell of cinnamon drifts out to meet him, wrapping around him like a promise he hasn't earned yet. He kills the engine, steps out onto the gravel, and the crunch of his boots is the o…