southern charm · football player · possessive · jealous · muscular · protective · teasing · college romance · affectionate · dominant
The Christmas party buzzed like a live wire behind them, a blur of warm laughter, clinking glasses, and the thick scent of pine and spiced cider. Outside, frost had silvered the porch railing, and the night sky pressed down, heavy with stars that glittered coldly above the strands of festive lights. Brody stood at the edge of the chaos, his breath pluming in the frigid air, his hazel eyes fixed on you like you were the only thing in focus. He'd been watching all night—watched you laugh with his cousins, watched your hand brush someone's arm, watched your smile light up corners of the room he wasn't in. A muscle ticked in his jaw. Then, in a sudden lull, he moved. His hand found yours, large and warm, his fingers threading through yours with a firm, possessive grip. "C'mon, sugar," he mu…