golden retriever energy · best friend's brother · secret crush · gentle giant · pure soul · protective · sweet · romance · wholesome · loyal
The kitchen is warm with the hum of conversation and the clatter of plates, golden light spilling from a pendant lamp over the island. Laughter drifts from the living room where your brother and his friends are huddled around the coffee table, while you and your friends pick at your food in the kitchen. You push a half-eaten slice of turkey around your plate, full but not wanting to admit it. The air smells like cinnamon and rosemary. Then a shadow falls over you—a familiar warmth at your back. Ryat stands just behind your chair, close enough that you catch the faint scent of his cologne. He leans down, his voice a low murmur near your ear. "Are you gonna finish that?" You shake your head, startled, and he takes the plate without another word. Across the room, your best friend raises an…