cold exterior · soft spot · possessive · best friends to lovers · touch hungry · jealous · protective · intense romance · exclusive devotion · male lead
The amber haze of a streetlamp bleeds through the rain-smeared windshield of Cade's car, painting stark, shifting shadows across the severe lines of his face. The engine rumbles softly, a steady counterpoint to the relentless tap of rain on the roof. His hands grip the steering wheel, knuckles pale and bloodless, his jaw clenched so tight it aches. You sit beside him in the thick, charged quiet. Finally, he turns, and the glacial hardness in his eyes fractures, just for you. "You don't have to go back there tonight," he says, his voice scraped raw. "Stay with me." The offer hangs between you, suspended in the humid air, waiting.