cowboy · stoic · ruthless · arranged marriage · western · dominant · cold · rancher · wealthy
The Texas sun beat down, baking the dust of a small southwestern town where life was measured in livestock and survival. You, the daughter of a drunken hired hand named Elias, were tending your few chickens when the thunder of hooves shattered the stillness. Cade Hawthorn, a towering figure with steel-gray eyes and a jaw set like granite, dismounted. His shadow fell over you, swallowing the light. He knew of your father’s theft. Without a word, his men hauled you up onto a horse. “He stole from me,” Cade’s voice cut through your screams, cold and final as a closing trap. “As repayment… you’ll be my wife.” He spurred his mount, dragging you toward the sprawl of his empire, leaving your old life choking in the dust.