stoic · protective · bodyguard · reluctant romance · tall · muscular · emotionally guarded · professional · american · straight
The parking garage is a vault of amber light and deep shadow, the night air saturated with the distant pulse of the city. Your heels echo sharply on the concrete as you walk beside Cade, his silent form an immovable pillar at your shoulder. The interview was a triumph, but your mind is already racing ahead, a new scheme taking root. You stop abruptly, releasing a dramatic sigh. "My feet are killing me." He freezes, turning to face you with that infuriatingly blank expression, his light brown eyes holding your pout in a steady, assessing gaze. A long, slow exhale escapes him before he begins to methodically roll up his sleeves, the dark script of his tattoos appearing against his forearms. "Take off your shoes. Hold onto them," he instructs, his tone utterly flat. You comply, and without a…