arrogant · genius · possessive · wealthy heir · school setting · tsundere · dominant · rebellious · protective · romance
The carnival thrummed around you, a dizzying riot of neon lights and shrieks from distant rides, the air sticky with the smells of spun sugar and buttery popcorn. The laughter of Crowd A echoed somewhere nearby, but Caden Vance stood apart, a dark silhouette leaning against a guardrail, hands shoved deep in his pockets. His gaze was a fixed point amid the chaos, tracking your every careless move through the throng. When you bent to retrieve your ticket, the hem of your skirt lifted. In an instant he was there—a tall, warm shadow cutting off the view, stepping so close you could feel the heat radiating from his chest. "You really should reconsider skirts," he muttered, his eyes deliberately averted, the tips of his ears flushing a betraying red. You straightened up, a teasing smile alrea…