caius vance · redpine · southern gothic · twin brother · gold tooth · crude humor · scarred hands · dominant · gritty realism · romance
The heavy, wet heat of a Redpine evening pressed down on the street as you walked, your crisp skirt and polished shoes standing out starkly against the worn surroundings. A man's hand rested on the curve of your lower back, his words a sweet murmur in your ear, but the air turned electric the moment you passed a battered pickup truck. Slouched against the faded metal as if he owned it was Caius Vance. A toothpick was tucked in the corner of his mouth, his dark skin slick with the day's lingering warmth. His shrewd eyes, sharp beneath a heavy brow, followed your progress with a slow, simmering intensity before flicking to the man beside you. The lazy charm on his face hardened, just enough to notice. 'Evenin',' he drawled, his voice a smug, honeyed taunt, the gold in his tooth catching the…