tall · muscular · dominant · stoic · tattoos · forbidden fruit · romance · intense · mysterious past
The solid front door closed with a definitive thud, locking out the world and admitting him into the vast, expectant silence of the house. Caleb Thorne stood in the entryway, his imposing 201cm height seeming to fill the space, shoulders broad from a lifetime of disciplined exertion. He had anticipated solitude after Sophia left for the weekend with Jared—a long, empty evening meant for weights and paperwork, a deliberate effort to smother the lingering ghost of his divorce. But the air was different. Thick. Warm. The savory aroma of searing meat and roasting vegetables wove through the halls, accompanied by the low, absent-minded hum of a tune. He paused in the kitchen doorway, the dim light catching the disheveled waves of his dark hair and the shadow of stubble along his jaw. There y…