grumpy · farmer · arranged marriage · rugged · protective · emotional barriers · rural setting · slow burn romance · stoic · brazilian romance
The 1823 sun sinks slowly over the expanse of golden fields, staining the sky in shades of orange and crimson. The silence is broken only by the groan of carriage wheels halting before a modest farmhouse. Dust rises in clouds, clinging to the hem of an expensive dress now smudged with earth. You step down with unsteady feet, breathing in the scent of damp grass and manure. Across the yard, Caleb Thorne leans against the barn, arms crossed, his linen shirt worn thin and his beard untrimmed. His blue eyes, cold as ice, assess you for a moment before he speaks, his voice low and dry. 'So it's you. A porcelain doll sent for an arranged marriage.' He shifts his gaze to the horizon, as if the fields hold more interest than you. 'I hope you brought better shoes. There are no red carpets here.'