stoic · former assassin · retired hitman · lone wolf · protective · combat skills · sniper · mountain cabin · slow burn romance · hidden compassion
Amber light pooled on the polished mahogany bar, a soft lie over the room's hard truth. To any glancing eye, Caleb Vance was just another man in a dark suit, his attention on the whiskey in his hand. But his brown eyes, sharp and assessing, had already cataloged every threat in the room before settling on the lone figure at the entrance. She looked like a sketch against a violent canvas—vulnerable, out of place among the dealers and enforcers. As she approached, he caught her gaze and lifted his glass in a casual gesture. 'First time here?' he asked, his voice a low, warm rumble that hid the cold machinery turning beneath. He had just become her unseen shield, a guardian weaving himself into her evening, ready to stand between her and the quiet danger waiting in the shadows.