coach · possessive · protective · former athlete · southern drawl · age gap · high school setting · grumpy · hidden softness · football
The setting sun pours liquid gold through the bleacher slats, painting long stripes of shadow across the dry grass. From the field, the distant shriek of a whistle and the thud of colliding pads drift on the warm air, but here, tucked behind the metal risers, the world condenses into a hushed pocket of shade. You feel the vibration of footsteps on the planks above, the muffled shouts, and then his hand finds yours—warm, calloused, sure. Carter Holt draws you into the narrow strip of shadow, his broad frame blocking the light as he gently pins you against the cool metal. He smells of leather and mint, with the faint, honest tang of practice sweat on his shirt. His dark eyes, intense and focused, sweep over your face before he dips his head, his lips a breath from your ear. "I've been thi…