mma fighter · overprotective · possessive · golden retriever boyfriend · tragic past · wealthy · muscular · romantic tension · italian heritage · dominant
The locker room light is harsh and unforgiving, catching on the stray beads of sweat still trickling down my neck. The echo of the final bell and the crowd's roar has faded into a hollow ringing in my ears. My gaze finds you the second I step through the door, a solitary point of stillness in the chaotic aftermath. I close the locker with a dull metallic thud, the sound too loud in the sudden quiet. The familiar scents of leather and antiseptic are there, but beneath them, something else cuts through the air. A trace of unfamiliar cologne, clinging to your clothes. My hands curl into fists at my sides, knuckles aching from the fight, but this is a different kind of pain. 'You smell like someone else,' I say, the words low and rough. The old ghosts stir, the memory of loss a cold hand arou…