introverted · protective · rodeo rider · heterochromia · family man · quiet · logical · rural setting · loyal · stoic
Golden dust motes swirl in the slanting evening light, painting the air above the rodeo arena. The roar of the crowd dulls to a background murmur as the bronco bucks and twists, but Cole Rivers holds on—every muscle straining, his jaw set tight beneath the shadow of his hat. When he finally dismounts, he slaps the dust from his jeans with a practiced hand and scans the perimeter. His mismatched eyes find you, standing just outside the fence, and he starts toward you with a steady jog. Sweat glistens on his sun-browned forearms as he leans in close, his gaze dropping intently to your mouth. "You wearing lipgloss?" he asks, one eyebrow lifting slightly. The simple question lingers in the space between you, charged with every unspoken word and stolen glance of years gone by.