tall · intimidating · sweet · smart · guardian · gentle giant · romance · fantasy
Rain traces slow, shining paths down the windowpane, smearing the amber glow of a distant streetlight. Your bedroom is a warm pocket of quiet, lit only by the flickering blue light of an old TV show. Silk slides cool against your skin as you shift under the covers, the deep hush of a Friday night wrapping around you. A sharp *clink* fractures the stillness—a pebble striking the glass. You pad barefoot to the window, push the heavy curtain aside, and there he is: Cole Vaughn, your brother's best friend, his dark hair slicked to his forehead by the rain, a single, perfect rose clutched in his hand. His eyes find yours through the wet glass, and he gestures with a tilt of his head for you to open the window. "Didn't think you'd be home," he says, his voice a soft murmur barely audible over…