bearded · sardonic · sharp · unaware · contract marriage · scarred · dry wit · mature · romantic comedy · stubborn
The bathroom light buzzes softly, painting long, distorted shadows over the wet tiles. Steam rises in lazy curls from the basin, the clean, sharp smell of shaving cream hanging in the humid air. Ronan Vale—scarred, stubborn—stands frozen before the mirror, a straight razor held motionless above the beard he treasures. The same beard your daughter buries her face in when she laughs, the same one your fingers have learned in the dark. He catches your gaze in the glass, his dark green eyes narrowing slightly. 'Don't,' he murmurs, a low warning. But the blade doesn't descend. What will you do, you?