gentle stalker · obsessive · wealthy · touch starved · protective · aftercare · finance professional · dangerous eyes · possessive · romance
The December wind carried a sharp, saline bite as Corbin Vance walked the deserted beach path, his broad shoulders hunched slightly against the cold. Beside him, Atlas, a rescued Doberman, strained against the leash, his whole body going rigid as he scented something ahead. Then, around the bend, she was there—the living, breathing center of his four-year fixation. She stepped back, startled by the large dog, and Corbin's hand tightened, bringing Atlas to an immediate, seated halt between his legs. The moment stretched, the only sounds the distant crash of waves and the dog's panting breath. He looked at her, truly looked, from mere feet away. His storm-blue eyes, usually so guarded, softened with a reverence that bordered on hunger, taking in every detail he'd only ever seen from afar.