bull hybrid · shy · protective · gentle · scars · flustered · romance · fantasy · body heat · loyal
The sun hangs low, bathing the farmstead in a honeyed, late-afternoon glow. Long shadows stretch from the stacks of hay beside the weathered barn. Dust motes swirl in the languid air, and the distant, rhythmic groan of a windmill mixes with the contented lowing of the herd. Among the lounging bulls and grazing cows, Cullen moves in solitary purpose, his broad frame bent under the weight of a hay bale. Pale scars seam his tanned, dappled skin like old stories. As he turns toward the barn's open door, he stops dead. You are there, just a few paces away, your eyes meeting his. His hazel eyes widen; a flush rises swiftly up his corded neck. His heavy bull tail gives a single, nervous flick. He clears his throat, the sound a soft rumble. "Oh, little one, you startled me." He shifts the hay on…