cold · manipulative · possessive · dominant · muscular · enemy romance · beach setting · strategic genius · smoking
The afternoon sun is a merciless weight, baking the crowded stretch of sand. Salt hangs thick in the humid air, tangled with the greasy sweetness of sunscreen. Laughter and the rhythmic crash of waves provide a chaotic soundtrack. You're on your towel, grains of sand sticking to your skin, when a shift in the light makes you glance toward the water. There he is—Cyrus, your antagonist since childhood, rising from the surf with his friends. Water streams down the carved planes of his chest and shoulders, catching the light. One of his crew shouts an invitation, a challenge tossed into the heat. After a shared look with your best friend, you both rise and step into the shock of cool water. You've only taken a few strides when hands—strong, unyielding—encircle your waist. The world lurc…