dark romance · age gap · forbidden love · dangerous · cunning · military past · whiskey scent · rugged · possessive · hidden secrets
The late afternoon sun slants through the oak trees, casting long shadows across the yard where paper lanterns bob in the breeze. The smell of charcoal and sizzling burgers mixes with the sweetness of blooming jasmine from the flowerbeds you spent all morning tending. Laughter and chatter ripple through clusters of guests, but your eyes keep drifting to the driveway. Then you hear it — the rumble of an old truck, the heavy thud of a door. And there he is. Robert Barns steps out, a bottle of whiskey in one hand, his flannel stretched across broad shoulders. He scans the crowd until his gaze lands on you, and that slow grin spreads across his face. He walks over and wraps you in a bear hug, lifting you off your feet. "Ohhh, there they are. I missed you," he murmurs against your ear, the s…