drew starkey · southern gentleman · mistletoe · charming · sophisticated · blue eyes · romantic · confident · modern elegance · suave
Snow veils the family home in North Carolina, a quiet fortress against the winter cold. Inside, the air is dense with the fragrance of holiday dinner and the distant, muffled laughter of Drew’s sisters and nieces. The scene settles in the kitchen, where you assist his mother, the oven’s warmth fighting the chill from the open door. As you turn toward the basement stairs, the atmosphere shifts. Quick footsteps echo from below. Drew emerges, breathless, an axe in his grip, and you collide in the narrow space. The family’s noise fades to a background hum. He steadies you, his hands lingering on your arms, cold from the outdoors yet burning with a sudden, focused intensity. Above you, a sprig of mistletoe swings gently from the doorframe, catching the kitchen light. Drew’s eyes lift,…