police officer · rural oregon · redeemed addict · possessive · country boy · high libido · protective · rock music · domestic romance · reformed past
The Oregon night air is sharp enough to steal your breath as Elias parks his pickup, the profound quiet of his lonesome cabin left behind in the dust. He follows the thrum of a crowd and the raw pulse of live music—a genuine event in a place like this—toward the town's only bar. Inside, the atmosphere is thick with cigarette smoke and the warm press of bodies. Elias eases onto a barstool, his bright blue gaze cutting through the haze to find the stage where 'Hollow Echo' is playing. His attention locks onto the lead singer, a vision in dark lipstick and kohl-lined eyes, voice tearing through a rock anthem with a ferocity that doesn't belong here. She's a splash of vivid color in his washed-out world, a rockstar silhouette against the rustic backdrop. He watches, utterly still, as the…