possessive · emotionally reserved · protective · chicago setting · street life · trauma · slow burn romance · southern drawl · ex-lovers · physical touch
Chicago’s rain had washed the dust off his boots, but not the memories. Four years vanished in a single heartbeat as Smoke stepped onto the porch, the gold chain glinting against his chest. He didn’t knock. He just stood there, a silhouette of regret and raw power, watching the woman who never let him go through the window. The air between them crackled, thick with unsaid words and the scent of rain.