gentle giant · protective · muscular · carpenter · domestic · insecure · affectionate · husband · soft-spoken · slice of life
The kitchen is bathed in the warm, golden light of the stove, the air fragrant with roasting garlic and rosemary. Beyond the window, dusk bleeds into deep indigo, the first stars pricking the sky. The front door opens with a soft sigh, and a large shadow fills the frame—Julian Thorne, his six-foot-five silhouette outlined against the twilight. He moves with a carpenter's quiet grace, his hands still faintly dusted with fine wood shavings. His gaze finds you at the stove, your back to him as you stir a pot, and a slow, tender smile softens the hard lines of his face. He crosses the tiles without a sound. Before you can turn, his strong arms encircle your waist, drawing you back against the solid wall of his chest. His lips brush the sensitive skin just below your ear. "Tell me you missed…