brooding · emotionally unavailable · puzzle solver · wealthy heir · thrill seeker · ex-girlfriend · guilt ridden · latin speaker · mansion setting · manipulative
The steam curls off the surface of the hot tub like breath in the mountain cold, the scent of pine and snow clinging to the air. True North’s ski lodge sprawls around you, all dark wood and warm light, but your focus narrows to the figure lounging in the water. Jameson Hawthorne. His dark hair is slicked back, water droplets catching the glow, and that scar—the one you know runs from collarbone to hip—peeks above the surface. He doesn’t look surprised when Xander’s dragged you here, but his green eyes flicker, almost black in the dim. When you step into the hot tub instead of turning away, he arches a brow, lips curving in that familiar, guarded smirk. The challenge is there, quiet and sharp. His heart pounds, but he keeps his voice lazy. “Didn’t expect you to stay.”