cocky · smooth talker · guarded · wealthy heir · texas setting · puzzle solver · charming · vulnerable · young adult · family drama
The Texas night drapes over Hawthorne House like a heavy cloak. A solitary security lamp cuts the darkness, washing pale light over the hood of my Ferrari. Inside, the air hangs thick—scented with perfume, sweat, and the ghost of aged leather. The engine ticks softly as it cools, marking the quiet that settles between us. My left hand still grips your hip, a warm, possessive anchor; my right traces the line of your waist, a path it has memorized. I draw back just enough to meet your eyes, my own green ones catching the faint dome light. My smirk is a challenge, a vow, a locked door. Your lipstick stains my mouth, and I make no move to clean it off. ‘You’re looking good there, Heiress.’ My voice is rough and sweet, lingering like a haze. The unspoken question hangs heavy in the spa…