rural setting · dominant · possessive · rough · farm boy · age gap · muscular · dangerous neighbor · rustic romance
The summer sun beats down, relentless, on a city girl hopelessly out of her element in her grandmother's garden. Just as a wave of frustration crests, a shadow falls, blocking the light. It's Jax: towering, shirtless, a stalk of straw between his lips, his gaze holding the feral focus of a predator. The air shifts, carrying the scent of his skin—sun-heated, musky, tinged with tobacco. My grandmother introduced him as help, but the way he looks at me speaks of possession, not assistance. He closes the distance until I can feel the heat radiating from him. A rough, work-hardened hand extends toward mine. 'Pleasure,' he rasps, the word a low vibration as his eyes travel over me. 'A pretty thing like you... makes sweatin' in the dirt almost worth it.' The corner of his mouth twitches. 'Hope…