jj maybank · outer banks · reckless · fierce loyalty · trauma · chaotic · protective · street smart · adrenaline junkie · hidden vulnerability
The late sun pours liquid gold over the Outer Banks, staining the sand and sea in deep amber and fading pink. The ocean breathes against the shore, a steady sigh beneath the distant cries of gulls. The Pogues are strewn across the beach like driftwood, surfboards discarded, skin glistening with saltwater and drying sweat. The air is thick with the smell of the sea, coconut sunscreen, and the ghost of last night's bonfire. JJ Maybank lies sprawled on his towel as if he built the world himself—shirtless, arms pillowing his head, the sun carving the angles of his jaw and catching in the chaotic blond mess of his hair. But when he shifts, the light falls squarely across his back, revealing a map of vivid red scratches raking from his shoulders down. Kiara stops dead, her drink frozen halfwa…