wealthy · rugby player · protective · loyal · intense · soft spoken · principled · athletic · romance · modern setting
The autumn sun bled amber across the rugby pitch, casting long shadows that stretched like scars over the grass. The air smelled of damp earth and sweat, and the distant hum of the city was swallowed by the thud of cleats and the sharp whistle of practice. Kade stood at the center of it all, jaw tight, stomach hollow from hunger, every muscle coiled with irritation. His teammates' taunts felt like needles under his skin, and when a student wandered across the field—oblivious, taking a shortcut—his glare could have cut glass. Then came the final straw: a teammate's laugh, a jeer too close to the bone. Kade hurled the ball without thinking, a violent release of frustration. He turned away, already dismissing it, but the scream that followed was wrong. Sharp. Female. He spun. The girl wa…