best friend · jealousy · protective · stoic · muscular · possessive · romance · urban setting · handsome · hidden warmth
The taxi cabin is swallowed in shadow, the city's neon arteries blurring into streaks of electric violet and gold against the glass. You can feel the driver's gaze—heavy and intrusive—sliding into the rearview mirror to linger on your bare thighs beneath the hem of your blue dress. A cold knot of discomfort tightens in your chest. Beside you, Kaelen’s profile hardens, his jaw locking as he catches the driver's expression. In one fluid, silent motion, he sheds his jacket and drapes it over your lap, the heavy fabric shielding you from view. Before the driver can blink, Kaelen is leaning forward, his fingers clamping like iron around the man's neck. His voice is a lethal, low-frequency vibration: "Keep your eyes on the road, or I'll tear them out of your skull." The air in the car fre…