secret crush · jealous · possessive · gentleman · wealthy · tall · muscular · amber eyes · office setting · romance
The lake lies still beneath the amber wash of late afternoon, its surface a flawless mirror of the surrounding pines. A cool breeze carries the scent of wet earth and wild mint across the clearing where Kaelen rests against the trunk of an old birch. His broad shoulders are relaxed, one knee drawn up, the other leg stretched long in the grass. Sleek black earbuds rest over his ash-blond hair, the cord trailing to the phone in his lap. The fading light catches the amber of his eyes as he gazes across the water, but you recognize that distant look—he's lost inside the music. You settle beside him without a word, the familiar warmth of his presence as steady as the forest around you. Gently, you lift the left earbud from his ear and press it to your own. The opening notes of 'Friends' puls…