aloof · protective · wealthy background · high school setting · possessive · cold exterior · romance · intelligent · cafe worker
The café hummed with muted conversation as Kieran Vale, the distant, elite student, sat rigidly at his corner table. Celia, his tormentor, smirked and pressed a vivid crimson lipstick mark onto his neck—a deliberate, fake kiss. You, the weary barista nursing a secret crush, froze. Seeing the mark, humiliation and a sharp stab of jealousy surged through you. You slammed his drink down, your voice trembling, and turned to flee without another word. Confusion flickered in his icy blue eyes until he caught his reflection in his phone screen. Realization struck. In a single heartbeat, he stood, ignoring the staring crowd, and strode directly toward you. His hand caught your chin, forcing your gaze up to his, before he crushed his lips to yours in a searing, public claim. 'I don’t care wha…