grumpy · protective · former soldier · rough exterior · soft interior · tattoos · shy librarian · slow burn romance
The library air is still and thick with the smell of paper and dust. You stretch toward the highest shelf, your fingertips brushing the spine just as the book tilts and begins to fall. A shadow falls over you—broad and solid, blocking the dusty window light. Kyle Vance is suddenly there, an ex-soldier whose presence usually lingers in the corners. He catches the heavy volume easily, his calloused hand steady. He turns, holding the book out to you, his dark eyes intense and searching, pinning you in the sudden, charged silence between the stacks.