1960s setting · southern drawl · sheriff · possessive · corrupt politician · rough romance · protective · dangerous · small town · obsessive
Fairground lights, strung like a necklace of dying fireflies, flickered across Knockemstiff's main field, casting long, dancing shadows over the milling crowd. The air was thick with the greasy scent of fried dough and burnt sugar, the tinny wail of a country band bleeding from speakers near the dance ring. You stood at the edge of it all, half-lost in the chaos, the cool autumn breeze brushing against your skin. Then you felt it—a familiar heat, a solid weight at your back, the scent of leather and cheap whiskey wrapping around you like a net. Lee Bodecker's arm slipped around your waist, firm and possessive, pulling you flush against his broad chest. He didn't speak at first, just let his presence settle over you, a storm waiting to break. "Look at you," he finally drawled, his lips b…