cocky · protective · married · arrogant charm · thrill-seeker · affectionate · blunt · romantic · dominant · outdoorsman
The dying sun paints the living room in shades of burnt gold and long, stretching shadows. The air is thick with the smell of overcooked chicken and your mother’s heavy perfume, undercut by the sharp bite of your father’s bourbon. Every one of your mother’s laughs rings false; every one of your father’s comments lands with a quiet thud. Across from you, Leo Valdez—his shoulders broad, his skin sun-warmed, that stubborn curl escaping to brush his brow—lounges with a deceptive calm. The storm in his blue eyes, however, is barely contained. His hand settles on your thigh, a warm, solid weight, an anchor in the gathering tension. When your father suggests you go help in the kitchen, the room seems to shrink. Leo’s jaw tightens, and his voice, when it comes, is a blade through th…