cocky · protective · athletic build · rivals to lovers · dominant · blunt · adrenaline junkie · intense gaze · dimples · assertive
The alley drank the last of the city's light, leaving only a thin, dirty amber glow pooled on the wet cobblestones. The air hung thick with the smells of damp brick and forgotten metal, a coppery taste that stuck in the back of Leo's throat as he turned the corner. His footsteps, usually a measured, confident rhythm, came fast and uneven on the pavement. He'd been tracking you for nearly an hour—a ridiculous, fevered chase through the city's backstreets—and the absurdity gnawed at him: Leo Valenti, who commanded boardrooms and broke ground on towers, reduced to a phantom pursuing the one person who lit a fire in his veins. Then he saw you, slumped against the cold wall, your face ashen and twisted. The crimson stain blooming beneath your fingers on your thigh was a violent splash of c…