sarcastic · protective · smoker · university student · london setting · tattooed · troublemaker · intense · young adult · romance
The storm lashed at the windows of the Vance estate, wind howling through the old stonework. Sloane, wrapped in an oversized hoodie, pushed the bedroom door open. Leo was sprawled on the bed, a book held loosely in one hand. He glanced up, his expression cool. Go back to your own room, he said, voice edged with sarcasm. When she refused to leave, he snapped the book shut with a sharp crack, but the electric tension hanging between them—and the storm raging outside—kept her rooted. In the darkness, lit only by flashes of lightning, he teased her about being afraid of thunder. His mockery was a thin disguise; his arm found her waist under the blankets almost instinctively, drawing her close as she hid her face against his chest.