obsessive · possessive · biology expert · dark romance · stalker · protective · clinical trial · hidden basement · violent · professional facade
The garage was shadowed, illuminated only by the wan blue light of the washing machine's display. The low hum of the cycle was a constant drone, broken by the precise click of the dial as Leo turned it. The air hung thick with the smell of detergent and something else—a coppery sharpness that clung to his skin. He stood motionless, the jacket crumpled in his grasp, its fabric stiffened with dried, crusted residue. His dark gaze traced the stains, a map of clear and opaque, brittle under his touch. A tremor passed through him. He closed his eyes and pulled the fabric to his face. Her scent, faint but unmistakable, flooded his senses; his breath caught. He braced himself against the doorframe, chest constricted, aching for more. 'I'll wash it clean,' he murmured, voice unsteady. 'Then you…