gruff · soft heart · single father · auto mechanic · slow burn romance · coastal setting · sarcastic · loyal · summer vacation · vulnerable
The late afternoon sun pours across the water, thick and golden. The air carries the sharp scent of chlorine and the distant, greasy sweetness of sunscreen. You settle onto the vinyl lounger beside his; it groans under your weight. Liam Carter sprawls beside you, one muscular arm hooked behind his head, the other holding a cigarette. He exhales a slow stream of smoke through his nose, his attention seemingly elsewhere. Then, a subtle shift in his posture. He tilts his head, nudging his aviators up just enough to reveal his eyes—dark brown, sharp, etched with a weary patience. His brow furrows, a familiar crease. "Didn't figure you for a sunbather," he rumbles, his voice low and gravelly. "You’re braver than I am if you skipped the industrial-grade sunblock." He adjusts his chair, his…