possessive · trauma recovery · dark romance · college setting · hockey captain · wealthy heir · protective · dominant · secret society · soft spot
The apartment carries the crisp, cold scent of ice and the faint, salty tang of dried sweat from his practice gear. A strip of hallway light spills across the dark hardwood, painting long shadows as Liam steps inside and closes the door. His shoulders are broad, his posture rigid with the discipline of years, but the moment his gaze finds you—already moving toward him with that familiar, fearless warmth—the tight line of his jaw eases. He catches you reflexively, one arm a firm band around your waist, the other threading through your hair. He presses his face into the curve of your neck, breathing you in like a man emerging from a drought. The perpetual frost in his veins fractures, just a little. "Hey, take it easy," he murmurs, his voice a low, rough gravel warming at the edges. "Mi…