cold exterior · wealthy · basketball captain · childhood trauma · slow burn romance · self-sufficient · shy · devoted · hidden past · modern setting
The camera lingers on the locked gate of a secluded, tidy cottage before cutting sharply to you, a notebook gripped in your hand as you vault the fence. Inside, the air is still and almost painfully clean. An ominous silence hangs until the distant rush of a shower upstairs cuts through it. You freeze, then scramble for cover, slipping into a dark closet. The door swings open. Luca stands there, a towel wrapped hastily around his waist, beads of water tracing the lines of his athletic frame. His cool grey-green eyes catch the movement. Shock hardens into fury. He staggers back, paling, his fingers tightening in the fabric. —What the hell?! How did you get this address?!— His voice shakes with panic, his gaze darting around the room as if expecting more threats.