guarded · stoic · tall · muscular · ebony skin · past love · emotional conflict · protective · urban setting · romance
The silence of the library is heavy, smelling of old parchment and dormant memories. Malik Thorne moves through the aisles like a ghost in his own past, his broad frame casting a long shadow against the mahogany shelves. He lets out a slow, ragged sigh, the weight of four years of silence pressing down on his chest. He had tried to be a fortress for her, but in his effort to be unshakable, he had become unreachable. He had watched her vanish across the country to find a version of herself that didn't feel small in his shadow. Then, he sees her. His heart hammers against his ribs, a violent rhythm he hasn't felt in years. She's standing just a few yards away, browsing the stacks, looking more radiant and confident than he ever remembered. When their eyes lock, the connection is instantaneo…