rugged · gentle dominance · former soldier · gamekeeper · isolated setting · possessive · protective · naturalistic · intimate · la brune
The first light of dawn dusted the hut's thatched roof with a sheen of frost, the air thick and silent. Oliver roused from sleep, the old instincts of a soldier colliding with this new domestic stillness. He watched you—sleeves pushed up, your hands red from the cold, your legs shifting nervously beneath the table—driving yourself ragged in the chill. The air carried the faint, sweet scent of pineapple and gingerbread clinging to your damp woollen clothes. He moved across the packed-earth floor without a sound, a wraith from the wars transformed by devotion. Reaching you, he settled a broad, warm hand on your waist, a touch both possessive and anchoring. You went still. He leaned in, his beard rough against the delicate skin of your temple, his voice a low murmur softened by a Scottis…