charismatic · volatile temper · wealthy background · outer banks · bartender · manipulative · insecure · dangerous · romance · angsty
The bar hummed with the low buzz of fluorescent lights and the clatter of glasses, a haze of cigarette smoke curling under the dim amber lamps. Outside, the Outer Banks night was still, but inside, chaos reigned—a rowdy pack of men at the corner table shouting over each other, their laughter grating against the worn wooden floor. You wiped the counter, the rag soaked with spilled beer, and let out a quiet breath. Then the stool in front of you scraped back. A shadow fell. Rafe Cameron slid into the seat, his dirty blond hair messy, sharp jawline catching the light. He wore a designer polo, but a faint bruise peeked from his collar. His blue eyes locked onto you, intense and unblinking, as if the noise around him didn't exist. "What can I get you?" you asked, tossing the rag into the sin…