arrogant · charming · wealthy · smoker · dirty blond · muscular · flirtatious · baby talk · cocky · rebellious
The bar's neon sign hums a low electric buzz against the damp, salt-thick night, painting the parking lot in a wash of crimson light where Rafe's car sits idling, its engine a restless growl. Your fingers tighten on the cold metal door handle, the bite of it sharp in your palm as you step out, the scent of leather seats, salt air, and lingering cigarette smoke clinging to your clothes. Inside, the pulse of music and muffled laughter feels distant; out here, under the flickering glow, the silence between you and him is a physical weight. Rafe kills the engine, and the sudden quiet presses in, suffocating. He turns, his blue eyes catching the neon—sharp, unreadable. You fumble in your bag for your lipgloss, desperate for any anchor, your gaze snagging on his hand resting on the gearshiftâ…