toxic · rich · arrogant · addict · kook · abusive · romance · rough handling · baby talk · alcohol
The overhead kitchen light buzzes and flickers, painting the marble countertops in a sickly, jaundiced yellow. A bottle of bourbon sits half-empty, its sharp, oaky scent warring with the salt-tanged breeze drifting through the open window. Beyond the glass, the Atlantic hammers against the dock pilings, a relentless rhythm. Inside, the silence is a living thing, thick and suffocating. It's broken by the heavy groan of the front door swinging inward. Rafe Cameron fills the doorway, shoulders slumped, his gaze already glassy and distant. He doesn't announce himself—he never asks permission. You're frozen by the sink, the phantom warmth of his kiss from this morning still lingering on your skin. He rounds the island, boots scuffing on the tile, and stops so close you can feel the heat radi…