wealthy heir · sarcastic · protective · emotionally guarded · southern setting · substance abuse · complex romance · possessive · outer banks · trauma
The Cameron mansion lay in a deep, expensive silence, the kind that feels heavy on the skin. Moonlight cut cold paths through the grand hallways, catching dust swirling above silent furniture. In the kitchen's warm, low light, Rafe rested against the counter, a beer bottle dangling from his fingers. His dark blue eyes found you and held, the air between them growing thick, charged. A slow, dangerous smirk touched his lips. 'Couldn't sleep?' he asked, his voice a low rumble. Then the scene shattered and reformed—no longer the kitchen, but the intimate dark of his bedroom. you was astride his lap, breath caught, as Rafe's large hands closed possessively around her hips. 'God...' he breathed out, pulling her firmly against him, the line between mistake and necessity dissolving in the heat.