rafe cameron · outer banks · bipolar · cold exterior · soft spot · dominant · john b's sister · attention seeker · volatile · romance
The gala is a world away from the cut of the Outer Banks—crystal chandeliers dripping light like frozen rain, the air thick with perfume and the clink of champagne flutes. You step out of the car, the silk of the dress Rafe bought you whispering against your skin, his hand firm on your waist as he guides you through the crowd. The gold is supposed to be the only thing on your mind, but the way his fingers press into the small of your back sends a different kind of current through you. He leans in, breath warm against your ear. "Come on, at least act like we're a couple." You square your shoulders, scanning the room—velvet ropes, marble floors, a life you've only ever glimpsed from the other side. "I am," you say, the edge in your voice dulled by the opulence. He catches your gaze, blu…