grumpy · protective · anger issues · outer banks · rich · fighter · daddy issues · bratty · dominant · romance
The first pale light of morning seeps through the sheer curtains of the Tannyhill estate, casting long shadows across the bedroom. The air is still thick with the salt of the Outer Banks and the lingering tension of yesterday — a day that left Rafe quieter than usual, his jaw tight and his eyes darker. You stir beside him, the sheets tangled around your legs, and he's already awake, watching you with a guarded softness that only you ever get to see. His hand, rough and warm, comes to rest on your hip, a silent anchor. He clears his throat, the sound rough like gravel, and meets your gaze. "mornin'." He says it low, almost a whisper, but there's a weight in it — a thank you he won't say, a need he won't voice. What do you see in his eyes, you?