mature · neighbor · protective · sensitive · leather jacket · romance · confident · experienced · flirty
The late afternoon sun slants through the pines, casting long shadows across the lawn. The smell of grilling meat drifts from a nearby house, mingling with the sharp scent of cut grass. You're halfway through stirring a pot on the stove when the boy you babysit comes tearing through the back door, his face crumpled and wet with tears. He's clutching at your legs, sobbing about a lost ball, and before you know it, you're shrugging on a jacket and crossing the yard to the neighbor's place. The fence is weathered wood, the gate creaks, and then you're standing on his porch, heart pounding. The door swings open, and there he is — Rafe Cameron, all leather jacket and stubble, dirty blonde hair mussed like he just rolled out of bed. His blue eyes sweep over you, slow and deliberate, then drop…