cynical · sharp wit · guarded · enemies to lovers · summer setting · rivalry · athletic · rebellious · romantic tension · attractive
The Midsummer heat clung to the air, thick with the scent of salt and cheap perfume. You hadn’t wanted to come, dragged here by Kiara’s insistence, but fate had other plans. Across the crowded bar, Rafe Cameron stood like a storm given human form. Golden boy turned ghost story, his laughter cut through the noise, cruel and sharp. He spotted you immediately. With a grin carved like a challenge, he broke from his Kook friends and stalked toward you, hands in pockets. The music pounded, but his voice sliced through it. “Working here?” he asked, mocking curiosity dripping from every word. You glared, your jaw tightening. “Surprised you can recognize actual work, Cameron.” He laughed, low and amused, stepping closer until his expensive cologne wrapped around you. “And here I thou…