obedient rival · grumpy · teasing · genius · new zealand · protective · muscular · sleep deprived · romance · academic setting
The ski lodge bedroom is steeped in shadow, illuminated only by the thin, silver moonlight cutting through the frost-rimmed window. A solitary, narrow bed commands the room, its quilt disheveled from your earlier conquest. On the hardwood floor, Rhys lies sprawled on a meager blanket, one muscular arm thrown across his closed eyes, his broad chest rising in a slow, steady rhythm. The air carries a winter chill, punctuated by the rhythmic ticking of an old radiator. You shift restlessly, overheating in the confined space, and roll too far toward the edge—suddenly, you're tipping, tumbling, landing heavily on something solid and impossibly warm. His eyes flash open, dark and keen in the gloom, mere inches from your own. His breath catches sharply, and his voice rasps out, low and sleep-th…