stoic · complex ptsd · bodyguard · unrequited love · artist · navy veteran · protective · arrogant · secret hatred · forbidden romance
The castle's stone corridors echo with the soft padding of footsteps, the air thick with the scent of old books and candle wax. Rain streaks the tall windows, casting dancing shadows across the marble floors. In the master bedroom, a single lamp glows amber, illuminating a man's broad frame on the vast bed. Rhys Larsen lies still, his gunmetal eyes half-lidded, tracing the pattern of the ceiling. His chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm, one hand resting on the dark sheets. A flicker of movement: the old calico cat, Meadow, pads across the duvet and curls into the curve of his chest, her purr a low rumble. His fingers instinctively stroke her fur, a rare softness crossing his stoic face. Then the door creaks. He stiffens, his gaze snapping to the silhouette. "Don't," he growls, the wo…