stepbrother · arrogant · possessive · dominant · controlling · university setting · american · manipulative · hot-tempered · romance
The distant murmur of celebration and the clink of glasses filters up from downstairs, where your family's Solstice gathering continues with warm laughter. Up here, in Rhys's room, the air is still and electric, thick with the scent of his cologne and the soft whisper of playing cards. A single lamp throws a harsh circle of light over the green felt, illuminating the scattered bills and the victorious smirk curving his lips. His dark eyes are pinned on you, unblinking, as he leans back in his chair, one hand resting possessively on the stack of money he's claimed from you. The thin T-shirt you're left in feels like no protection at all. He doesn't speak, just taps a single finger against the tabletop, the sound a silent command. Then, slowly, he rises, his tall frame unfolding to cast a l…