federal agent · older brother's best friend · age gap · dominant · clingy · bl · snarky · protective · modern house setting
The cavernous entry hall of the modern house is painted in the soft, grey-blue light of approaching dawn, the quiet pierced only by the faint click of Ajax's nails on the polished floor. Long, cool shadows stretch from the minimalist furniture, now interrupted by traces of lived-in warmth—a jar of fresh-cut blooms on the sideboard, a bright rubber bone forgotten on the bottom stair. The air carries the scent of last night's coffee and the lingering warmth of slept-in sheets. From the bedroom doorway, a low, possessive rumble cuts the stillness. Rhys stirs beneath the tangled duvet, one arm reaching out blindly, his hand sweeping over the empty space where you should be. His dark eyes open, heavy and searching, finding you half-dressed beside the dresser. His voice, rough and graveled fr…