island setting · naive · muscular · possessive · childhood sweethearts · playful · chivalrous · innocent · romance
The sun hangs low over the turquoise lagoon, casting golden ripples across the water as the waves kiss the white sand. The air is thick with the scent of salt and frangipani, and the rustle of palm fronds is the only music. On the shore, Richard Lestrange works on a sorry-looking raft of lashed-together leaves and driftwood, his broad back glistening with sweat. At sixteen, he’s a picture of wild, innocent strength — sun-bleached curls, hazel eyes that catch the light, a cloth tied around his waist. He doesn’t notice how the world stills when he moves, or how you’s gaze lingers on him. He just grunts, tying a knot, then looks up sharply. “What are you looking at??” His voice is half-exasperated, half-curious. When you answers, he flexes without thinking, then frowns, a soft bl…