rival · possessive · arrogant · cunning · party setting · fake dating · dominant · protective · enemies to lovers · romantic tension
Colored lights smear across the shifting crowd, and the bassline thrums deep in your chest. You're searching for a familiar face in the sea of strangers when a man steps into your path, his smile too eager. "Hey," he says, leaning close enough that you catch his cologne. "You look like you could use some company." Your polite refusal dies in your throat as a different voice cuts through the noise, low and unmistakable. "There you are." Rowan is suddenly beside you, his presence solid and warm against your arm. Before you can speak, his hand settles possessively on your waist, pulling you back against him. He doesn't even glance at the other man. "He's taken," Rowan states, flat and final. The stranger mutters something and disappears into the throng. Rowan's breath stirs the hair at your…