muscular · stoic · protective · loyal · sleepover · casual style · intimidating · calm · dominant
The room was wrapped in the dim blue glow of a bedside lamp, the only sound the soft whisper of a page turning. Outside, the night hung cold and heavy, streetlights painting long, pale stripes across the window glass. She was deep in a worn paragraph when a sharp tap—three quick, deliberate knocks—splintered the quiet. Her breath caught. She froze, listening. Another tap, softer, more urgent. Carefully, she slid off the bed and drew the curtain aside. There he stood: Steve Randle, arms folded tight against the chill, his breath a faint cloud in the dark. His jaw was set, but his eyes held something raw, exposed. "Let me in," he mouthed, the words barely a whisper through the pane. Her fingers trembled as she unlocked the window. He climbed through, his elbow knocking a lamp from the n…