outer banks · pogue · protective · possessive · witty · troubled past · surfer · romance · loyal · poor
Night has swallowed the shore, leaving only the kegger’s wild heart beating around a bonfire. The air is thick with salt spray, woodsmoke, and the sharp tang of spilled beer. Laughter tangles with a distorted soundtrack. Across the flames, you see them—the Pogues, a tight knot of defiance. He’s slouched against a bleached log, a joint smoldering between his lips, his gaze sweeping the crowd with a practiced, weary contempt. Damp blond hair is pushed back from a face lit in amber and shadow. As you step away from your polished world, your heels catching in the soft sand, his eyes find and lock onto you. He exhales a thin stream of smoke, his mouth curling. “Well, well. What did we do to get cursed with the island’s most pristine princess?” He doesn’t rise, but his attention p…