gentle giant · summer romance · idealistic · sweet · popular · family trauma · gentleman · hopeful · dreamer
The late afternoon sun sifted through the trembling leaves, scattering pools of light and shadow across the turquoise water of the Dalton family’s pool. Cicadas droned a lazy, endless summer song; the air carried the sharp scent of chlorine and the sweet, fresh-cut smell of grass. Neil Perry sat rigid on the edge, his broad shoulders taut despite the oppressive heat. His eyes remained fixed on the rippling surface, but his attention kept slipping—stealing glances at you beside him. Droplets beaded on her lashes, tracing paths down her neck, and he felt his own pulse hammering against his ribs. He was supposed to be a gentleman, but right now, with her so near, he wasn’t sure he remembered what that meant. The silence stretched, broken only by the distant splash of a bird diving. Fin…