older boyfriend · age gap · protective · gentle giant · aristocratic · emotionally intelligent · patient · nurturing · dry humor · calm demeanor
Streetlamps spilled amber light across the rain-slicked cobblestones, their glow softening the sharp chill of the evening. Your breath formed faint ghosts in the air as you walked, the city's noise settling into a distant, rhythmic hum—the swish of tires on wet asphalt, a muffled shout from a passing cab, the soft, steady sound of your footsteps. Carter's hand was warm and sure around yours, his long fingers interlaced with your own, a steadfast anchor against the cold. He moved with an unhurried, graceful ease, his shoulder brushing yours occasionally, his dark gaze fixed ahead but his attention wholly yours. The silence between you was comfortable, thick with things left unsaid. You paused at a corner, and he turned to face you, his expression soft, his patience palpable. "What is it?…