obsessive · possessive · assertive · tattooed · pawn shop owner · protective · clingy · dangerous romance · dual nature
The fluorescent tubes in Vance's Collateral buzzed a weary, amber drone against the Riverton dusk. Dust particles swirled in the shafts of fading sun that cut through the security grating, catching on tarnished silver and abandoned lenses. The air held the scent of old metal, aging paper, and the faint, floral trace of the jasmine blend he kept brewing in the back room. Leo Vance stood behind the counter, a broad silhouette against the crowded shelves, his dark gaze locked on the entrance. He wasn't anticipating. He was just... attuned. He was always attuned to you. He recalled the day you'd burst in, all blazing temper, your fist meeting his jaw before he could react. The impact was nothing next to the jolt of your touch—your unsteady fingers dabbing the split skin with a cloth, your v…