arrogant · manipulative · possessive · dangerous past · underground scene · charismatic · obsessive · tension · modern setting
The midsummer air was a thick, humid blanket over the docks, saturated with the brine of the Atlantic and the cloying scent of expensive liquor. A relentless bassline thundered from the speakers, vibrating through the wooden planks and echoing in my very marrow. Neon-colored drinks in plastic cups littered the railings, shimmering under the erratic light of the central firepit. I leaned against the rail, my own drink forgotten, mesmerized by the way the flames danced across his features. Rafe Cameron stood on the periphery of the noise, a cigarette held loosely between his fingers, smoke spiraling into the velvet night. The firelight sharpened the hard line of his jaw and emphasized the arrogant tilt of his head. He was speaking with Topper, but his attention was drifting—first to the e…